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Fiat Punto
A vehicle of strong personality with innovative equipment and also a unique range of engines and gearboxes: meet the New Fiat Punto as it makes its debut in segment B, the heir to a model that has sold and gone selling over the last few years. A substantially new car.
The clean lines, unfussy styling and particular attention to detail displayed by the new mini reflect the most up-to-date trends. The result is a good-looking car with character. Its captivating style also makes it look increasingly like a higher segment car.
As is also shown by the roomy, luminous and practical cab where a meticulous choice of colour and trim makes the interior as pleasing to the touch as it is on the eye.
Without mentioning that it is the first car in this market band to adopt two second generation Common Rail turbodiesels: the revolutionary 70 bhp 1.3 Multijet 16v and the powerful 100 bhp 1.9 Multijet 8v. It is also the only model to offer two automatic transmissions (the Dualogic and the Speedgear), an automatic dual zone climate control system and electric power steering with two operating modes. Uniquely for its segment, the model also offers a Natural Power version (petrol and methane fuel system).
All in all, the New Fiat Punto will change the way we perceive compact cars because from now on they will be able to hold their own against higher segment models. In the safety field, this is demonstrated by the most sophisticated dynamic control systems: ESP, ASR, MSR and Hill Holder. The same applies to performance: the sports version delivers 130 bhp, not to mention a sound and infotelematic system that makes your car a satisfying place to be: satellite navigation system, CONNECT OBN, radio with CD and MP3 file player, CD-changer located on the facia.
The New Fiat Punto also offers the peace of mind of outstanding roadholding that is due, above all, to a suspension system specially designed to absorb and reduce vibration due to road surface roughness. A new, extra-rigid torsion beam increases vehicle stability.
Not to mention the fact that the New Fiat Punto boasts two very persuasive attributes. The five-door version offers an outstanding passenger room coefficient (86.4%) and one of the most spacious luggage compartments (297 litres) plus very effective space management options. These winning features complement the higher total volume: at nearly three cubic metres, the model is at the peak of its market band and can comfortably accommodate five people.
This, in brief, is the New Fiat Punto's calling card. The mark of a winning model that has proved a real best-seller in recent years.
The figures speak for themselves: more than five million Europeans bought it, twenty-five international juries voted for it and it confirmed Fiat's acknowledged position as leader of segment B since its launch. And Fiat plans to hold on to this position in the future with the New Fiat Punto as it honours its promise to make competitive, top-quality products that are also good-looking and packed with innovative features.
The latest addition to the House of Fiat marks the start of a new chapter: the next generation on from the previous model. As did the Punto launched in 1999 compared to the 1993 model - and as did the Uno when it succeeded the 127. In other words a car with different layout, style and technical content.
The name remains the same, as a fitting tribute to a car that was appreciated by so many customers of different tastes, ages, nationalities and professions. But the New Fiat Punto has changed its style. This was done specifically to ensure it stands head and shoulders above its competitors because it will always be one step ahead.
The model's personality has now been reinterpreted: the range is no longer dependent on a distinction between 3- or 5-door versions but is now distinguished by the character of its versions: elegant on one side and sporty on the other. One example is the brand new front end that is the same for both bodies, though certain details differ between the elegant and the more sporty specifications. Cloths and trim shades also differ, as do the facia and instrument panel.
The exterior dimensions have been slightly changed compared to the previous Punto to ensure the car can nip through town traffic and park with ease. The dimensions are 1.66 m in width, 1.48 m in height, and 3.84 m in length (the 3-door) or 3.86 m (the 5-door).
All the signs indicate that the new car will be as successful as the previous model. The New Fiat Punto designers have stayed with the same winning formula as last time, i.e. listening to customers and allowing the product to grow in accordance with their wishes.
The New Fiat Punto has complied with the first requirement that any customer expresses when first buying a car because it offers value first and foremost. This the great strength of the original model that made such a mark in the same segment and reinvented itself no fewer than 12 times between 1999 and 2002. The competition is obviously very stiff and ready to do battle with all the means at their disposal. But the Fiat Punto has stood its ground. It still competes at the highest level and offers something extra: safety, value for money and balance between performance/fuel consumption without forgetting the continuous quest for innovation.
Opinion
the service dealers are bad news..the car is cheap to runa and to insure but to many bits fall off of and the quality is not there and the cars need more screws to hold them together...and the first ever punto was a solid car..the new/latest punto is not....and the 5 star encap rating is down to having a very very soft foil like bonnet (hood) and slightly longer front end to make the 5 stars.
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