For more details, see article...... Fix It Again, Tony?.............
If it does well, can the US market be far behind? They're ahead of GM and Ford...........
Posted on 10/26/2006 5:35:05 AM PDT by Red Badger
The return of the Italian job
Fiat is back selling cars in Australia after a 17-year break and for most of us it was a barely noticeable absence. But as petrol prices rise and attention turns to smaller cars and diesel engines, the Italian manufacturer's timing looks good.
The Punto mini is the first model we get. On sale here less than one year after its European debut, it comes in three and five-door body styles, three model grades and four engine choices. Significantly, three of them are powered by diesel engines.
And that includes the model being tested here, the Sport. As its name suggests, this is the Punto with the highest performance potential. At $27,990 it shares top price honours with the five-door Emotion.
The Sport comes as a three-door and in bright orange it looks spectacularly good. The Maserati coupe front-end, spindly 15-spoke alloys, low-profile Bridgestone tyres, body-coloured adornments and chrome exhaust tip all shout "hot hatch".
Inside there are sports front seats with plastic dots in the base, white-faced instruments, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob and some brushed metal trim.
The look is backed up by equipment that includes six airbags, partially switchable stability and traction control, ABS with EBD and BAS, air-conditioning, cruise control, trip computer, foglights and single-CD audio.
It's under the bonnet where the traditional hot hatch blueprint gets a bit skewed. Rather than a double overhead camshaft, 16-valve four-cylinder screamer of a petrol engine, you'll find a 1.9-litre turbo-diesel.
Although it's only got a single cam and eight valves, it's still quite a sophisticate by turbo-diesel standards. Common-rail and Fiat's multijet direct injection are part of the package, along with a Garrett variable geometry turbocharger and an intercooler.
The result is 96 kW at 4000 rpm (eight more than the Emotion which also gets the 1.9) and 280 Nm at 2000 rpm. At least 90 per cent of that torque is produced between 1750 rpm and 3250 rpm. Fiat claims a 9.5 second 0-100 km/h time for the Sport and 5.8 L/100 km fuel consumption average (we got 6.3). It even achieves a reasonable emissions rating according to the greenvehicleguide. That's pretty good for a diesel.
But for all its fine qualities, this is an engine that doesn't deliver traditional hot hatch thrills. Acceleration is strong, linear and virtually lag-free. But that low diesel rev ceiling inhibits its sporting potential. With the best response done and dusted by 4000 rpm, it always feels a couple of thousand revs shy of what a sporty hatch should have.
So better to flow than attack, riding the torque rather than whipping on the power. You'll still travel at pace on winding roads and appreciate its stability and grip. Punto's underpinnings are shared with General Motors' new Corsa (we used to get its predecessor as the Holden Barina) and by mini car standards it has a long wheelbase and wide stance.
Tuned for handling rather than ride, the suspension and tyres enable lots of corner speed. But the payback is a fair amount of noise intrusion and some crashiness from the rear-end on uglier surfaces. The engine also makes itself heard too often. Wind noise was noticeable around the mirrors and A-pillar.
Punto Sport lives up to its name by offering only a six-speed manual transmission. But this is an easy manual to live with. The shift is light and viceless, teaming with an equally usable clutch.
In fact, every driver interaction with the Punto is easy on the muscles. The electric power steering even offers a dual-mode that lightens it further for driving below 30 km/h. That makes city parking and manoeuvring easier, although the large 10.9-metre turning circle is a chore. The downside is an almost complete lack of steering feedback and feel. It's as if Fiat has tuned the steering to avoid such unwanted front-wheel-drive nasties as torque steer and kickback but also taken the good, communicative stuff with it.
Meanwhile, there's too much feedback from under the car.
More pleasing is the amount of space in the cabin. Access to the rear isn't much of a challenge and once there an adult will find liveable room. It's fine for children. Storage isn't a strong priority, however. The twin cupholders at the head of the centre console are useless because you'll keep bashing into containers as you change gear. The glovebox is small and the one seatback pocket contains the instruction manual.
Driver's seat height and steering-wheel reach and rake adjustment mean none of the traditional Italian positioning issues should apply. All the controls seem ergonomically sensible, too. The rear seat split-folds and there is a decent amount of luggage space. You won't find a spare tyre under the floor, however. Get a flat and it's a foam and pump kit.
Fiat's Australian distributor isn't expecting to sell many Punto Sports and it is right to be cautious. The car looks great, but it costs quite a lot for a mini and doesn't quite deliver a gelled mechanical package.
For more details, see article...... Fix It Again, Tony?.............
If it does well, can the US market be far behind? They're ahead of GM and Ford...........
pretty.......
It is pretty.
I drive a Punto grande and its a fun little car to drive. Im shocked its going for 27k thats a heck of a lot for a car considering my 2004 toyota corolla is half that price and its just as nice on the inside.
Just what I'd want to trust my life to crossing the Nulabor Plain.
That's Aussie dollars.........that's about 21K US......
Careful you don't hit a 'roo, mate!........
What a God-awful looking car. It has replaced (fill in the blank) as the picture next to "ugly" in the dictionary
Stay here and buy the Alfa Romeo to be introduced into the US in 2010
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/07/alfa_returns.html
A decrepit wallaby would do it in. I've seen jackrabbits bigger than that.
"I like my big Buick."
That is the most hideous car I have ever seen.
I think it looks good, and being a former FIAT owner, I'm not particularly fond of FIAT in the first place. That Alpha is also pretty good looking, too. At least it's not a cookie-cutter look-alike from those brain dead designers at GM...........
20+ years ago, we were a two Fiat family.
All of our cars since then have been of American manufacture.
You look like a pimp driving that, or didn't you know?........
I spent more time under my FIAT than in it............
Well, I know everything in Texas is bigger, but they're (jackrabbits) not THAT big!..........
Still it is very expensive. It is a tiny FIAT!!!
They said it was spacious on the inside............
I *haughty sniff* am a New Mexican.
God help us.....
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