New Fiat Punto Evo - Evolution of the Species

SLOUGH, UNITED KINGDOM – January 22, 2010: Think small cars and a string of super-successful Fiats should spring to mind: the ground-breaking 600, the trend-setting 127, the innovative Uno, and progressive Punto.

The Fiat 127, first of the ‘superminis’, was voted Car of the Year 1972 and was destined to become Europe’s best-selling car, continuing in production until the introduction of the Fiat Uno in 1983, by which time a total of 5.6 million had been built.

Compared with the 127, the Uno was some 6cm shorter and a similar amount taller. Voted Car of the Year 1984, it was also destined to be Europe’s best-seller, with no less than 2.5 million sold in just four years, and a total production run of more than six million.

Its successor, the Punto, was another Car of the Year winner, in 1995, and more than seven million would be produced worldwide, including over 650,000 sold in the UK. In Grande Punto guise it is still Europe’s fifth best-selling car.

Now the new Punto Evo is set to build on the strengths of its illustrious predecessors and move the game on with a host of innovations.

To cater for customers who are more demanding than ever, the Punto Evo has been designed to meet the requirement for smaller, more environmentally friendly cars that are easier to park and more affordable to run, yet still stylish, safe, comfortable and fun to drive. Fiat has managed this by combining ground-breaking new engines with a healthy dose of technology and features traditionally associated with larger cars.

As a dynamic development of the popular Grande Punto, the Punto Evo has a bold new look inside and out, cloaking a stronger structure that makes it safer, better to drive and more welcoming for passengers. And it incorporates many advanced safety features to further enhance the ownership experience, including knee airbags, double seatbelt pre-tensioners and ESP with hill holder.

This is typical of the high specification levels that owners of the Punto Evo will enjoy. In line with Fiat’s philosophy of technology-for-all, every model in the range is fitted with the firm’s Blue&Me interface that allows drivers intuitive control of all the car’s major functions. And all models, except Active, can be specified with the cutting edge Blue&Me TomTom system.

This means fingertip access to a touch-screen navigation system, mobile phone, trip computer and MP3 player with steering wheel commands. It also includes Fiat’s ground-breaking eco:Drive which helps owners lower their fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. For the first time, eco:Drive is a fully integrated system in Punto Evo, and customers can now receive real-time suggestions for more environmentally friendly motoring.

But this car’s launch is made particularly noteworthy because it heralds the unleashing of two important new ‘Ecotechnology’ engine line-ups, the MultiAir petrol family and MultiJet II diesels.

The Punto Evo’s range of five engines all conform to Euro 5 emissions requirements and are all fitted with Start&Stop technology as standard. But improved fuel consumption isn’t the only way in which Punto Evo owners will benefit from its innovative engines. Low CO2 emissions mean customers will also pay low levels of Vehicle Excise Duty (Car Tax) – just £35 in the case of the new Punto Evo MultiJet range.

Whichever engine customers choose, they’ll have two different chassis philosophies and five trim levels to deliberate over. All the GP and exclusively three-door Sporting versions follow the Sport chassis philosophy with racy on-road behaviour and more assertive looks. Three or five-door Comfort versions come in either Active, Dynamic or Eleganza trims with a more elegant look and feel to them.

Even the entry level Active model features a generous amount of standard equipment including front driver, passenger and driver’s knee airbag, five standard-size seats, two rear head restraints, front electric windows, height and reach adjustable steering wheel, electric mirrors, and Blue&Me infotainment. Owners can also choose from an extensive options list, and with a total of 22 versions to select from at launch, (a 1.6 16v MultiJet 120bhp version joins the range in October), customers will find plenty to interest them in the new Punto Evo range.