It looks great and drives well

NORMALLY it takes a few days to get the feel of a new
car, but it was different with the Fiat Punto Evo GP.

On the Monday I
picked up the press car I spent over three hours in it trying to get through
the floods that hit the Dublin area and so it was really a case of

‘if you want
to know me, come and live with me.’

I drove a 1.4
petrol model which was powered by the popular MultiAir engine and Fiat say it’s
the spiritual successor to the Punto Sporting; affordable, inexpensive to run
and fun to drive.

MultiAir
engines are supposed to work more efficiently and the stop-start technology
helps conserve fuel. You should get around 50 mpg which is very good. I drove a
white model with attractive red and grey lines along the bottom of the doors
and cute-looking chrome side mirrors. With all that rain I was afraid to open
the glass roof the first night, but the next day I realised how bright and airy
the glass roof made the interior look and feel.

I know that
white cars can be difficult to keep clean, but externally the car looked great
and it wasn’t bad inside either. I would have preferred a four-door model, but
I suppose the two-door does add to the sporty look. The front seats were really
comfortable, but if you are sitting in the back you might find it a little
claustrophobic as the rear windows are very small and don’t open, but the sun
roof does help. However, there were no complaints from my back seat passengers.

On the dash it
takes a while to realise that the speedometer is on the left, with the rev
counter on the right. Also speeds of 50, 70 and 90 km/h are highlighted, which
are not really ideal for Irish motorists with our current speed limits, but
probably still not an excuse for breaking the speed limit. You can get from
zero to 100km/h in around 11 seconds; emissions are not the lowest in this
petrol model, coming in at 134, which equates to

?¬156 per annum road tax.

Even though
it’s a small car I still appreciated the reversing sensors, which are always
useful. And you certainly won’t forget to

‘belt up’ as you get a loud,
ear-piercing sound if you forget to fasten the seat belts. Lots of extras like
TomTom Sat Nav and Bluetooth for your phone, plus USB port. A reasonably-sized
boot, but no spare wheel, just a repair kit. So definitely a car for a young
person rather than a pensioner.

Anecdotal
evidence suggests that some people may be wary of Fiat, but their recent models
have shown big improvements. And the Italians are very good at making these
sporty versions. Prices for the Punto start at

?¬13,595, while the GP model I
drove will cost you

?¬16,495. It’s very stylish, looks great and drives well. So
if it’s a sporty-looking car you are after, at a reasonable price, this is
definitely worth a test drive.