So it doesn't come to much of a surprise that Fiat plans to halt production of the Punto supermini at its Melfi plant in southern Italy.
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Perhaps the most important update for 2012 concerns the addition of the 85HP 0.8-liter two-cylinder TwinAir turbocharged gasoline engine. In addition, Fiat’s engineers have added two new technologies to the 85HP 1.3-liter MultiJet 2 diesel engine, the Intelligent Alternator and Intelligent Flow, both of which help lower CO2 emissions to 90g/km.
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The Abarth Punto Scorpione is based on the esseesse model and is powered by the same 180HP 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir engine. It accelerates from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 7.5 seconds and its top speed is 216 km/h (134 mph).
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First up is the Abarth Punto SuperSport featuring a “Grigio Campovolo” two-tone color scheme with silver bodywork and a matte black bonnet and roof, along with “SuperSport” decals on the side, the tailgate and the mirrors, plus a set of 18-inch alloy wheels with red brake calipers.
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The most important change is the introduction of the two-cylinder MultiAir turbocharged gasoline engine. It’s the same unit used in Fiat's 500 and Panda, as well as the Alfa Romeo MiTo, producing 85HP and 145 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm.
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The semi-convertible Abarth 500C is motivated by a 140HP 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which provides a top speed of 127mph and a 0-62mph (100km/h) time of 8.1 seconds, while returning 43mpg UK on the combined cycle.
Fiat's performance division has sourced a larger turbocharger from Garrett in order to lift output to 165-horsepower and 250Nm of torque (at 2,250 RPM). 100 km/h rolls by you in 7.9 seconds, meaning there's got to be more than just a power boost to make this worthy of the Abarth name. And there is.
The facelifted Grande Punto, which has been renamed to Punto EVO, will begin arriving in Fiat's 170-strong UK dealer network in January 2010 with prices ranging from £10,995 for the base 1.4 8v Active to £15,295 the highly specified Eleganza 1.3 Multijet, the automaker announced today.The Punto EVO will be available with a choice of four Euro 5 engines, all fitted with Start&Stop as standard, and five different trim levels – Active, Dynamic, GP, Eleganza and Sporting.
The engine range includes two petrols, a 1.4-liter with 105HP and a 1.4-liter Multiair unit with 135HP, plus two 1.3 MultiJet diesels with 75HP and 95HP.
The entry-level Active model includes ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD, driver, passenger and knee airbags, radio/CD/MP3 player, power steering, electric mirrors and Blue&Me infotainment.
The Dynamic trim level adds side and window airbags, leather steering wheel and air conditioning, while the Eleganza models get alloy wheels, cruise control and rear parking sensors as standard. The GP specification includes rear spoiler, dark tinted headlights and foglights, while the Sportingf features sports seats, cruise control, side skirts, air conditioning, sports suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels as standard.
Helped by their popularity in national scrappage schemes, the latest generation VW Golf and Ford Fiesta models are leading the way in the European sales chart boasting a 21.3% and 40.2% increase in sales respectively in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2008, according to data released by Jato Dynamics.The Golf VI, which is the market leader, recorded sales of 59,552 units in September representing a 56% increase over the 2008. VW's Polo and Passat models didn't fare as well in the month and are down YtD (Year to Date - January to September) by 3.3% and 15.8% respectively.
Ford's new Fiesta that will soon be available in the States found 51,291 new owners in September, 63.9% more than a year ago and over 12,000 more new registrations than the third-placed Opel/ Vauxhall Corsa that was up 17.1% in September but down 6.8% YtD.
Fiat's best selling models, the Punto supermini and the Panda mini enjoyed another jaunty sales period, with both cars featured in the top ten list. The Punto recording a 66.2% rise in sales for the month (+10.1% YtD) while the Panda was up by 14.4% in September (+30.6% YtD).
Finally, Renault's new Megane rounded off the top ten list in September with a whopping 90.4% increase in sales over the same month last year (+29.0% YtD).
As for brand performance, Volkswagen continues to hold on to first place with 1,241,755 sales YtD (+3.7%). In September, the German automaker sold 155,770 new cars in Europe which represents a significant increase of 16.3%.
In second place we find Ford that saw a healthy 3.7% YtD sales rise (+18.0% in September). The only other car manufacturer in the top ten list to record an increase in YtD sales is Fiat (+2.5%).
Overall, the European car market was up 7.5 per cent in September (1,379,610 units sold) compared to last year (1,283,537 units), but 5.7 per cent down in YtD sales ( 10,857,605 vs 11,517,910 cars )
Data: Jato Dynamics
Unveiled in a world premiere at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, the 2010 Punto Evo replaces the Grande Punto in Fiat's European passenger car range. Despite the name change, the differences between the two models are limited to a new nose job, some minor cosmetic tweaks at the back, a restyled dashboard and the introduction of two new powerplants to the lineup. The Punto EVO is scheduled to go on sale in mid October. Hit the jump to watch the videos that include footage from the presentation of the car on the decks of Italy's newest aircraft carrier, Cavour, in La Spezia, Italy.
In typical Fiat fashion, the Italian automaker took its time to release a full gallery of its cosmetically refreshed and mechanically updated Grande Punto that has been renamed to Punto EVO for the 2010 model year. Unveiled for the first time at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show, the Italian supermini gets newly styled bumpers and lights at the front and the rear while a redesigned three-piece grille and new alloy wheel designs complete the exterior updates.Meanwhile, the cabin receives a comprehensive makeover with a redesigned dashboard that features a new instrument cluster and center console plus new seats and fabric options.
Beneath the skin, the Punto Evo features a wide range of Euro 5 engines, including a second-generation 1.3 MultiJet diesel that offers an improvement of around 2 percent in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and a new 1.4 MultiAir gasoline unit that utilize electrohydraulic valve management to reduce fuel consumption by controlling air directly through the inlet valves without using the throttle.
Fiat claims that the 1.4-liter's MutliAir system cuts emissions by 10 percent while delivering 10 percent more power and 15 percent more torque than the regular 1.4L engine/
The revamped supermini also gains a new Blue&Me-TomTom infotainment system. European sales of the Punto EVO will begin in the second half of October.
