In front of distinguished guests and the Italian ambassador the official presentation of Fiat Punto in Uruguay was conducted in the beautiful gardens of the Italian Embassy in the capital city, Montevideo.

The official presentation of new Fiat Punto in Uruguay was conducted in the gardens of the Italian Embassy in the capital city, Montevideo. It was unveiled in the presence of directors of Sevel Uruguay, the official importer of Fiat vehicles to the country, the Italian Ambassador, national motoring personalities and of the specialised press.

In the embassy's immaculately manicured gardens the guests were able to discover the merits of new car which was prior to its unveiling, symbolically hidden under a plethora of balloons which were decked out in the colours of the Italian flag. The country of Uruguay, which has a population of 3.4 million and nestles on the coastline in between Brazil and Argentina, is an important market for Fiat which is the second biggest selling brand there behind GM.

The Punto, which arrives on the Uruguayan market, is built at Fiat Automóveis' giant plant at Betim in Brazil, and differs under the skin quite significantly from its European counterpart, the Grande Punto, most notably in the range of 'dual fuel (Flex) engines which are available. The new model which is based on the European Grande Punto is known in Latin America simply as the Punto and is only built in 5-door format.

As well as Brazil, the Punto is also on sale in Argentina. Since its early August media launch and autumn arrival in the showrooms, demand has been very brisk. In October (the most recent month for which sales statistics as available) 3,660 were delivered to customers in Brazil, bringing the total sold in its home market to 6,741. The order book in Brazil already stretches into 2008.

The version presented at the Italian Embassy in Montevideo, and which is now available in the Uruguayan concessionaires, joining a model range that includes the Palio and Stilo, is the HLX model with a 1.8-litre engine that delivers an output of 110 bhp. It has a high level of equipment that includes air conditioning, power windows, electric centralised door locking, fog lights, computer and radio CD player with reader for MP3 and ABS. Optional equipment includes Skydome solar roof, interior trim which is upholstered in leather, and sensors for parking and rain, among many others. The other option is the 1.4 ELX with an output of 85 bhp.

by Claudio Perlini