Fiat’s on a bit of a roll at the moment, with the universally popular 500 and the resurgence of the sporting Abarth wing of the company.
The new Punto Evo, which replaces the Grande Punto, continues the feel-good factor. As Italian as a cappuccino, its styling is a mixture of the cheeky and the chic.
The old car wasn’t an ugly duckling, but this version improves matters further, making one of the prettier superminis just behind the sleek Polo and on a par with the Fiesta, in my opinion.
The range starts at £10,985 for the three-door, eight-valve 1.4 in Active trim. I drove the five-door 1.4 MultiAir version in GP spec, which weighs in at a shade over £14,000.
MultiAir units feature intelligent variable valve timing, which makes the engine work more efficiently. Nought to 62mph takes 10.8 seconds and fuel economy is within spitting distance of 50mpg. All Punto Evos come with start/stop technology to help conserve fuel.
Though not the quickest, it’s a nice free-revving performer and I’d recommend this 105bhp unit over the more agricultural eight-valve petrol or the diesels, unless you do enough miles to make the 69mpg fuel economy more attractive than the £1000 premium for the 95bhp oil burner.
An absorbent ride and decent sound insulation make it good for motorways or a long run on an A road, while despite the soft suspension it’s a decent handler, providing fun on B and C roads.
The Punto has always been a class leader when it comes to internal space and there’s more head and legroom in the rear than you’ll get with pretty much any other supermini. The 275-litre boot expands to a cavernous 1030 litres with the rear seats folded.
I organised a beach volleyball tournament in Broughty Ferry on a rainy Saturday a couple of weeks ago, and the Punto happily swallowed a large PA system, folding table, chairs, and a pile of other odds and ends.
Fiat have also upped their game when it comes to interior style, and the Punto Evo looks impressive, with softer curves a nice piano black panel.
Grumbles? While Fiats are much more reliable than was once the case, mine had something loose underneath the chassis, which clattered through corners. Press cars get passed from journo to journo, and don’t always get treated kindly, but I thought it worth a mention.
Overall, it’s a worthy contender in the most competitive sector of the market. If I were buying, I’d be giving Ford my money for the peerless Fiesta., but I’d definitely have test-driven the Punto Evo.
Price: £14,0850-62mph: 10.8sec.Top speed: 115mphEconomy: 49.6mpgCO2 emissions: 134g/km