Fiat Punto
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The Fiat Punto is a supermini car (
B-segment The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of ...
) produced by the Italian manufacturer
Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
from 1993 to 2018, spanning over three generations. The third generation of the car was marketed between 2005 and 2009 as the Grande Punto, and between 2009 and 2012 as the Punto Evo, when the single-word Punto name was reintroduced. , nearly nine million units had been sold globally. Production of the first generation Punto was 3.429 million units, second generation 2.96 million units, and third generation 2.67 million units.Auto Edizione
Laatste Fiat Punto van de band, einde van een tijdperk , Auto Edizione
access-date: 3. August 2018


First generation (176; 1993)

Internally codenamed ''Project 176'', the Punto was announced in September 1993, as a replacement for the aging Fiat Uno, and launched at the end of 1993 or the beginning of 1994, depending on the market. The Fiat Punto was voted
European Car of the Year The European Car of the Year ("ECOTY") award is an international Car of the Year award established in 1964, by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organising companies of the award are ''Auto'' (Ita ...
for 1995, defeating rival
Volkswagen Polo The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car ( B-segment) produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen since 1975. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, and estate variants throughout its production run. Histor ...
by only 78 points. The official launch of the Punto in the United Kingdom was in October 1993, at the
London Motorfair London Motor Show, formerly the London Motorfair, is a motor show in England. It was held biannually at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, from 1977 to 1999. When the event won the support of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and P&O Ev ...
. The Punto was designed by
Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont. Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...
, and originated as a 1990 design proposal for Renault's project X57, which would become the
Renault Clio The Renault Clio () is a supermini car (B-segment), produced by French automobile manufacturer Renault. It was launched in 1990, and entered its fifth generation in 2019. The Clio has had substantial critical and commercial success, being consis ...
. When Giugiaro's proposal was not chosen, he took the design to Fiat, who accepted it. The Punto was available as a three-door or five-door hatchback, a two-door
cabriolet A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
and a three-door panel van. As the majority of the new Fiat group models, the suspension was all independent, composed of MacPherson struts at the front and trailing arms at the rear. Entry level in the Punto range were the 1.1 and 1.2 L
petrol engine A petrol engine (gasoline engine in American English) is an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol (gasoline). Petrol engines can often be adapted to also run on fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol blends (such as ''E ...
s and the 1.7
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
. The 1.2 engine's actual capacity is 1242 cc, available in three versions. The first, was fitted in the Punto ELX 75 and produced at 6000 rpm while the second, fitted to Punto ELX 85 produced at 6000 rpm. The third was a engine which eventually replaced the 1.1 engine.


Sporting versions

A Sporting model was also available with a 1.6 8v updated 128 SOHC engine, producing , later replaced in 1997 by the 1.2 16v
FIRE Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
engine used in the 85 ELX, and a power drop to .


GT versions

The top of the range model was the 1.4 GT, using an evolution of the turbocharged 128 SOHC engine originally found in the Fiat Uno Turbo Mk II, capable of running over and reaching in 7.9 seconds, and came fitted with a five speed manual gearbox. During the years, the GT was made in three different "series" with power (1993–1995), (1995–1997) and (1997–1999).


Convertible

A
cabriolet A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
(convertible) version was also available; built by
Bertone Bertone is an Italian surname meaning "descendant of Roberto". Notable people with the surname include: * Alicia Bertone, American academic, researcher, and veterinary surgeon * Catherine Bertone (born 1972), Turkish-born female Italian marathon r ...
(rather than at the main Fiat factory), it featured an electric-powered fully retracting roof and was one of the cheapest open-top cars in the world at the time. In Europe, the car was also made with a manual roof. Available in both ELX and SX trim, initially powered by the 1.6 Mpi unit (replaced in 1995 by the 1.2 litre 16v unit FIRE). Approximately 55,000 cars were built between April 1994 and June 1999, although the last cars were registered in 2000.


Other versions

Particular versions of the first generation Punto were the Punto 6Speed, a 1.1 FIRE Punto 55 with a six-speed gearbox, the Punto Selecta with a CVT type automatic gearbox, and the Punto ED (Economical Drive), a 1.1 Punto whose five-speed gearbox was designed for high fuel efficiency.


Punto Grama 2 Maggiora

Maggiora created the Punto Grama 2 by using
Lancia Dedra The Lancia Dedra (Type 835) is a compact executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia from 1989 to 1999. It was initially designed to support, and later to replace, the Prisma that, six years after its launch, was having difficulty rema ...
integrale underpinnings.


Engines


Second generation (188; 1999)

The second generation Punto codenamed ''Project 188'', was launched in September 1999 at the
Frankfurt Motor Show The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility shows. It cons ...
. The styling was all-new while retaining the original Punto's distinctive shape and design, while the chassis and interior were completely overhauled, with a new torsion beam rear suspension. The new Punto also became the first Fiat in decades to carry the original round Fiat badge to celebrate Fiat's centenary. At the launch event of the hatchback, the Fiat Wish concept car was also presented, which was hardtop convertible version of the Fiat Punto, very similar in styling with the Peugeot 206 CC. The model was conceived by
Pininfarina Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
to celebrate the centenary of Fiat.


Entry level

The 1.1 and 1.4 engines were discontinued due to emissions issues and the entry level models had only a 1.2 petrol unit, with either 8 or 16 valves, giving and respectively, or a 1.9L diesel, with
common rail Common rail direct fuel injection is a direct fuel injection system built around a high-pressure (over ) fuel rail feeding solenoid valves, as opposed to a low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors (or pump nozzles). High-pressure injection ...
injection and turbocharger or naturally aspired with mechanical injection.


Sporting versions

Two sporty versions were offered. The 1.2 16 valve Sporting model with a six-speed manual, and the 1.8 HGT which could reach almost . The 1.2 16V model also has a Speedgear CVT equipped variant (with a sequential manual shift mode consisting of six gears, seven for the Sporting model). The 1.8 HGT accelerates from 0 to 60 in 8.0 seconds. It was considered a big improvement in handling over the Punto GT. The HGT was also available (in limited numbers) as an "HGT
Abarth Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing and road car maker and Car tuning, performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its FCA Italy, Italian subsidiary. Its logo is a ...
" which added deeper bumpers, rear spoiler, side skirts, new alloy wheels, and interior trim. The HGT Abarth had no technical improvements over the regular HGT.


Power steering

The second generation Punto has also adopted the Dualdrive electric
power steering A power steering is a mechanical device equipped on a motor vehicle that helps drivers steer the vehicle by reducing steering effort needed to turn the steering wheel, making it easier for the vehicle to turn or maneuver at lower speeds. Hydraul ...
and came with two operation modes, using an
electric motor An electric motor is an Electric machine, electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a Electromagneti ...
, rather than a hydraulic pump driven by the engine. This resulted in reduced fuel consumption and less environmental impact. It has a fuel economy of , urban and , extra urban for the 1.9 diesel. The 1.8 petrol does , urban and , extra urban.


Facelift

At the beginning of 2003, Fiat celebrated the rollout of the 5,000,000th production Punto. During the same year, the second generation facelift brought further revisions to the platform, including extensive changes to the exterior styling and engines, partly due to changes in pedestrian safety regulations. The round Fiat badge, found only on the bonnet of second-generation models, was introduced on the tailgate of the second generation facelift. On 1 June 2005, Fiat produced the 6,000,000th Punto at the Melfi plant. Engine changes included a new 1.4 L 16v engine, alongside the staple 1.2 and 1.2 L 16v variants, and the introduction of two HGT versions, the 1.9 L
MultiJet Multijet is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' term for its current common rail direct injection turbodiesel engine range. Most of the Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia range as well as certain Chrysler, RAM Trucks, Jeep and Maserati vehicles are equipped ...
diesel engine and the 1.8 L 16v petrol engine, which could reach almost continued over from the pre-facelift version. There was an introduction also of the 1.3 L common rail diesel MultiJet engine.


Punto Classic

Despite the launch of the slightly larger Grande Punto at the end of 2005, the second generation Punto remained in production, marketed as the Punto Classic, and has been sold in many emerging markets in addition to the newer versions. It was launched for the first time in
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
in 2007. It ended production in Italy in November 2010.


Zastava 10

In October 2005,
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n automotive manufacturer Zastava reached an agreement with Fiat to assemble this version under licence in
Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Serbia, and is situated on ...
, Serbia, with the model name Zastava 10. After acquiring a majority stake in Zastava in the autumn of 2008, Fiat continued production of this vehicle under the Fiat Punto Classic name from March 2009. Production was stopped in middle of 2011, and restarted in 2013, albeit very briefly. It has been available with the 1.2 litre petrol engine and later, also with the 1.3 litre diesel engine, the version of 2013 featured a newer, more modern engine.


Trim levels

The Punto was initially released in four different trim levels: ''S'', ''SX'', ''ELX'' and ''HLX'', that were later renamed to ''Actual'', ''Active'', ''Dynamic'' and ''Emotion''. Three special versions of the three door hatchback were also available: ''Sporting'', ''HGT'' and ''Abarth''. The 'Sporting' had a six speed manual gearbox as standard. The top-level included such features as ABS, front and side airbags, window bags, remote central locking, front power windows, electrical power steering, air conditioning, a trip computer with four functions, CD player,
CD changer A CD player is an electronic device that plays audio compact discs, which are a digital optical disc data storage format. CD players were first sold to consumers in 1982. CDs typically contain recordings of audio material such as music or audi ...
, alloy rims and fog lamps. Options such as navigation and burglar alarm were also offered. After the facelift, it also received EBD, ESP with ASR and hill holder, climate control with double zone heating, heated seats, MP3 player and subwoofer (HGT only), rear parking sensors and cruise control as an option. A revised instrument panel with a larger display could now show the instant consumption too.


Engines

Four petrol engines with multi-point injection system were available, as well as one indirect injection diesel and three common rail turbocharged diesel engines with intercooler (JTD and MultiJet). The 1.8 16v and the 1.9 MultiJet engines were available only with the three-door version in the HGT trim level.


Third generation (199; 2005)

The Grande Punto, codenamed ''Project 199'', was unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show and went on sale later on that year. Again styled by Giugiaro, the car is based on the Fiat Small platform developed in joint venture with
Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
-
General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
. The third generation Fiat to bear the name Punto, codenamed ''Project 199'', the Grande Punto was unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show and went on sale later that year. Styled by
Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont. Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...
, the car is based on the
GM Fiat Small platform The SCCS platform (Small Common Components and Systems platform), also called Small Platform or 199 platform is an automobile platform originally developed by Fiat for subcompact, front-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive vehicles. It was first use ...
. Whilst the model shares some of its name with the previous Punto, a large number of its components are new, including a new chassis and body shell. The engines are the Fiat 1.2 8v
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
(65 PS), a new 1.4 8v Fire (77 PS) and the 1.4 16v StarJet (95 PS). Four
MultiJet Multijet is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' term for its current common rail direct injection turbodiesel engine range. Most of the Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia range as well as certain Chrysler, RAM Trucks, Jeep and Maserati vehicles are equipped ...
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
s are also available: two 1.3 16v units ( and , the latter with a
variable geometry turbocharger Variable-geometry turbochargers (VGTs), occasionally known as variable-nozzle turbines (VNTs), are a type of turbochargers, usually designed to allow the effective aspect ratio of the turbocharger to be altered as conditions change. This is done ...
) and two 1.9 with and , all of them with
diesel particulate filter A diesel particulate filter (DPF) is a device designed to remove diesel particulate matter or soot from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine.Tom Nash (May 2003) "Diesels: The Smoke is clearing", ''Motor '' Vol.199 No. 5, p. 54, Hearst Business Publ ...
. The 1.9 diesel was replaced with the new 1.6 MultiJet starting the end of 2008. All the engines are
Euro IV The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and EEA member states and the UK, and ships in EU waters. The standards are defined in a seri ...
compliant. In 2007, a new 1.4 16v T-Jet turbocharged petrol engine, , became available. At the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, Fiat introduced an
Abarth Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing and road car maker and Car tuning, performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its FCA Italy, Italian subsidiary. Its logo is a ...
version by Abarth & C S.p.A. It was branded as an Abarth rather than Fiat. The car's nose, headlights and front grill look reminiscent of the
Maserati Coupé The Maserati Coupé and Spyder (''Tipo M138'') are a series of grand tourers produced by Italian automaker Maserati from 2001 to 2007. The two nameplates refer to the four-seater coupé and two-seater convertible models, respectively. The design ...
(both were designed by
Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont. Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...
of
ItalDesign Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. is a design and engineering company and brand based in Moncalieri, Italy, that traces its roots to the 1968 foundation of Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A. by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. Best kno ...
).


Other markets

In Australia, Fiat introduced the Grande Punto in July 2006, sold only as the Punto; it was the first Fiat to be sold in Australia since 1989. In 2009, the Punto was discontinued in Australia, due to slow sales. The car was reintroduced in 2013 after Fiat began factory distribution in Australia, the car was repriced at a much lower price, that was more in keeping with its rivals. In September 2015, the Punto was once again pulled from the Australian market due to slow sales. It was launched in
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
in November 2006. The Grande Punto is placed above the
Fiat Palio The Fiat Palio is a supermini car which was produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1996 until 2018. It is a world car, developed by Fiat Automóveis and aimed at developing countries. It has been produced in various countries worldwide, ...
in the Mexican Fiat car lineup. Initially it was sold with the 1.4 16v StarJet engine with six speed manual gearbox in five door Dynamic and three door Sport trims. In December 2007, the 1.4 16v T-Jet variant was launched. The Italian made Grande Punto was launched in
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
in petrol and diesel versions. The Grande Punto also went on sale in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
in 2006, replacing the previous generation. In the rest of
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
, the Brazilian built Grande Punto (called only Punto) was launched in August 2007. Codenamed ''Project 310'', it is produced in the factory of
Betim Betim is a town in Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is located at around . The city belongs to the mesoregion Metropolitan of Belo Horizonte (BH) and to the microregion of Belo Horizonte. It is the fifth largest city in Minas Gerais and one of the 50 larg ...
,
Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The chassis is an adaptation of the
Fiat Palio The Fiat Palio is a supermini car which was produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1996 until 2018. It is a world car, developed by Fiat Automóveis and aimed at developing countries. It has been produced in various countries worldwide, ...
, a lower cost compact. Levels of safety were not maintained (airbags and ABS are optional on lower trim levels, and the highest one has only two airbags as standard), but the ride comfort is said to be the same. The five door version was the only one available in the Brazilian line, and there were no plans for a two-door version (in Brazil, two door vehicles are only accepted for cheaper cars). The engines available at launch were the 1.4 Fire 8v and the 1.8 Ecotec-Family 1 X18XE engine that comes from GM-Fiat/Powertrain, and later the 1.4
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
16v
TurboJet The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...
, also available for the
Linea ''Linea'' is a genus of foraminifera belonging to the subfamily Rhabdammininae. It is a monotypic genus containing the sole species ''Linea simplex''. Morphology ''Linea simplex'' has an overall string-like appearance, with a thin unbranching ...
. For the model of 2011, there were added the new E.TorQ engines 1.6 16v and 1.8 16v. Produced by
Fiat Powertrain Technologies FPT Industrial is an Italian multinational designer and manufacturer of transmissions, axles, diesel and petrol engines that was established in March 2005 as a Fiat Group division which included all the activities related to powertrains and tr ...
, they were based on the discontinued
Tritec engine The Tritec engine (also known as Pentagon) is a four-cylinder petrol engine that was manufactured between 1999 and 2007 by Tritec Motors in Brazil and was used in various cars including Chrysler and Mini models. Tritec Motors Ltda In 1997, Chrysl ...
s. All non Turbo petrol models produced in Brazil are
flex-fuel A flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) or dual-fuel vehicle (colloquially called a flex-fuel vehicle) is an alternative fuel vehicle with an internal combustion engine designed to run on more than one fuel, usually gasoline blended with either ethanol fu ...
. The Grande Punto was launched in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
during the Delhi
Auto Expo The Auto Expo is a biennial automotive show held in Greater Noida, NCR, India. Till 2012, the Auto Expo was organized at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi which combined both vehicles and components. In 2014, The Auto Expo (Motor Show) moved to the n ...
in January 2008, with sales starting in June 2009. The Punto for the Indian market was manufactured by the Fiat /
Tata Motors Tata Motors Limited is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company, headquartered in Mumbai, India, which is part of the Tata Group. The company produces passenger cars, trucks, vans, coaches, buses. Formerly known as Tata En ...
joint venture Fiat India Automobiles Ltd (FIAL) in a new plant in
Ranjangaon Ranjangaon is a village located at a distance of about 50 km from Pune. Located there is the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Industrial area and a shrine to Ranjangaon Ganpati, Mahaganapati. The MIDC in Ranjangoan ...
,
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
and based on the same 310 project of the Brazilian Punto. A related sedan car, the
Fiat Linea The Fiat Linea (Type 323) is a compact sedan released on 26 March 2007 at the Tofaş plant in Bursa, Turkey, by the Italian automaker Fiat as a world car in developing countries. It is based on the current Fiat Grande Punto platform. The Linea ...
, was launched in the beginning of 2007 to replace the ageing
Fiat Marea The Fiat Marea (Type 185) is a small family car available as a saloon and an estate, produced by the Italian automaker Fiat. Launched in September 1996, the Marea models were essentially different body styles of Fiat's hatchback offerings, the ...
. It is built on an extended version of the Grande Punto's chassis, with a total length of , making it part of the superior
small family car The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States. In 2011, the C- ...
segment.


Safety

The Grande Punto was awarded with five stars in the
Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in February ...
crash test A crash test is a form of destructive testing usually performed in order to ensure safe design standards in crashworthiness and crash compatibility for various modes of transportation (see automobile safety) or related systems and componen ...
for passenger protection, and three stars certification for pedestrian safety. The most powerful engines have
electronic stability program Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction ( skiddi ...
and
anti slip regulation A traction control system (TCS), also known as ASR (from german: Antriebsschlupfregelung, lit=drive slippage regulation), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehic ...
fitted as standard, and it is an optional extra on some of the lower powered engines. However, in a later test in December 2017, the car was retested with a zero star rating by Euro NCAP, receiving 51% for adult occupants, 43% for child occupant, 52% for pedestrian and 0% for safety assist. One of the given reasons for this is the fact that the third generation Punto was launched in 2005, making the car a twelve year old model, whose safety standards were never actually updated.


Abarth Grande Punto (2007–2010)

The first car from the newly created (2007) Fiat owned Abarth & C. S.p.A., the Abarth Grande Punto differs significantly from its donor car. Initially the Abarth Grande Punto was released with a 150 PS (155 PS when using 97 RON fuel) 1.4 turbo engine, but from 2008, there was available an Essesse kit, which could be installed at official Abarth service centres rather than in the factory. Amongst various refinements included uprated brakes and suspension, the Essesse kit provided an uprated power output of .


2009 facelift (''Punto Evo'')

The Punto Evo, a facelift version of the Grande Punto, was presented in September 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It received a new front end, in addition to revised rear lights, and a new interior. It has two new engines, a 1.3 L second generation Multijet diesel and a 1.4 L
petrol engine A petrol engine (gasoline engine in American English) is an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol (gasoline). Petrol engines can often be adapted to also run on fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol blends (such as ''E ...
with the MultiAir technology. It also features a new navigation system integrated to the
Blue&Me Blue&Me is an integrated in-vehicle infotainment system used worldwide on many vehicles marketed by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) from model years 2006–2017. With the exception of the Ford Ka, which is a lightly modified Fiat 500, the system ...
system called Blue&Me–TomTom.


Abarth Punto Evo (2010–2015)

The Abarth Punto Evo was shown at 2010 Geneva Motor Show. It has a MultiAir
Turbo In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
inline-four engine A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the ...
. The top speed is and
acceleration In mechanics, acceleration is the rate of change of the velocity of an object with respect to time. Accelerations are vector quantities (in that they have magnitude and direction). The orientation of an object's acceleration is given by the ...
from 0 to takes 7.5 seconds. A new Esseesse version was released in 2011, which was an optional upgrade that improved performance, with a 0– time of 7.3 seconds. The Abarth Punto Evo was discontinued in 2015, after slow sales.


2012 facelift (''Punto'')

Fiat introduced the 2012 Punto in September 2011 at the
Frankfurt Motor Show The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility shows. It cons ...
, as a facelifted version of the Punto Evo that reintroduced the Punto nomenclature (without ''Grande'' or ''Evo''). The facelift was consisted of slighter tweaks than changing from Grande Punto to Punto Evo, keeping the revised rear lights and interior of the 2009 Punto Evo, but not on the base 'Pop' trim level which reverted to the older Grande Punto interior. In October 2014, ''
Top Gear Magazine ''Top Gear'' is a British automobile magazine, owned by BBC Worldwide, and published under contract by Immediate Media Company. It is named after the BBC's ''Top Gear'' television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published m ...
'' placed the Punto Pop 1.2 liter 8v 69 on its list of ''The Worst Cars You Can Buy Right Now'', describing the car as "An outclassed elderly supermini that kicks out 126 g/km yet takes 14.4 secs to wheeze to 62 mph, and it costs more than £10k." From 2015 (when the production of three door version was cancelled) only five door version was available in Europe. In June 2016, Fiat introduced the new ''Techno Pack'' with the 5” touchscreen infotainment system and cruise control. Production of the Punto ended on 7 August 2018, with no direct successor being announced. However, it continued to sell in India for an additional two more months before production ended in October of that year. The last Punto assembled in Melfi was a red five door model. Production of the Punto finally ended in August 2018, with no direct successor being announced. However, it continued to be sold in India until production also ended there in October of that year.


2014 Indian facelift (''Punto Evo'')

Fiat India gave the Punto Evo an extensive and exclusive facelift in August 2014. The facelift consisted of large, swept back headlamps, a new grille and chrome inserts, whilst the rear of the car received LED taillamps from its European twin, and the dashboard from the European car. This car also sports an SUV like ground clearance of 185mm for diesel and 195mm for petrol to suit Indian roads. In August 2015, Fiat launched in India the Abarth brand, imported from Poland the Abarth 595 Competizione and the locally produced Abarth Punto, based on the 310-Punto five door. Indian Abarth Punto come with a 1.4 Turbojet engine with and new sport kit for exterior and interior including revised Abarth badge and retuned chassis. Transmission is a five speed manual. Fiat India launched a crossover version of the Punto Evo called Avventura in India on 21 October 2014, at a base price of INR 5.99 Lakh. The Avventura was aimed at the market inhabited by the likes of
Toyota Etios Cross The Toyota Etios is a subcompact car consisting a line of four-door saloon/sedan and five-door hatchback produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota since 2010. The saloon version was launched in December 2010 and the hatchback version (with ad ...
,
Volkswagen CrossPolo The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen since 1975. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, and estate variants throughout its production run. History ...
and
Ford EcoSport The Ford EcoSport (pronounced ) is a subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment) manufactured by Ford. The first-generation model was developed and built in Brazil by Ford Brazil since 2003, at the Camaçari plant. The second-generation model was laun ...
. Production in India ended in November 2018, together with the Abarth and Adventure versions. As a result, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles decided to withdraw the Fiat brand from the Indian market, leaving space to the brand of
Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...
.


Punto Van

The Punto Van is a compact van designed for the commercial market. It features a petrol 1.2 8v engine, a petrol/CNG 1.2 8v engine, and a diesel 1.3 MultiJet 16v engine.


Engines

Source
FiatAutoPress.com
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Motorsport

The Punto has always been popular with amateur racing drivers due to its low cost and the wide availability of spare parts. Numerous competition and
homologated Homologation (Greek ''homologeo'', ὁμολογέω, "to agree") is the granting of approval by an official authority. This may be a court of law, a government department, or an academic or professional body, any of which would normally work f ...
versions of the Punto have been produced, such as the Punto Rally, the S1600, and the Punto
Abarth Abarth & C. S.p.A. () is an Italian racing and road car maker and Car tuning, performance division founded by Italo-Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949. Abarth & C. S.p.A. is owned by Stellantis through its FCA Italy, Italian subsidiary. Its logo is a ...
. A new rally car based on the third generation Punto, the Super 2000 Punto Abarth, was unveiled in 2005. It is
four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...
and powered by a 2.0 L 16 valve engine capable of producing . Also, a turbodiesel front wheel drive rally car has been produced, the Fiat Grande Punto R3D. The Punto was the first diesel car to compete in the
Targa Tasmania Targa Tasmania is a tarmac-based rally event held on the island state of Tasmania, Australia, annually since 1992. The event takes its name from the Targa Florio, a former motoring event held on the island of Sicily. The competition concept i ...
. The Punto has won several rally championships, specifically: *
Italian Rally Championship The Campionato Italiano Rally (C.I.R.) (''Italian Rally Championship'') is the main rally championship, which takes place in Italy. , the championship consists of eight rallies,Italian Rally Championship – Race Calendar 2017'. Retrieved 20 Febr ...
(2003 and 2006) *
European Rally Championship The European Rally Championship (officially FIA European Rally Championship) is an rallying, automobile rally competition held annually on the European continent and organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The champions ...
(2006) * 2006 International Rally Challenge season A motorsport version of the car can be found in several liveries in the video games ''
Colin McRae Rally 04 ''Colin McRae Rally 04'' is a racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. Gameplay There are six championships to complete in the game. There are 4 classes of cars: 4WD, 2WD, Group B an ...
'', '' Colin McRae: DiRT'', ''
Sega Rally Revo ''Sega Rally Revo'' (known in Europe as ''Sega Rally'') is an offroad racing video game, the fourth installment of the ''Sega Rally'' series. The game was released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows in 2007. ...
'' and ''
Gran Turismo 6 ''Gran Turismo 6'' is a racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the sixth major release and twelfth game overall in the '' Gran Turismo'' video game series. It w ...
''.


Notes


See also

*
Fiat Linea The Fiat Linea (Type 323) is a compact sedan released on 26 March 2007 at the Tofaş plant in Bursa, Turkey, by the Italian automaker Fiat as a world car in developing countries. It is based on the current Fiat Grande Punto platform. The Linea ...


References


External links


Official Fiat Punto UK page

Fiat Punto models, specifications and troubleshooting
{{Modern European Fiat vehicles Punto Subcompact cars Euro NCAP superminis Vehicles with CVT transmission Cars introduced in 1993 2000s cars 2010s cars Bertone vehicles Italdesign vehicles Convertibles Rally cars Hot hatches Cars of India