Fiat Grande Punto which was launched in the year 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show was the third generation of the Punto series. However the Punto was brought into India in the year 2009. The company was weary about the demand this car would have in the Indian auto markets, which was the reason for the delay in its launch in the country.
The design of the car has been built on the existing sed...
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Fiat Grande Punto which was launched in the year 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show was the third generation of the Punto series. However the Punto was brought into India in the year 2009. The company was weary about the demand this car would have in the Indian auto markets, which was the reason for the delay in its launch in the country.
The design of the car has been built on the existing sedan the Fiat Linea. It comes with an aggressive styling reflecting the Italian flair to it. In the front we find the chrome plated front grille which sports the red and silver badge on it. The car has a leaf shaped headlamps which extends till the front fenders. Punto has a pretty wide windshield as compared to the others in the same segment. When inside the car has the feel of the sedan Fiat Linea. It gets the grey and black dual tone interiors for the Emotion and the Emotion Pack variant. The fittings are much cleaner and the plastic used for the finishing are truly good in quality. The Dash has the four dials that come with a digital odometer and a trip meter which is truly Hi-tech as it reads out the mileage, trip time, etc. The audio system installed is the single CD BLaupunkt music system and six speakers which is also available in the Fiat Linea.
Grande Punto has the tilt adjustable steering and the driver’s seat has the feature of height adjustment. The seats are pretty comfortable at both the back and the front rows. The car comes with two petrol engine options i.e. the 1.2 litre and 1.4 litres. It is also available in the 1.3 litre Diesel engine option which is based on the multijet technology. The 1.4 litre engine which is called the FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotised Engine) is the same which is available in the sedan sibling i.e. the Fiat Linea. The 1368 cc engine which comes with 16 valves produces 90bhp @ 6000 rpm and a torque of 115Nm@4500. Moreover the advanced technology and engineering instilled within this machine make this a very powerful offering and is great to be driven at high speeds. It shows great authority and stability at high speeds and manages bad roads pretty well.
Talking of the Diesel Multijet Engine, is the same which is found in the Tata Indigo, Vista, Manza and Fiat’s very own Linea. The Diesel engine has been a concern for the company as it has faced most of the issues in the market. It is powered by 90bhp engine which gives the power to the car and produces an extra torque as compared to the 75bhp engine. Driving this car can be very comfortable both at slow and high speed. You would love to swing around and race along at longer roads. As the company expects the Petrol variant of the Grande Punto is expected to deliver a mileage of 14 litres inside the city and up to 17 litres on the highways. The car cruises from 0-60kmp in just 21.4 seconds for the 1.2 litre variant whereas the 1.4 litre does the same in 19.4 seconds.
As famous the Fiat cars are always give out a comfortable ride and a superior handling capabilities. At lower speeds the car shows composure whereas at higher speeds its firm and stable. The power steering enhances the driving pleasure further making it an easy drive. Overall the car as its prized falls a part of the higher end hatchbacks where it competes with the likes of i20, Swift, Ritz, Fabia and the Jazz. Although it is a compact offering and a value for money the car has been performing average in the country. The car seats in 5 people comfortably.
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