| Car Wallpapers |
The third generation FIAT supermini to bear the name Punto, codenamed Project 199, the Grande Punto was unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show and went on sale later that year. Styled by Giugiaro, the car is based on the Fiat/GM SCCS platform. Whilst the model shares some of its name with the previous Punto, a large number of its components are new, including a new chassis and body shell. The engines are the Fiat 1.2 Fire 8v (65 hp), a new 1.4 Fire 8v (77 hp) and the 1.4 16v (95 hp). Four MultiJet diesel engines are also available: two 1.3 16v units (75 hp and 90 hp, the latter with a variable geometry turbocharger) and two 1.9 with 120 and 130 hp, all of them with diesel particulate filter. All the engines are Euro IV compliant. In 2007 came new 1.4 T-Jet turbocharged petrol engine (120 hp) available. In the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show Fiat introduced 155 hp Abarth version produced through the Abarth & C S.p.A. company and branded as an Abarth car rather than FIAT. The car's nose, headlights and front grill look reminiscent of the Maserati Coupé, both were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign. In Australia, Fiat introduced the Grande Punto in mid 2006; it is the first Fiat to be sold in Australia since 1989. Shortly after its launch, the car (the 1.3L 90 hp diesel) was recognised as the most economical car on the market. The Italian-made Grande Punto has already been launched in Chile, Mexico and Dominican Republic, in petrol and diesel versions. In the rest of South America, the Brazilian-built Grande Punto (called just Punto) was launched in August 2007. Codenamed Project 310, it is produced in the factory of Betim, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The chassis is an adaptation of the Fiat Palio's, a lower cost compact. Levels of safety were not maintained, but the ride comfort is said to be the same. At the beginning, the five-door version will be the only available in the Brazilian line. The engines are the 85 hp 1.4 L FIRE 8v and the 115 hp 1.8 GM-Fiat/Powertrain, later the new Torque 1.9L with 8 and 16v must be available; with 121 and 134 hp. In Brazil, both 1.4 and 1.8 engines are currently available in flexible fuel technology, working on both gasoline and ethanol. The Grande Punto also went on sale in South Africa in 2006, replacing the previous generation. It is sold with a variety of petrol and diesel engines, beginning at around R120,000. A sedan version of the Grande Punto, the Fiat Linea, was launched in early 2007 to replace the aging Marea. It will be built on an extended version of the Grande Punto's chassis, giving a total length of 4600 mm, making it jump to the small family car segment. Grande Punto and its sedan version, Linea, both were launched in India during the Delhi Auto Expo 2008, in January 2008. However both the models are expected to be available in the market only in the second half of 2008. As of current reports Linea would be available in the markets first followed by Grande Punto. In India both the cars would be manufactured by the FIAT-Tata Motors joint venture in a new plant.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
