Fiat Punto hatchback (2012-2018) - Engines, drive & performance
The Fiat Punto is easy to drive, but it leans a lot in corners and isn’t much fun
The Fiat Punto is great to drive around town, as its compact dimensions, light steering and sharp brakes make it easy to manoeuvre and park in tight spaces. The engines are pretty nippy, too, which makes this car good at zipping in and out of city traffic.
Pop+ and Easy+ models also make for reasonable motorway cruisers, since they have reasonably soft suspension, which is better at soaking up bumps than taking on fast or twisty roads.
Corners have to be approached quite slowly to minimise body lean and the five-speed gearbox is a bit clumsy – sometimes taking a couple of attempts to get the stick into the slot. All this takes the enjoyment out of driving.
If you’re after a small car with a more all-round driving ability, you’ll need to look at the nimble Ford Fiesta, whose range includes two 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engines that produce a surprising amount of power for their size and make overtaking a breeze.
There are currently two engines in the Fiat Punto range: 1.2 and 1.4-litre petrols.
Fiat Punto petrol engines
The 1.4-litre petrol engine is responsive, quiet and smooth. It gets from 0-62mph in 13.2 seconds – over a second faster than the somewhat lacklustre 1.2-litre. When on sale, the 1.4 only costed around £500 more than the 1.2, and as a used buyer, we'd strongly recommend you go for the bigger of the two engines.
Diesel engines
Fiat used to offer a 1.3-litre diesel engine, with a 0-62mph time of 13.1 seconds. It had plenty of power at lower speeds and offered a smooth drive all round.
