Fiat today launched another small car Grand Punto amidst a gala function in New Delhi. It joins the bandwagon of
new cars launched in this year.
The Grande Punto follows the Fiat Cinquecento (500) into the small car segment, as the latest cars from Fiat to grace Indian roads. Even as Fiat 500 is the costliest hatchback in India, Grande Punto is a simpleton priced around Rs 3.99 lakh to Rs 6.11 lakh. Fiat India has positioned the Grande Punto in the premium hatchback segment.
It is available in four variants Active, Dynamic, Emotion and fully loaded Emotion PK. The car comes with choice of three engines- the 67bhp, 1.2 litre, petrol, 89 bhp, 1.4 litre FIRE petrol and 75 bhp, 1.3 litre turbo multijet diesel engines. All the engines are mated to a single gearbox 5-speed manual. The handling is similar to Linea and it feels amazingly well on all road conditions. The 1.2 litre petrol engine comes only on the Active variant, surprised trade analysts, who did not see it coming.
Since all the engines are set to attract 16 percent concession on excise duties allowed for small cars in India. The Grande Punto is likely to be the mainstay of the Indian car market for the next 10 years or more. It is a complete city centric car designed to deliver for urban living.
The car boasts of quintessentially Italian design which is stylish and refined and gives a sense of solidity.
Fiat Grande Punto has been a bestseller in Europe and has been credited to have single handedly steered its manufacturer away from recession blues. It was designed by famous Italian automobile designer Giugiaro, it stands out for its beauty and elegant exterior lines which were inspired by the sports cars of the 50s and 60s.
On the exterior, Grande Punto drives on 15 inch wheel with Goodyear tires, but only the high end Emotion PK drives on 15 inch 12 spoke alloy wheels. Large headlights on the slightly flared wheel arches are housed over the well rounded bumpers, give it a cute look. On the rear it has typical Fiat taillamps of vertical light clusters on either corners which include the night and brake lights. The car gets a wide tailgate signifying the large space available in the boot.
The interiors appear plush and welcoming. A strikingly well designed dashboard, similar to Linea, greets one into the cabin. It has the same silver finish centre console with ports for integrated Blaupunkt music system and climate controls knobs. The thick rim steering wheel feels strong and firm. The upholstery on the seats and door trim are well designed to make us feel comfortable immediately. It has sufficient seating space for five adults. There is enough storage space on the dash, doors and the huge boot.
Safety equipments include ABS with EBD and a unique Blue&Me system, apart from the standard front ventilated disc brakes and rear drum brakes. The Mcpherson struts suspension is tuned to handle Indian road conditions like the potholed roads, craters and muddy roads. The fuel efficiency ratings are 9km/l for the petrol engines and 12 km/l on diesel.
Grande Punto comes with a new philosophy of Fiat just like the Linea- its sports seductive looks and spacious, driver friendly interiors. The diesel and petrol versions offer a good mix of adequate power and fuel efficiency as well. It is a perfect car to take out for a pleasurable driving.
