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Is the Grande Punto as good-looking in the flesh?
The Fiat Grande Punto is the best-looking hatchback on our roads today, no doubt about that. The design has been attributed to the living legend Giorgetto Giugiaro, and he’s done a fabulous job of it. It is proportionate and gorgeous from all angles. The snout apes Maseratis and the shoulder line is muscular. I particularly liked the treatment of the lighting fixtures – the tapering headlamps give it an unmistakable identity and the tail-lamps, set high up in the C-pillars are refreshing. The prominent wheel arches give it a planted stance and it looks beautiful when on the move.
Is it then better looking than its forthcoming competitor, the Volkswagen Polo?
Yup. The Polo’s front-end, which apes the Scirocco and the Golf, makes it more aggressive and the Polo will be one of the best-looking hatchbacks when it gets launched in India next January. Though it’s also designed by Italians at VW, the rear end treatment of the Polo pales a bit when compared to the flamboyant Fiat. Still, it will be nice to see both cars on our roads!
Has Fiat loaded the Punto with stuff like with the Linea?
That’s Fiat’s strategy now. Price their new cars competitively and also load it up with some nifty, friendly bits as standard and many more tick in the options list. I especially like the digital readout that spews lots of information that many people usually don’t need. Like for instance, it gives you the time you have spent driving the car, which can be depressing to know during your commute. But the point is all that information is a pleasant diversion when you are stuck in traffic. Then there is Blue&Me which allows you talk on the phone and even listen to messages. The My Car features like Follow Me Home headlamps, service interval warning, speed alarm, etc are all programmable. And if you can find it, the Punto comes with a USB slot too. Clue: It’s somewhere in the glovebox.
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