Fiat’s new Punto, already one of the most successful Fiat passenger cars ever in Europe, has arrived in Africa. The new range of cars comes in three and five door body shells, motivated by three different engines — a 1,2 litre double overhead camshaft 16 valve petrol unit, a 1,3 litre JTD turbodiesel and a high-performance 1,8 litre petrol burner. The two smaller engined cars are available in both Active and Dynamic guise, while the sporty HGT is pretty well full-house.
Fiat claims impressive performance for all three engines, with the 0-100 km/hr dash taking 11,4, and 13,4 seconds for the smaller petrol and diesel engines and 8,6 seconds for the 96 kW HGT. Top speed is 205 km/hr for the flagship HGT, while the 1,2 litre petrol and the diesel models will top out at 172 and 164 km/hr respectively.
Specification levels of the Punto range are very high, with dual airbags standard across the range. The most basic Active trim level includes electric front windows, remote central locking, air conditioning, follow-me-home headlights, 14″ steel wheels, Dualdrive electric power steering with a CITY mode and a radio / tape with six speakers. The Dynamic specification adds a radio CD player with six speakers, ABS & EBD, heated electric door mirrors, a 60/40 split rear seat, isofix child seat attachments, front fog lights and 14″ Alloy wheels. The flagship HGT also includes cruise control, side airbags, ESP traction control, radio CD system with MP3 player and subwoofer, a leather steering wheel and gear knob and 15″ alloy wheels.
Prices range from R109 000 for the basic 1,2 litre offering to R147 000 for the 1,8 litre HTD. All cars come with a three year / 100 000 km warranty.