Fiat Grande Punto
The Fiat Grande Punto is a supermini car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 2005 to 2018. It is the third generation in the series of the Fiat Punto, and was announced in August 2005, and launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show.[6]
In 2009, the Grande Punto became an entry level model sold alongside the facelifted, higher spec Punto Evo. In 2012, both were replaced by a revised model, called simply Punto, thus resurrecting the model name of its predecessor.[7] It is manufactured in Italy, in Brazil (from 2007) and in India (from 2008).
Grande Punto (2005–2012)
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,[8] the car is based on the GM Fiat Small platform.[5]
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 (65 PS), a new 1.4 8v Fire (77 PS) and the 1.4 16v StarJet (95 PS). Four MultiJet diesel engines are also available: two 1.3 16v units (75 PS (55 kW) and 90 PS (66 kW), the latter with a variable geometry turbocharger) and two 1.9 with 120 PS (88 kW) and 130 PS (96 kW), all of them with diesel particulate filter. The 1.9 diesel was replaced with the new 1.6 MultiJet starting the end of 2008.
All the engines are Euro IV compliant. In 2007, a new 1.4 16v T-Jet turbocharged petrol engine, 120 PS (88 kW), became available. At the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, Fiat introduced 155 PS (114 kW) an Abarth version by Abarth & C S.p.A. It was branded as an Abarth rather than Fiat.[9]
The car's nose, headlights and front grill look reminiscent of the Maserati Coupé (both were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign).
Non European Markets
In Australia, Fiat introduced the Grande Punto in July 2006, sold only as the Punto; it is 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.[10]
It was launched in Mexico in November 2006. The Grande Punto is placed above the Fiat Palio in the Mexican Fiat car lineup. Initially it was sold with the 1.4 16v StarJet 95 PS (70 kW) engine with six speed manual gearbox in five door Dynamic and three door Sport trims. In December 2007, the 1.4 16v T-Jet 120 PS (88 kW) variant was launched.
The Italian made Grande Punto has already been launched in Chile and the Dominican Republic in petrol and diesel versions. The Grande Punto also went on sale in South Africa in 2006, replacing the previous generation.
In the rest of South America, the Brazilian built Grande Punto (called only Punto) was launched in August 2007.[11] Codenamed Project 310, it is produced in the factory of Betim, Minas Gerais, Brazil.[12] The chassis is an adaptation of the Fiat Palio, 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 is the only one available in the Brazilian line, and there are 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 85 PS (63 kW) 1.4 Fire 8v and the 115 PS (85 kW) 1.8 Ecotec-Family 1 X18XE engine that comes from GM-Fiat/Powertrain, and later the 1.4 Fire 16v TurboJet, also available for the Linea.
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, they were based on the discontinued Tritec engines.[13] All non Turbo petrol models produced in Brazil are flex-fuel.[14]
The Grande Punto was launched in India during the Delhi Auto Expo in January 2008, with sales starting in June 2009. The Punto for the market of India is manufactured by the Fiat Tata Motors joint venture Fiat India Automobiles Ltd (FIAL) in a new plant in Ranjangaon, Maharashtra.
The Indian Grande Punto was based on the same 310 project of the Brazilian Punto. In August 2014, Fiat launched a facelifted Punto Evo based on Fiat Avventura style with new front fascia, new front and rear LED lights and new interior (the same of the European Punto Evo).[15]
A related sedan car, the Fiat Linea, was launched in the beginning of 2007 to replace the ageing Fiat Marea. It is built on an extended version of the Grande Punto's chassis, with a total length of 4,560 mm (179.5 in), making it part of the superior small family car segment.
Safety
The Grande Punto was awarded with five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test for passenger protection, and three stars certification for pedestrian safety.[16] The most powerful engines have electronic stability program and anti slip regulation 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.[17] 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.[18]
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 180 hp (134 kW).[19]
Punto Evo (2009–2012)
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The Punto Evo, a facelift version of the Grande Punto, was presented at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. It has two new engines, a 1.3 L second generation Multijet diesel and a 1.4 L petrol engine with the MultiAir technology. It also features a new navigation system integrated to the Blue&Me system called Blue&Me–TomTom.[20]
Abarth Punto Evo (2010–2015)
The Abarth Punto Evo was shown at 2010 Geneva Motor Show. It has a 165 PS (121 kW; 163 hp) 1,368 cc (1.4 L) MultiAir Turbo inline-four engine. The top speed is 213 km/h (132 mph) and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes 7.5 seconds.[21]
A new Esseesse version was released in 2011, which was an optional upgrade that improved performance, with a 0–100 km/h (62 mph) time of 7.3 seconds. The Abarth Punto Evo was discontinued in 2015, after slow sales.
Punto (2012–2018)
Fiat introduced the 2012 Punto in September 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show,[22] as a facelifted version of the Punto Evo that re introduced the Punto nomenclature (without Grande or Evo). Since 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.[23][24] Production of the Punto ended on 7 August 2018, with no direct successor being announced.[25] The last Punto assembled in Melfi was a red five door model.
Engines
The 2012 Punto was available with two new engines: the 0.9 L TwinAir turbo petrol, with two cylinders and 85 PS (63 kW; 84 hp), and the new 1.3 L MultiJet II diesel, with Start&Stop air technology, 85 PS (63 kW; 84 hp) and CO2 emissions reduced to 90 g/km. The new engines did not replace the previous engines (1.2 Fire, 1.4 MultiAir, 1.3 MultiJet and 1.6 MultiJet).
The 2012 Punto had updated front and rear bumper clips along with new alloy wheels. The interior is also updated with new fabrics and a revised Blue&Me system.
Punto Evo (India, 2014–2018)
Fiat India gave the Punto Evo an extensive 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.[26] 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 145 PS (107 kW; 143 hp) and new sport kit for exterior and interior including revised Abarth badge and retuned chassis. Transmission is a five speed manual.[27] 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.[28]
Avventura (2014–2018)
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, Volkswagen CrossPolo and Ford EcoSport.[29]
Engines
| Grande Punto | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Engine | Displacement | Power | Torque | Acceleration 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) |
Top speed | Notes |
| Petrol engines | |||||||
| 1.2 8v FIRE | I4 | 1,242 cc | 65 PS (48 kW; 64 hp) at 5500 rpm | 102 N⋅m (75 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm | 14.5 s | 155 km/h (96 mph) | |
| 1.4 8v FIRE | 1,368 cc | 77 PS (57 kW; 76 hp) at 6000 rpm | 115 N⋅m (85 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm | 13.2 s | 165 km/h (103 mph) | ||
| 1.4 16v StarJet | 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp) at 6000 rpm | 125 N⋅m (92 lb⋅ft) at 4500 rpm | 11.4 s | 178 km/h (111 mph) | Six speed (2006–2016) | ||
| 1.4 16v T-Jet | 120 PS (88 kW; 118 hp) at 5000 rpm | 206 N⋅m (152 lb⋅ft) at 1750 rpm | 8.9 s | 195 km/h (121 mph) | 2007–2009 | ||
| 155 PS (114 kW; 153 hp) at 5500 rpm | 230 N⋅m (170 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm | 8.2 s | 208 km/h (129 mph) | Abarth model, 2007–2010 | |||
| 180 PS (132 kW; 178 hp) at 5750 rpm | 270 N⋅m (199 lb⋅ft) at 2500 rpm[30] | 7.5 s | 216 km/h (134 mph)[30] | Abarth "SS" performance kit, 2008–2018 | |||
| Diesel engines | |||||||
| 1.3 16v MultiJet | I4 | 1,248 cc | 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) at 4000 rpm | 190 N⋅m (140 lb⋅ft) at 1750 rpm | 13.6 s | 165 km/h (103 mph) | Five speed |
| 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp) at 4000 rpm | 200 N⋅m (148 lb⋅ft) at 1750 rpm | 11.9 s | 175 km/h (109 mph) | Six speed | |||
| 1.6 16v MultiJet | 1,598 cc | 120 PS (88 kW; 120 hp) at 3750 rpm | 320 N⋅m (236 lb⋅ft) at 1750 rpm | 9.6 s | 190 km/h (120 mph) | 2008–2018 | |
| 1.9 8v MultiJet | 1,910 cc | 120 PS (88 kW; 118 hp) at 4000 rpm | 280 N⋅m (207 lb⋅ft) at 2000 rpm | 10.0 s | 190 km/h (118 mph) | 2005–2008 | |
| 130 PS (96 kW; 128 hp) at 4000 rpm | 280 N⋅m (207 lb⋅ft) at 2000 rpm | 9.5 s | 200 km/h (124 mph) | 2005–2008 | |||
| Punto Evo | |||||||
| Model | Engine | Displacement | Power | Torque | Acceleration 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) |
Top speed | Notes |
| Petrol engines | |||||||
| 1.2 8v FIRE | I4 | 1,242 cc | 65 PS (48 kW; 64 hp) at 5500 rpm | 102 N⋅m (75 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm | 14.5 s | 155 km/h (96 mph) | |
| 1.2 8v FIRE Euro5 | 69 PS (51 kW; 68 hp) at 5500 rpm | ||||||
| 1.4 8v FIRE Start&Stop | 1,368 cc | 77 PS (57 kW; 76 hp) at 6000 rpm | 115 N⋅m (85 lb⋅ft) at 3250 rpm | 13.2 s | 165 km/h (103 mph) | ||
| 1.4 8v Bipower | 77 PS (57 kW; 76 hp) at 6000 rpm | 115 N⋅m (85 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm | 14.9 s | 162 km/h (101 mph) | Petrol | ||
| 70 PS (51 kW; 69 hp) at 6000 rpm | 104 N⋅m (77 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm | 16.9 s | 156 km/h (97 mph) | Methane | |||
| 1.4 8v GPL | 77 PS (57 kW; 76 hp) at 6000 rpm | 115 N⋅m (85 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm | 13.2 s | 165 km/h (103 mph) | |||
| 1.4 16v MultiAir | 105 PS (77 kW; 104 hp) at 6500 rpm | 130 N⋅m (96 lb⋅ft) at 4000 rpm | 10.8 s | 185 km/h (115 mph) | |||
| 1.4 16v MultiAir Turbo | 135 PS (99 kW; 133 hp) at 5000 rpm | 206 N⋅m (152 lb⋅ft) at 1750 rpm | 8.5 s | 205 km/h (127 mph) | 2009–2018 | ||
| 165 PS (121 kW; 163 hp) at 5500 rpm | 250 N⋅m (184 lb⋅ft) at 2250 rpm | 7.9 s | 213 km/h (132 mph) | Abarth model, 2010–2014 | |||
| 180 PS (132 kW; 178 hp) at 5750 rpm | 270 N⋅m (199 lb⋅ft) at 2500 rpm | 7.5 s | 216 km/h (134 mph) | Abarth "SS" performance kit, 2010–2014[31] | |||
| Diesel engines | |||||||
| 1.3 16v Multijet 75 | I4 | 1,248 cc | 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) at 4000 rpm | 190 N⋅m (140 lb⋅ft) at 1500 rpm | 13.6 s | 165 km/h (103 mph) | |
| 1.3 16v Multijet 90 | 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp) at 4000 rpm | 200 N⋅m (148 lb⋅ft) at 1750 rpm | 11.9 s | 175 km/h (109 mph) | |||
| 1.3 16v Multijet 95 | 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp) at 4000 rpm | 200 N⋅m (148 lb⋅ft) at 1500 rpm | 11.7 s | 178 km/h (111 mph) | |||
| 1.6 16v Multijet | 1,598 cc | 120 PS (88 kW; 118 hp) at 3750 rpm | 320 N⋅m (236 lb⋅ft) at 1750 rpm | 9.6 s | 193 km/h (120 mph) | ||
| Punto | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Engine | Displacement | Power | Torque | Acceleration 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) |
Top speed | Notes |
| Petrol engines | |||||||
| 0.9 8v TwinAir | I2 | 875 cc | 105 PS (77 kW; 104 hp) at 5500 rpm | 145 N⋅m (107 lb⋅ft) at 2000 rpm | 10.8 s | 184 km/h (114 mph) | |
| Diesel engines | |||||||
| 1.3 16v Multijet 75 | I4 | 1,248 cc | 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) at 4000 rpm | 190 N⋅m (140 lb⋅ft) at 1500 rpm | 13.6 s | 165 km/h (103 mph) | |
Source: FiatAutoPress.com
See also
References
- Bala Subramaniam N (2014-10-28). "Fiat Avventura launched in Chennai at Rs.6.12 lacs; Abarth 500 launch in December". Business Standard. Retrieved 2014-10-29.
- "Fiat Group Automobiles" (PDF). FiatGroup.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
- "Punto Evo fa la sua comparsa a Mirafiori!" (in Italian). PuntoEvoClub.it. 7 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-03-27.
- "Fiat launches locally-built Grande Punto in India". Italiaspeed.com. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
- "Fiat's radical platform plan". Autocar.co.uk. 27 May 2010. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- "Fiat has a blue wonder in stunning new Punto". Auto Express. 2 August 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- "Fiat Punto 2012". Fiat Press. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- "Motor shows". Italiaspeed.com. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
- "Press Files 03/09/2007". FiatAutoPress.com. Archived from the original on 13 August 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
- Beissmann, Tim (2015-09-16). "Fiat Punto joins Panda in Australian exodus". Caradvice.com.au. Retrieved 2016-07-02.
- Fiat Press Brazil: new Fiat Punto launched
- "The Fiat Grande punto will bring new levels of technology to Brazil". Italiaspeed.com. 2 August 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
- "Mineiro com coração paranaense" (in Portuguese). Best Cars Web Site. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
- "The A volta do "foguete de bolso"" (in Portuguese). Best Cars Web Site. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
- "Oficial: Nuevo Fiat Punto Evo". autoblog.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-08.
- "Fiat Punto". EuroNCAP.com. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
- "Fiat Punto". EuroNCAP.com. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- "Fiat Punto gets Euro NCAP's first ever zero-star rating - Autocar". www.autocar.co.uk.
- "Grande Punto Abarth to be boosted by arrival of "Essesse" kit in early 2008". Italiaspeed.com. 21 September 2007.
- "Fiat to showcase new navigation device developed with TomTom in Frankfurt". Italiaspeed.com. 31 August 2009.
- "Abarth Punto Evo 1.4 MultiAir Turbo 165 HP E5 3P Start&Stop" (PDF). Fiatautopress.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
- "Fiat Punto 2012" (in Italian). Quattroruote.it. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- Fiat Press Gamma 2016
- Fiat Punto new diesel Euro 6 and Pack Tecno
- End of production in Melfi
- "Fiat India launched Punto Evo at INR 4.55 Lakh". CarDekho.com. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- "Fiat Abarth Punto Evo launched in India". Omniauto.it. Retrieved 2016-07-02.
- "Fiat Punto, Linea to be discontinued from India – Production stopped". rushlane.com. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- "Fiat India launched Avventura at INR 5.99 Lakh". CarDekho.com. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- "Abarth Punto Evo SuperSport 1.4 16v MultiAir 180HP Specs 2012-". Ultimatespecs.com. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- "Abarth Punto Evo Supersport 2010-2014". abarthpunto.co.uk. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
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