Well-equipped, good-looking and roomy hatch that's fun to drive. Five-star crash test rating.
You have to lift luggage (or the dog) over a high load sill in the boot.
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FUEL ECONOMY
42.8–62.8
OFFICIAL MPG
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REAL MPG
90%
OF OFFICIAL MPG
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INSURANCE
2–6
GROUPS
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ROAD TAX
C–G
VED BANDS
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MOT RESULTS
77.5%
AVG. PASS RATE
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| CARS FOR SALE | USED GRANDE PUNTO PRICES |
Introduction
Back in the 1970s, FIAT's advertising strategy was summed up in one word: "brio".
Every advertisment, every poster and every commercial told you the cars were as fun-loving as the Italians. FIAT had 6% of the UK market.
Then along came a change of strategy: "Built by Robots". FIAT's market share began to slide. And despite some decent cars, like the Tipo, Uno and the original Punto, FIAT was forever having to unload stock onto rental fleets to get it shifted.
Recenty, FIAT got back into "brio" with the Panda. No other small, cheap car has as much character or is as much fun to drive. There's a new UK MD, Giulio Salamone. FIAT customer care is being completely overhauled. A few days ago came the shock announcement that FIAT UK is back into profit.
Biggest surprise of all is how good the new Grande Punto is.
For £8,495 you can have the same car with a 75PS Multijet diesel engine and 5-speed box. For £10,195 you can have a 90PS Multijet with 6 speed box and more luxurious ‘Dynamic' spec that includes air-conditioning, leather steering wheel, front side and window airbags and alloy wheels. So the top versions only just encroach on list prices for the most basic Focus.
The one and only criticism is that, to achieve the car's excellent torsional rigidity, the hatchback sill is quite high. No good for dogs to jump over, for example. And impossible to load something like a mobility scooter.
The 90PS Multijet and 6-speed box are perfectly matched. Gearing is about 33mph per 1,000rpm in 6th (v/s 20mph per 1,000rpm in 5th for the 1.2 and 27mph per 1,000rpm in 5th for the 75PS Multijet). It pulls like a little train, revs sweetly and, because it's a very small, alloy block engine, the car remains agile unlike the usual ‘lump in the front' diesel.
The 90PS Multijet Dynamic is the peach of the range (£10,795 with 5 doors). But, as with the Panda Active, you're far from short-changed with the basic Punto Active.
As Giulio Salamone said, "it looks like a little Maserati". And it's going to win a lot of friends.
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