2009 Fiat Grande Punto Eleganza 1.3 diesel Goes for a Drive

The Grande Punto was Fiat's 3rd generation of the popular small car. Was it a step up from the first two? **Note - I said Chrysler at one point I meant GM...it was hot and I film these alone with no one to notice mistakes!**
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[@oliverstemp9132]

It's sad FIAT stopped being competitive in this class

[@owensmith8467]

I'd love to see another supermini Fiat. Really liked the modern take on the Fiat 127 a designer came up with a few years ago.

[@mrkei5871]

The Punto should come back as a rebadged Opel/Vauxhall Corsa in 2021

[@mb280sl7]

What is really sad is that we American would prefer to drive big stupid trucks. i am so jealous of the cars you folks in Europe get to drive.

[@christineayres5339]

Well the problem is they are badly made, i used to have a 2005 punto 1.2 and although the engine was good, the gearbox was terrible , it failed after 56 thousand miles, would have cost 800 to replace it , just not worth it

[@mb280sl7]

@@christineayres5339 True, I was given a new Super Brava in 1975 by my Grandmother and it fell apart.

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

I love these little cars, despite what people say about them, I've always found them very reliable

[@faranbutt180]

They are reliable with proper maintenance as you should be. Most people who deny that are people who mostly forget that cars need to be maintained too lol

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

@@faranbutt180 Correct, personally I think all cars are pretty reliable as long as you maintain them

[@DragonslayerDarkfireNr1]

its a good car, but the grande punto has so many versions nowdays that its just stupid to costumize bcs nobody is making body kits or interior anymore, plus inside the euro5 version (the one i own) you dont even have space for an engine swap or a second turbo, bcs its so crammed. Nonethenless if you baby the car its reliable and cheap and kind to your wallet. I just want to abuse that bitch :(

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

@@DragonslayerDarkfireNr1 don't we all

[@DragonslayerDarkfireNr1]

@@Edvard.Munchkin true, once i get my second car i'll think about turning it into a rally car or keep it as a daily.

[@parivignesh8464]

I own 2012 Fiat Grande Punto bossa Nova white, man I fell in love with this beast. Something in this engine, everytime u cross 2500 rpm the surge of power. 86 k kms now, had a timing chain change on maintenance run. It will stay in my garage all my life. I felt very bad when they said they leave india. No other car is stronger than this at the time.

[@garethsaunders1260]

I had one of these from new 2008-2012, a 1.9 JTD 130 sporting. Absolute flying machine, 55 mpg and I sold it with 140,000 miles, completely faultless. Fantastic and massively underrated little car.

[@mrkei5871]

Fun fact: the highest trim level for the Grande Punto in Italy was the Emotion until around 2010, and Lounge afterwards. It's interesting to see that Fiat uses English words for their trim levels in Italy and Italian words for the trim levels in places like England

[@frothe42]

Here in the US, the 500 is sold as POP, Sport and Lounge.

[@furiousdriving]

I guess foreign words always sound cool wherever you're from!

[@mrkei5871]

@@frothe42 from around 2010 or so Fiat has decided to use the same trim names all over the world, indeed most of Italian Fiats are available in 4 trims: Pop, Easy, Sport and Lounge, with some exceptions like the Panda which is also available in the Cross and CityCross trims

[@frothe42]

@@mrkei5871 I think they use those trim names for the 500L, and maybe the 500X here in the US. I know the other two you mentioned are used on the 500L.

[@FernandoIjurco]

Here in Argentina the latest Punto lineup were called "Attractive", "Essence" and "Sporting"... English always sounds cool here...

[@SkvalaGaming]

Fiat Multijet engines are brilliant actually.They were way more advanced than VW's TDI engines. VW switched to common rail in 2009. The property that distinguishes the Multijet from previous generations of common rail diesel engines from FCA is the combustion of the fuel, which is split into multiple injections, thus allowing for a more complete, quieter combustion in the cylinder. Compared to the first-generation JTD engines (Unijet system) which only featured a smaller pilot and a larger main injection, Multijet is capable of up to five injections per combustion cycle which enables better, more efficient cold running, better performance especially in the lower rev-range, quieter operation as well as even lower consumptions and emissions. The time between injections has been reduced to 150 microseconds while the minimal injection quantity has been reduced from two to less than one microlitre. This enables even mid-sized sedans like the Alfa Romeo 156 and Lancia Lybra equipped with the 1.9 JTD to achieve fuel economy upwards of 45 mpgUS (55 mpgimp or 5L/100 km) on country roads and highways while offering an equal amount of torque as the 3.0L 24V V6 engine. A sophisticated electronic control unit controls the injection and changes the injection logic and number of injections based on a multitude of parameters, most importantly revolutions per minute of the engine, engine torque requested by the driver and the temperature of the coolant.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Still one of the prettiest looking superminis of it's time, my wife's uncle has/had one of these from new that replaced his elderly escort that he owned from new. One of my friends also had one of these as his daily and driving instructor car and it never let him down at all

[@furiousdriving]

They were good cars if you kept on top of the servicing and looked after them, great looking things as well

[@patrickrocks3312]

Nice car I always had a soft spot for the Punto.

[@nick2203]

I owned a used 2011 Punto Evo up until May 2019. I was slightly sceptical about buying a Fiat but apart from a central locking motor failing it proved to be totally reliable. The Evo had revised front end, clear rear light lenses and revised dash and centre console. Look forward to more videos of your fleet and more.

[@jameskrell4392]

I had one, a 2008 1.3 diesel, it was brilliant. I went to the South of France in it two years running. It was economical and handled nicely.

[@declanedwards1827]

The windows logo is for the voice control, connect any phone via Bluetooth and music control, it’s terrible though, also they didn’t all come with alloys and aircon, the lack of aircon was one of the reasons we sold our car but as much as we loved the Punto, the mini is so much more fun

[@CreRay]

I owned a 1.4 petrol 8v from new. Reliable as a swiss watch. Only complaint was a creeking noise from some interior panel when it was freezing while going over a speed hump. I bought the wrong engine though, the 1.4 was gutless and didn’t do better than 6.5l/100km. A very easy car to drive but not fun or rewarding. I own a Fiesta now which really is so much nicer to drive, but I miss the iconic looks of the Grande Punto, it still looks classy so many years on. Still, the fact that the facelifted Punto was on top of my list when I needed a diesel in 2016 says it all. By that time it was also very good value, it was quite a lot cheaper than its newer competitors. Everything changed when I test drove the Fiësta though....

[@paultasker7788]

I hired one of these in Spain. And the gearshift so vague that my friend started it to switch on air conditioning and cool the car thinking it was in neutral but it was actually in first with me walking in front of it. Scary. Handbrake saved me! But actually wiggles like in neutral in 1st. Also if you let the revs drop below 1500rpm there is absolutely no power at all! So long as you ensure that doesn't happen it's not too bad. Interior feels a bit cheap but the space is decent.

[@FernandoIjurco]

3 am in Argentina and seeing this made my night! Watch and then to sleep! Love the Punto I had 2 (Brazilian 1.4 Fire engine) and they were excellent cars! Still waiting for the old Fiat Tipo ;)

[@Gazmeizster_Wongatron]

I had a 2007 Grande Punto 1.2 Active model as my first car, which caused me nothing but trouble - particularly with the electronics and the heating fans - but boy do I miss that car! 😭

[@christaylor5332]

I do love a nice punto, I’ve had 3 myself the last a sporting 1.4 turbo, great fun to drive and reliable in the whole

[@rachellepacker996]

Aww my lovely fiancé's car ❤ He was so excited when Matt came to review it. Keith's passed away but he's not forgotten. It's brilliant to be able to watch this again and feel close to him.

[@sandeepjoshua3019]

9 years 75k odo still going strong I love my punto grande.

[@keanonholmes4401]

1.2 I've got 130 k miles 2007

[@NikEastwood161]

I have one of these, 1.3 90 dynamic, 6 speed 2006. it is a lovely drive and for its engine size its quiet and enough power, a recent trip I got 60mpg average and I wasnt driving economically. it had a few problems when I got it nearly a year ago but its utterly reliable now, I really like driving it. Only way I can fault it is the poor cup holder location and size, & small glovebox which doesnt have a built in light.

[@TheCounty90]

I was working at at Royal Portbury dock in 09 when these were filling up the compounds. I may have moved this one around at some point. I was an out of work truck driver at the time and glad for the work!

[@TheCounty90]

Oh yes that seatbelt warning takes me back. We never bothered with belts and that noise we could hear in our sleep.

[@furiousdriving]

That would drive you nuts after about 30 seconds!

[@bamboozle83]

The Fiat Stilo was imo, one of the most underrated cars of the 2000's..

[@furiousdriving]

Yes, they were better than people give them credit for

[@mrkei5871]

Especially in the 3-door hatchback configuration. If tuned decently, they can be pretty fun

[@admiralalcatraz6080]

I found the stilo to be an ok car, I had two 1.9JTDs, the electrics in them though were terrible!

[@garethsaunders1260]

Yes, the 2.4 20v was a fantastic car.

[@alansimpson835]

Agreed. The electrics in Stilos seemed to have a mind of their own. We had a couple of boomerang cars at the garage I worked at that kept coming back with odd issues

[@RobbertKuiper]

Owning a 2007 Grande Punto now since February 2020. Bought it as my first car and I absolutely love it! Driving around 120 kilometres per day. Really comfortable on the highways and really fun to drive on the curves. Right now having 185.000 km on it, still going strong!

[@Byk37]

what engin you have? how's at 140km/h (~85mph) cruising on highways (sound, revs, consumption)?

[@RobbertKuiper]

@@Byk37 1.4 8v. 140 km/h is well possible, but 130 km/h feels better. I advise you to look for a 1.4 T-Jet.

[@Byk37]

@@RobbertKuiper I would go for 1.3 multijet 6 speed manual. thank you for answer

[@si4632]

@@Byk37 yes the 1.3 cdti in my 2008 astra is the same engine also a six speed gear box its still going strong 106k miles

[@si4632]

no cambelt to worry about either👍

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

Fun fact... “Grande Punto” is the Italian for the English “Full Stop” or literally “Large Point”, as well as indicating a bigger Punto. The oddity with these cars is they used the 4 x 100 bolt pattern hubs from the GM Corsa instead of the Fiat / Alfa 4 x 98 dimensions. Conversely the Ford Ka has the Fiat pattern from the 500, both made inthe same Polish factory. The Punto Evo restyle tied in with the look of the recently introduced Fiat 500, and moved to red Fiat badges instead of blue.

[@roshangomez]

There was also the Fiat Linea, which means 'line'. I drive this in India now

[@marcelhandsome6042]

I think we really need a Fiat comeback! an Italian alternative in this sector here in the UK, so bored of Kia's, Hyundais, Toyota's on offer etc.... Fiat pioneered the supermini category were former masters in this sector winning car of the year awards with the 127, Uno, MKI & II Punto what happened? Not to mention the magnificent 80's Lancia Y10!!

[@michaelconroy5668]

@furiousdriving you are very good. Presentation style wouldn’t be out of place on tv.

[@UncalBertExcretes]

The fiats are getting better at not falling apart, as much... My aunt has owned a 2004 fiat punto for the last 10 years and it flys through every mot, has never failed to run or left stranded. But does have a habbit of snapping exhaust back boxes off. I believe its the electric power steering thats the weak link on those older punto's. The only other downside is the fiat diesel engines use quite alot of oil and owners have been caught out. At my old job they brought a fleet of brand new fiat ducato vans 135 multijet (2015-2016), and we lost several engines due to oil consumption, when the oil warning light comes on its often too late. We were topping our van up every 1000 miles, and with a 30k service interval its easy to see why alot of people blew engines on these vans, it can drink a whole sump in 5k. Also the DPF was clogging every other week! And even if you do look after these fiat diesels they are toast after just 100k which totally defeats the object! Some of those fiat ducato vans we had have been scrapped with 130k miles on them with knackard engines. All being replaced with vauxhall and MAN vans now.

[@cheesyeurotrance95]

I own a 2004 punto 1.3 multijet, have had it for almost 4 and a half years so far, never had any serious problem with it, it has been dead reliable. The car has 120k on the clock (40k by me), the only problem I had with it so far were 2 worn injector washers and 1 dead glow plug, that's all. It uses a tiny amount of oil between intervals (I change the oil every 6k miles) but it's negligible.

[@DashCamSerbia]

The most beautiful Punto.

[@furiousdriving]

I like the original best, but this is a really good looking version

[@terryatkinson899]

@@furiousdriving I looked into getting a mark 1 insured on a classic policy here in Ireland and was told No! My 97 and 98 cinquecentos were fine as they are deemed "collectable". I do have a daily modern car, that's why I wanted classic cover.

[@gosportjamie]

I didn't even know you could get leather trim on a Punto, other than the first gen convertible, so that was a surprise. Having started off my career working for a FIAT dealer, seeing the internal C-post trim trying to commit suicide, however, is not. FIAT build quality was always quite variable, some of them could be absolutely perfect, with a solidity that could rival Mercedes-Benz, while others were complete howlers...

[@DeGlennen]

Always liked the Grande Punto. Loved the styling of the front (before the 2009 facelift) I actually nearly bought one just after passing my driving test. Unfortunately the car I had my eye on was sold before I could get there. In the end I went for one of the main competitors in this class. (Ford Fiesta mk6.5 1.4 diesel)

[@martinaddison5991]

I bought a new 1.9tdi sporting in red 2006. It was a great bit of kit. It's still a good looking car to this day. The main drawbacks to the car were the build quality. If it was even 10% better all round it would have been a brilliant car. Everything seemed to be just good enough and no better. The red paint was good but faded within 2 years on non Metalic parts spoiling the whole look of the car. I sold it after 3 years because of it. Shame really as I enjoyed driving it.

[@owensteele1274]

Coke cans fit well in these cupholders. These are very good little cars if servicing is kept on top of. Our 1.4 16V Sporting (StarJet) was quick, economical and great fun to drive, and it was bright orange! We had it for 11 years/58,000 miles and apart from returning it because of a steering column recall at just 2 weeks old, it has always felt like a new car and we had no other problems with it since. Great review. Nice to (virtually) ride in one again.

[@histriamagna1014]

Good morning from rainy town of Koper, Slovenia. Another working class car. Thumb up.

[@furiousdriving]

Morning!

[@samspencer-smith1432]

Great car! The driving route is one of my favourite drives! It’s the outskirts of my home town, an absolute pleasurable drive! ❤️

[@Andy-eo3mq]

I've been lucky enough to own a 2008 1.4 8v Eleganza for just over 6 years, and I absolutely bloody love it!! Mine has the nicer 15" alloys shared with the Dynamic model, and also mine has the far, far nicer velour seats instead of those horrid leather 1s. And my dashboard is a lovely shade of blue. 😃 Mine has now done more than 80,000 miles, and it's still absolutely lovely to drive: great fun to sling around, and as it has the nice petrol engine, it's a nice little cruiser too. Great little car, I hope to eke a few more years out of it, before trying to find a good post-2012 facelift example. 🙂

[@alansimpson835]

I never understood the whole Grande Punto into Punto Evo thing either. Apart from some very small styling tweaks it looked like the same car. Was it really worthy of a name change. My friend had the Abarth and by golly it was rapid. Totally agree that it is sad to see Fiat without a competitive car in this class now. I think we need a new Uno

[@RH43822]

You forgot about the 1.4 t jet engine 120 brake it’s lovely

[@Jpjc474]

I bought a brand new Punto Evo in 2012 and traded it in 3 years later. On the whole it was a good car for the money. I’ve not long bought a Civic MK8 diesel it would be great if you could ‘take a Civic for a drive’

[@furiousdriving]

drop me an email, [e-mail]

[@forresten]

Thank you, Matt! A very eye-catching car, I must concur. I had a colleague who bought one of these with a petrol engine. It was quite okay, although electric issues were usual; taillights flickering when indicating, steering electronic power assist being regularly out of order. I'd rather grab it with a hydraulic assistance, but it can be soldered once taken apart, for good. The crash-test; there are other cars that are big, chunky and failed on NHTSA tests as well. Drive so that you avoid unneeded risks of crashing. (best thing to do I guess, I'm riding a rolling coffin too)

[@Mark_T]

My drive is a 2016 Punto. Old hat for the year and maybe nothing special BUT....I have no plans to replace it as it is very likeable.

[@fhwolthuis]

Great video Matt! I love the Grande Punto and especially this posh version. I have a Bravo 2, maybe you can do a video on one of those too in the future? 🇮🇹👌

[@furiousdriving]

Id like to, they are hard to find now though!

[@fhwolthuis]

@@furiousdriving you can borrow mine when you're in the Netherlands 😉

[@owensmith8467]

Fiat Grande Punto Active Sport was the first car I ever bought new, thought it was a very handsome car at the time (2007), think the styling has aged very well. It looked great in metallic orange, was very comfortable and averaged 45-50 mpg (1.4 petrol). Think I was unlucky though as it threw electrical tantrums almost monthly. Final straw was when the drivers door refused to lock and would just bounce open, wasn't impressed when the member of staff I contacted at Fiat UK advised me to drive it to the nearest dealer, 25 miles away, holding the drivers door shut.

[@owensmith8467]

Just checked on dvla website and it's still going at 13 years old and 128,000 miles... Albeit with a very chequered MOT history!!

[@furiousdriving]

How do the dodgy ones keep going? My worst car ever is still around!

[@owensmith8467]

I was pretty stunned it was still alive!! I can't find any trace of the 7 year old k11 Micra I part exchanged for the Punto, and that was faultlessly reliable and in showroom condition!

[@ron999]

I have 1.9 mjet 5 door emotion. It has remap , aprox. 160 hp from stock 120 hp. It's brutal for this size of car, but fun to feel torque. Not so in corners, because it has very heavy front end.

[@admiralalcatraz6080]

My grandad currently has a 2007 Punto 1.3 MultiJet, I belive the spec below the eleganza, but with the 65bhp engine, and while I really like the car as a whole and I have more than enough space inside being 6ft 6. The engine is SO laggy. I found the best way to extract any power was to gradually continue press the throttle gradually further down as you work up the rev range.... Excellent car, and much more refined than previous generations, but I think the 65bhp engine left a bad taste with me. Forgot to mention the 'leather' steering wheels peel horribly. Am I right in thinking the lumber control switch is a 90's vauxhall electric window switch?

[@richardjohnson3463]

Still looks like a fresh design, why has Fiat lost it's way and such a significant market share so badly since the 1980's when every town seemed to have a Fiat dealer??

[@furiousdriving]

A lot of the dealers were rubbish, then like Rover didnt invest in new products often enough

[@richardjohnson3463]

@@furiousdriving yep, I'd say that's a fair comment Matt. They lost their inovative flair and value for money appeal at the end of the last century and maybe the opposition just got better!

[@Vincenzo-wn1or]

There's a feeling the Fiat brand's focus is narrowing to vans and trucks? Then it has it's American SUV's representing that category instead of playing catch-up with the SUV trend. Even though Fiat's Panda was a pioneer in AWD in its category. Then there's the mighty 500 which will persist as a micro car, gaining new relevance with hybrid and EV tech.

[@games4850]

I had a Corsa with the same 90BHP version of the engine/6speed manual. When it was running ok it was surprisingly nippy, and felt quicker in the real world than the 1.4 petrol 100 I had on loan before I bought the diesel. But it seemed to almost never run correctly, sometimes it felt like the turbo stopped working and it lost almost all power. At one point it was dangerous as once I went to pull out of a junction onto a busy road and it wouldn't rev at all, nearly causing an accident!

[@NikEastwood161]

they can be a bit laggy in first gear - mine is, I thought that furiousdriving may have picked up on that, I bet the 75bhp version is better in that respect as its not an electronically controlled turbo[90bhp is variable geometry, 75bhp is normal wastegate and actuator]

[@Mouse2113]

Still looks fresh now, mini Maserati looks

[@DaveSpecC]

Another great video. I always liked the interior design of the Grande Punto, alot of sporty cues and the gauges/binnacle look very smart imo.

[@terryatkinson899]

The punto is the type of car that shows you if it's been neglected as the cheap plastic will look tatty and the paint dull and faded, so if it looks good it probably is, unlike cars like the golf which can be thrashed and polished up like a new pin which makes picking a good one difficult. My sister did 150000km in her one so the 1.2 isn't that bad.

[@benford321]

Having owned 4 of these if you have left your mug in the cup holder it either won't go into gear or fall out at the sight of any corner. 😂

[@furiousdriving]

Brilliant

[@benbrown3541]

4 Chrysler-Fiats? Blooming heck, you must be a glutton for punishment ;)

[@televisionandcheese]

Got a 06 Corsa C recently , it's got the exact same engine ! The "Z13JTD" , really nice reliable engine, just doesn't really do much over 3000 rpm

[@coraz98]

we had a Grande Punto with the famous 1.2 8v 70cv but it was very slow.. It was slower than my mk2 Punto and mine has 10 hp less 😂 It was too heavy to be honest.. Btw very nice review as always mate!

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

coraz I drove a recent 1.2 8v hire car.. they geared it low because of the weight, you just have to work the Italian engine... no hardship.

[@coraz98]

@@johnmoruzzi7236 Funny thing is that mine mk2 punto is even better in therms of gas mileage thanks to its weight and long gears

[@amarjitdhingra3755]

Hi I am using Fiat Punto Emotion Petrol in India. It is the best car I ever used. However spares are expensive as Fiat has withdrawn this model from India.

[@neilwalsh4058]

Lovely looking, well put together, retaining a little of the Fiat quirkiness that always attracted me to them. Definitely the one I'd go for if I needed a car in this class and the badge will ensure it'll not be a premium price.

[@skimmingstoness]

Same indicator stalk as a Ferrari F430.

[@furiousdriving]

Didnt know that but not surprised!

[@eclecticautomotive9141]

Harry’s Garage :)

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

No

[@Jamind7bjp]

Looks like the New Forest and Totton area of Hampshire. Great vid.

[@furiousdriving]

Not far from there!

[@matthewbowler6563]

Punto evo 1.2 active - good ecomony Strong engine from the 1980s Fuctional interoir with standard bluetooth and command sysytems blue and me Metalic paint Eco computer that put the car into eco mode. On the wiper stalk button the car gets to skegness and back from rotherham yorkshire and it has used 1/10 of the fuel practically a full tank left. Good handling

[@billybattams-scott]

Makes you wonder if this car was maybe a dealer demonstrator as it’s got such a huge spec. I’ve never seen an Fiat Grande Punto with leather before.

[@khew1]

Hi Billy. Thanks for your comment. I own the car and have looked through the paperwork and it has 2 previous private owners, so I don't think it was a demo car. It's a beautiful car 😍. Very happy with it.

[@garysimpson3900]

Has a Mk 2 Punto Mia as my "runaround" from new from 12/01-February this year & was surprised how reliable it was. The only issue is the electric power steering which was carried over to this model. Mine was replaced 3 times & it was only when it needed failed again I got rid of the car, the cost to repair being more than the value of the car.

[@robertngreen6]

Good car, good review! Prefer the Mk1 Punto but these are really nice in a different, more modern way.

[@25myma]

Worth pointing out that NCAP rating drop from 5 to 0 was only due to the lack of standard seatbelt reminder, which is both stupid of fiat not installing it and NCAP making such a fuss of it.

[@coopers4491]

Looks a bit ford focus !!!! Great content matt....👍👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@davebassman5339]

For me, this is not a patch on the MK1 Punto which was far more fun and had a better, brighter, and more original interior.

[@andyt8216]

Another great review. Apart from the mark2 facelift ( yikes) the three Puntos have been great looking cars. Maybe one year Fiat will return to the segment?

[@TassieLorenzo]

Nice video! That indicator noise is horrendous.

[@varg11]

@furiousdriving the windows symbol in the wheel was for the “blue&me” system. It has nothing to do with the windows smartphones. It was a system that had Bluetooth to interact with your smartphone and at least in the 159 it incorporated voice controls. In 2006 Bluetooth wasn’t even an option in most superminis, and imagine that ia a Punto you could have wireless streaming and listen to emails. In one of the usb port should be a windows sign with a blue&me designation and it didn’t work great.

[@furiousdriving]

It’s odd though as I’ve had a 156 and 159 with blue and me but neither had the Windows button

[@varg11]

My 159 didn’t have the windows button also, but it said blue&me and Microsoft by the usb port.

[@MrTopgearnerd]

Nice car with pretty "mega" spec for a 00's small car

[@seancooke4127]

The Uno was a really good car, nice design. The Punto was a great car, well built and nice design. This Grande Punto was fantastic, solidly built and a wonderful design. I wood have bought one for the Maserati 3200 GT headlamps alone. They have really stood the test of time. The dials and steering wheel have a little of the look of the Dodge Ram pickup of the time. Although I don't think Fiat and Chrysler were connected in 2009. Really enjoyable test. Thanks. Remember to keep safe when you are out. This thing isn't over yet Buddy. 👍

[@furiousdriving]

I meant GM! Slip of the tongue!

[@seancooke4127]

@@furiousdriving No Matt, I wasn't correcting you. The little chrome bezels on the dials, the shape of the shroud around them and the shape of the steering wheel is reminiscent of the 2009 Ram 1500 Laramie. Funny that FCA now makes a fortune building and selling the Ram Pickup which has had the best in class interior in the US pickup sector for a few years now.

[@luckyluke4435]

MULTIJET ! SUPER ENGINE

[@MattysCars]

It is strange how Fiat haven't made a new fiesta rival since 2005. As much as I dislike it, they seem to have been saved by the success of the 500. Who knows where they'd be now without that car

[@furiousdriving]

They'd have shut, along with Ferrari without it!

[@undeadEnix]

Drive this car 4 years long at first car. It's a good first car.

[@LeighParkin]

Loving the shirt

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Will give this a watch later as I have to work :(

[@furiousdriving]

Not work! Boring!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

@@furiousdriving I know deemed as a key Worker for financial services, only advantage is working from home. Have a good day and stay safe.

[@JimmyThomasjtpro14]

The trip computer used in this car was also used in the mk2 Punto!

[@furiousdriving]

That was the part that wasnt new!

[@rahmann936]

I finally got round to comment on this video. I've been distracted. Them Italians know how to style cars. I thought about getting one, but reliability issues put me off. Styling doesn't date like the Corsa D which share components. It's a pity they both had long production runs. But I suppose you would of got a bigger discount of these cars nearing their production ending.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

This car, under its various names, was around for an extraordinarily long time (until 2018, I believe), and has yet to be properly replaced. The engine is still being manufactured, and has ended up in an extraordinary range of cars. I drove a Corsa D with the 95 bhp version it in a couple of years ago. It was fine in that, not sure if it would be good in anything bigger.

[@furiousdriving]

yes, they sort of changed the name in 2012 but it was still much the same! Hopefully some new products coming soon from them

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@furiousdriving, it looks like it... The Punto sort of gradually dropped off the radar as time went on, didn't it?

[@furiousdriving]

Too long with no updates and the plunked lost interest

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@furiousdriving, yes sir, I would agree with that!

[@Mirage8v]

10:36 -> C pillar trim falling off? Lot of roadnoise in the car as well, even though the diesel is relatively quiet. As usual nice vid! :)

[@antonycharnock2993]

I noticed that. Unless the owner was doing some work in the back. Some of the trim looked very worn too if its only done 61000.

[@furiousdriving]

The mic picks road and engine noise worse than real life, something was rolling in the boot too!

[@frothe42]

I quite like this model. From the rear, reminds me of the Ford Focus, the taillamps. Front electric windows? Screams penny pinching, since most models have full electric windows. Despite these quibbles, I do like this. However, FIAT US is not making a concerted effort in selling vehicles customers want, hence why they bought Jeep and they are selling quite well, with FIAT/Chrysler quality issues. Another smashing video!

[@JDBARNES123]

Was about to say it looks like the same arm rest in the 147, i use it all the time in my Alfa, i suppose it all comes down to the driver, keep up the great videos!

[@promerops]

Is the moth in the video part of the Eleganza package?

[@chrisbury4635]

There might be a New Punto on the cards now PSA are in bed with FCA 😎👍🏼

[@furiousdriving]

That would be so cool to have it back on the market

[@chrisbury4635]

Enzari on Facebook did a report on the possibility of a new Punto and Tipo SUV 😎👍🏼

[@randomsttuffbrummie7374]

2:28 sinister but fun. Sounds like my ideal date😂 Great vid as usual👍

[@furiousdriving]

😁

[@adders45]

09 plate quite rare, just after crash.

[@RadioSaladStudios]

The Renegade is based on the FIAT 500X. I guess, then, was the 500X based on the Punto? Also, I noticed the GM/Chrysler comment; wasn't gonna say anything. I promise. Love your videos.

[@bcfairlie1]

These sold OKin new Zealand. But most were the dubious duoloigic. These days Fiat only offer the aging 500

[@Vincenzo-wn1or]

'Timeless' or 'immortal' 500 perhaps? 😉 Still relevant as a 21st century micro car now that they're hybrid and EV platforms.

[@jashugg]

These Punto diesels sold reasonably well in Australia, but they came with a 6 speed manual gearbox, not 5 as with yours. They actually were nice cruising cars except you had to drive at 130kmh to take full advantage of the high gearing; a and they came with no spare tyre just a reinflation kit.

[@furiousdriving]

Cant see no spare tyre going down well in Australia

[@jashugg]

furiousdriving ... true but you can buy a spare from the wreckers now for peanuts and just sling it in the boot if going on a trip. Find the sweet spot in top gear (above the 110kmh limit though) and you can get 1000 km on a single tank.

[@Byk37]

@@jashugg what engine? 1.3 or 1.9?

[@jashugg]

@@Byk37 My experience is only with the 1.3 litre turbo diesel. Very slow at low revs around town but wind it out in the gears and the little diesel would really sing! Great fun.

[@Byk37]

@@jashugg thank you, I'm looking to buy 2007 1.3 90ks 6 speed manual right now

[@stuartsaunders4518]

A very accomplished car when launched & proof FIAT can make good superminis/small family cars. Let's hope under PSA ownership a proper replacement materialises based on Corsa/208 platform

[@furiousdriving]

Small cars were always Fiats thing, when they get them right they get them very right

[@FernandoIjurco]

And Matt just a little detail, the underpinnings are not shared with the Doblo but the Qubo, Peugeot Bipper and Citeoën Nemo :)

[@furiousdriving]

Yes, they were on the list too, (more trivia for a later video!) but apparently so was the Doblo!

[@barryjackson8512]

Another great video. The grand punto are Not bad cars. 1242 engines are problematic. I’ve owned one in the corsa.

[@MajorKlanga]

The Windows button on the steering wheel is used for voice control of the bluetooth phone. They used the Windows symbol because Fiat Blue & Me was developed with Microsoft. The Grande Punto was downgraded to a bargain car when the Evo came out and production was shifted to Serbia.

[@dylanh1978]

Great review, great video.

[@eddiecross689]

i have an 08 dynamic , good car despite its flaws

[@terrificspokesman7416]

They made this generation of Punto for ages. From 2005 to 2016 but they did do a massive facelift. Its now replaced by the brand new Tipo which is very dull

[@furiousdriving]

Technically it became something else and changed its name when the Evo came out in 2012!

[@Rassilon72]

I liked these, and had one for a little while (in 'Sporting' trim), and it's a shame that they were so pitifully cheap. They also had a few inherent problems (as all cars do of course), such as power steering failure (requiring a new steering column at £1000!) and the door latch mechanism is weak and would fail. The driving position is also typically Italian, with the 'long arm, short leg' seating position, which isn't that comfortable for taller drivers. If only FIAT had made it a bit better, with better quality components and plusher interior, it could have been a class leader as it was so stylish compared to the opposition of the time. That being said, it's an honest car and doesn't try to be anything it's not.

[@Strike86]

I'm selling my 159 very soon Matt ;)

[@Taylorjay99]

I had a 1.2 Grande Punto Active as my first car. Was an OK car until the gearbox blew up. Sold it for £100 after that!

[@keanonholmes4401]

I change the gear box on mine they do. Have shit gear boxes

[@somervillearron]

my volvo 850 doesnt have any pedestrian safety features,well i tell a lie it has one IT KILLS YOU IN ONE HIT,so you wont be laying in pain. Is that a safety feature?

[@furiousdriving]

I guess that counts

[@somervillearron]

@@furiousdriving yeah i think so its a anti pain measure you see kill them in one hit damn pedestrians i run them over like im playing gta!

[@MyManiacGamer]

Yes it is exactly the same in the Alfa 147 I just have the arm rest up all the way myself because I can't easily put the handbrake down when its down. A shocking bit of design I think haha.

[@Thanos.m]

There was also the T-Jet 1.4 16V turbo with 135HP I think My mom has a Lancia ypsilon of that era which was a posh version of this in Europe

[@paulwlynch]

I've never seen an eleganza version of the Punto before. Some family and friends still own them and I have to say I have always liked them but it's such a shame that now they performed in the ncap as well as the Metro/100 did.. I would still have one😁

[@furiousdriving]

DOnt think I have, never one this well specced before

[@seanjordan2005]

i have a Punto Evo with the 1.4 8v petrol engine. The windows button activates the voice control for the bluetooth. the voice control ok for its age but frustrating. you have to say yes to confirm you want to call the person you ask it to call and it never understands me saying yes. the evo has a very different dashboard with much better dials than the grande in the video.

[@furiousdriving]

The Evo was a big step on again, technology was moving fast at that time

[@seanjordan2005]

@@furiousdriving tech did move quite fast around then. mines from the crossover period from Grande Punto to Punto Evo so weirdly it's got the grande's Bluetooth system so I don't get a 3.5mm jack to plug my phone in. Yet at the same time neither system allows music playback via Bluetooth just calls.