NEW PUNTO RANGE ON SALE IN UK

Fiat Auto's new Punto range went on sale throughout the company's UK dealer network on 1 May 2002, offering customers even better value, more specification, and significantly lower prices.

Starting at an attractive £6499 (on-the-road) for a new entry level special series version called Mia, to be introduced shortly, the new Punto range now features the most affordable diesel-powered car in the class, and one of the best standard equipment sound systems available in a supermini.

The range features new nomenclature, and a deliberately transparent 'building block' pricing structure. In addition, all Punto versions are available with either one year's free insurance combined with Fiat's i-deal PCP scheme, (excluding HGT and Abarth), or three years' 0% finance with 30% deposit.

The new range is as follows:

• Active (replaces Base models)
• Active Sport (replaces the Punto Go special edition to become a full part of the new range)
• Dynamic (replaces ELX versions)
• Eleganza (replaces HLX versions)
• Sporting (same as current version)
• HGT (same as current version)
• Abarth (same as current version)

Increased specification includes attractive features such as a CD player, improved sound systems, and foglights on all versions except Active, along with added safety and security. Remote central locking and side and roof airbags are now fitted as standard equipment to several versions in the range. In many cases, this increased level of specification in the new Punto range comes with a significant price reduction, and the Punto's 1.9 JTD common rail direct injection engine is now rated at 85, rather than 80 bhp.

The specification enhancements to the new Punto versions, as compared to their superseded equivalents, are as follows:

ACTIVE (compared to Base models):

• Body coloured bumpers
• Tachometer
• Two extra speakers (for a total of six) with a Blaupunkt radio/cassette player
• Trip computer
• 'Follow-me-home' headlamp

ACTIVE SPORT (compared to Go):

• Blaupunkt single slot CD player
• Front foglight

DYNAMIC (compared to ELX models):

• Blaupunkt single slot CD player
• Front foglights
• Remote central locking
• Third rear head restraint and three-point central seatbelt

ELEGANZA (compared to HLX versions):

• Blaupunkt single slot CD player
• Side and roof airbag

SPORTING (compared to current Sporting):

• Blaupunkt single slot CD player
• Side and roof airbags

Despite all these changes, the new Punto range retains all of its acclaimed features. These include a facility to operate the electric front windows after the key has been taken out of the ignition; and an intelligent windscreen wiper mechanism which is activated automatically immediately after windscreen washer fluid is sprayed.

There is also a standard equipment 'follow-me-home' lighting system, which permits the headlights to remain on after the car has been locked, to shed light on a parking area and make the route to one's front door safer; and a trip computer which provides useful information about the journey, such as average speed, travel time, and fuel economy.

Punto is also fitted as standard with Dualdrive programmable electronic power steering. Unlike the hydraulic type, the system offers two different user-selectable steering settings. The first is suitable for driving in town, reducing to a minimum the amount of effort required to steer the wheels; while the second is suitable for all other driving conditions, where greater steering sensitivity is required. Punto is currently the only vehicle in its class to offer electronic power steering with two operating modes.

As regards safety, Punto, which two years ago won What Car?'s coveted annual Safety Award for its robust construction and comprehensive safety engineering, remains a point of reference for the competition. Punto's package of side and roof airbags was a class-first when it was introduced in July last year. This class-leading safety feature is available as an option across the new Punto range, and is fitted as standard equipment on Eleganza, Sporting, HGT and Abarth models.

All Punto versions are already fitted with driver and passenger airbags as standard equipment.

Punto scored a class-leading four-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests, whose officials were impressed by Fiat's unrelenting efforts to refine safety performance.

Prices for new Punto now rise in the following increments:

• JTD diesel versions cost £500 more than the equivalent petrol engine
• Speedgear versions cost £600 more than the manual equivalent.
• 5-door versions cost £550 more than the equivalent 3-door versions.

In addition to this, the new price ladder also applies to trim level increments:

New Punto features include a 'Fix and Go' puncture repair kit which consists of a compressor utility unit and a powerful puncture repair liquid dispenser, all contained in a kit which is stored in the boot.

This feature will become available shortly, and removes the need for the space saver wheel, which consequently increases boot space and reduces the weight of the car. Other benefits derived from the feature include less time spent at the roadside, and no need for a car jack.

The availability of various options has been extended throughout the new Punto range, with audio equipment such as a CD player and CD auto-changer becoming more widely available. The Active Sport model is now available with the option of an electric sunroof, and alloy wheels are available as an option on Dynamic models.

The new Punto range is available in all current exterior colours, while the availability of certain exterior colours and interior trims has been extended to offer customers a wider choice, as follows:

ACTIVE models:

• A new cloth trim in Blue or Grey is now available for these models, replacing the current trim on Base models.

ACTIVE SPORT:

• A much wider choice of exterior colours is now available than was previously available on Punto Go, including Broom Yellow and Sprint Blue.

DYNAMIC models:

• Bordeaux cloth is still available, but increased availability of Blue cloth offers more choice.

ELEGANZA models:

• Existing Blue and Graphite velour trims are still available, but a new selection of Beige cloth and Grey cloth is also available with certain exterior colours.

Petrol engines for the new Punto range remain unchanged and are as follows: three petrol (1242 cc 8V 60 bhp - 1242 cc 16V 80 bhp - 1747 cc 16V 130 bhp) and two diesel (1910 cc 60 bhp normally aspirated, and 1910 cc 85 bhp JTD), all of which are characterised by notably high levels of power and torque at comparatively low RPM, low noise and overall fuel efficiency.

Thus, the new Punto range offers customers notable added specification, lower and rationalised pricing offering great value, a transparent and simplified pricing structure, with new features and improvements to interiors. All of which builds on Punto's already impressive attributes of stylish looks and character; great handling and driveability, excellent interior space and practicality, solid build quality and strong residual values.

ends

For further information please contact:

PETER NEWTON Public Relations Director

or

Puneet Joshi Press Officer

Fiat Auto (UK) Limited

Tel: 01753 511431 Fax: 01753 516871

e-mail addresses:

peter.newton@fiat.com/puneet.joshi@fiat.com

This press release is also available on www.newspress.co.uk

30690/030502

NEW PUNTO RANGE - PRICING

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