What you see before you is Fiat's new car, called the "Great Point," or Grande Punto to give it its official name... Sounds better in Italian, doesn't it? Anyway, the Grande Punto won't directly replace the
current Punto, which soldiers on as the value-for-money supermini of the Fiat range. Instead, the new car sits in between the
Stilo and the Punto in terms of size and price, to go head-to-head with the more upmarket cars in the class such as VW's Polo.
Designed by Italdesign-Giugiaro, in partnership with Centro Stile Fiat (the in-house design team), the Grande Punto will be available as either a three or five door hatch. Initial press photographs indicate a close family resemblance to the
new Croma around the nose, and a distinctive sporty profile. Fiat claims "class leading quality credentials" so expect an upmarket interior with plenty of elbowroom in comparison to the regular Punto.
We expect to see the Grande Punto for the first time at the
Frankfurt Motor Show shortly before it goes on sale in left-hand drive. The Grande Punto will not hit the UK until early 2006. All engines at launch will conform to Euro 4 emissions and include two eight-valve petrol units: 1.2-litre (65bhp) and a new 1.4-litre with 77bhp; and no less than four turbodiesels: 1.3-litre 16v MultiJet (75bhp), or 1.3 MultiJet with a variable geometry turbine turbocharger (90bhp); and 1.9-litre MultiJet with either 120bhp or 130bhp. We will publish prices when they are available.
Shane O' Donoghue - 1 Aug 2005