Making a big comeback in the premium hatchback space, Fiat India has officially launched the 2014 Punto Evo in the country priced from Rs. 4.56 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), introductory. The facelift comes five years after the Punto was originally launched in the country in 2009. The new styling though is limited to the Indian model and the Evo suffix comes from the international line-up. Apart from the updates, Fiat also promises improved after sales and service, better availability of spares and more dealerships across the country.
The 2014 Fiat Punto Evo sports new sweptback headlights, bigger grille, new front bumper and a mildly updated hood giving a distinctive new look to the front fascia. The side profile is the same as the existing model but gets new diamond cut alloy wheels to boast off and chrome door handles. The rear on the hand gets a new LED tail light cluster that is in-sync with the international version, while the boot-lid and rear bumper get changes for a cleaner look. A major update is the generous use of chrome inserts all across the exteriors of the Punto.
On the inside, the changes are quite extensive with the dashboard coming from the Linea facelift. The fit and finish is much better and the piano black inserts compliment the beige and black interiors (all black on the 90 HP Sports version) of the car. The Punto retains the tank like build quality and sports a host of equipment inclusive of multi-function steering mounted controls, voice command system, automatic door lock, electrically adjustable ORVMs, built-in speed sensitive audio unit with USB and AUX input, Blue & Me connectivity and a lot more.
Everything remains the same under the hood and powering the 2014 Fiat Punto Evo are two petrol units and one diesel engine. The 1.2-litre petrol motor produces 68 PS at 6000 RPM and 96 Nm at 2500 RPM and is available on the Active and Dynamic variants. Whereas the 1.4-litre petrol motor producing 90 PS at 6000 RPM and 115 Nm at 4500 RPM is available on the top-end Emotion variant. Diesel power comes from the 1.3-litre MultiJet unit and produces 75 PS for the regular variants, and 93 PS for the top-end Sport variant. All engines are paired to a 5-speed manual transmission.
In terms of safety tech, Fiat is offering Fire Preventive Safety (FPS) as standard on all trims, while the higher variants gets ABS+EBD, dual front airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners as standard. The regular variants ride on 15-inch wheels, while the Sport variant gets 16-inch ones. The raised ground clearance has been retained, sporting 195 mm on the petrol and 185 mm on the diesel models. The Italian automaker has also introduced a new yellow colour on the Punto and has a total of 7 colours on offer across 4 variants. Checkout our comprehensive review on the 2014 Fiat Punto Evo HERE. Also read our exclusive shootout between the Punto Evo, Swift and new Polo HERE.
2014 Fiat Punto Evo Petrol Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) –
* Fiat Punto Evo 1.2 Active – Rs. 4.56 lakhs
* Fiat Punto Evo 1.2 Dynamic – Rs. 5.12 lakhs
* Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 Emotion – Rs. 6.66 lakhs
2014 Fiat Punto Evo Diesel Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) –
* Fiat Punto Evo 1.3 Active – Rs. 5.27 lakhs
* Fiat Punto Evo 1.3 Dynamic – Rs. 6.22 lakhs
* Fiat Punto Evo 1.3 Emotion – Rs. 6.84 lakhs
* Fiat Punto Evo 1.3 Sport – Rs. 7.20 lakhs
Fiat has been working extensively on their sales and service, they currently have 116 outlets in 95 cities and are further growing. Spare parts are widely available and are more affordable now. The Avventura crossover and Abarth 500 are going to be launched in India before 2015.
