All versions of the Fiat Grande Punto, including the newly-launched turbocharged Grande Punto T-Jet, are available in Australia at ‘driveaway’, no more to pay prices in April, which means that the stylish and fun to drive Italian is available from A$19,990 on the road, with savings of up to $A3,000.

All versions of the Fiat Grande Punto, including the newly-launched turbocharged Grande Punto T-Jet, are available in Australia at ‘driveaway’, no more to pay prices in April, which means that the stylish and fun to drive Italian is available from A$19,990 on the road, with savings of up to $A3,000.

The Fiat Punto is available with two trim levels, a choice of four engines and two body styles, three and five door. All are well equipped with ABS anti-lock braking, cruise control, remote central locking, front, side and curtain airbags, electric front windows, Air Conditioning, a CD player with steering wheel controls, electric operated and heated door mirrors, Dualdrive electric power steering and Follow Me Home headlamps included in the price.

The range opens with the Punto Dynamic 1.4 litre 57 kW five speed manual at A$19,990 or, when fitted with the advanced Dualogic self shifting gearbox that offers the convenience of a manual with the fuel consumption, performance and emissions of a manual gearbox, priced at A$21,490.

Fiat’s commitment to cutting carbon dioxide, the so-called greenhouse gas, is illustrated by the fact that there two Turbo Diesel versions of the Fiat Punto. The first is powered by the 1.3 litre 66 kW Turbo Diesel, mated to a six speed manual gearbox at A$23,990. Until it was beaten by its smaller sibling, the Fiat 500 with the same engine, the Fiat Punto JTD reigned as the most economical conventional car in Australia. Even so with fuel consumption of just 4.5 l/100, the Fiat Punto JTD Dualogic is an outstandingly economic car.

The Punto Sport, a three door Punto with a generous equipment level honed to performance perfection, is now offered in a choice of two variants. Freshly arrived in Australia is the Punto Sport T-Jet, equipped with the new Turbocharged version of Fiat’s Starjet range of compact, light and highly efficient engines. In this incarnation, it boasts 88 kW, enough to endow it with 0-100 kmh time of just 8.9 seconds; yet, at the same time the highly efficient new engine also provides the Punto Sport T-Jet with a combined fuel figure of a modest 6.6 litres per 100 kmh. Or, to look at it another way, 2.0 litre performance with 1.4 litre fuel consumption and emissions.

Topping the Fiat Punto range is the Sport JTD Multijet. With its 1.9 litre 96 kW Turbo Diesel engine which also produces a massive 280 Nm of torque, matched to a six speed gearbox, the Punto Sport JTD Multijet provides effortless performance across the whole speed spectrum, dispatching the dash to 100 kmh in 9.5 seconds before going to – where the law permits – a top speed of 200 kmh. Yet, at the same time, the Sport JTD Multijet delivers a combined fuel consumption figure of just 5.8 l/100 km, dropping to a miserly 4.7 l/100 km on the open road.

In addition to the standard equipment package, the Punto Sport variants gain colour matched rear spoiler and sideskirts, chrome exhaust pipe trim, front foglights, Electronic Stability Control (including +ASR/MSR, HBA and Hill Holder), 17" alloy wheels, Sports seats and interior trim, leather trimmed steering wheel and gear knob, sport instrument panel. The Fiat Punto Sport Turbo is priced at A$25,990 and the Turbo Diesel Punto Sport JTD tops the Fiat Punto range at A$27,990.