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1993 Fiat Punto
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Whether the next Fiat Punto will look like this, and whether it will even still exist, we'll leave that open for now. We're more interested in telling the story of the 1993 Fiat Punto.
Displacement: 1.1 - 1.6 L (petrol), 1.4 L Turbo (petrol), 1.7 L (diesel), Power: 40 kW (54 hp) - 98 kW (133 hp), 96 kW (131 hp), 42 kW (57 hp) - 52 kW (71 hp), front-wheel drive, transverse, five-/six-speed
manual, optional automatic, front suspension: McPherson struts, rear suspension: trailing arms, struts, brakes: ventilated discs (GT), drums, ABS (standard from Punto 75), wheels: front/rear, 13-14 inches, design: Giorgio
Giugiaro, length: 3,760 mm, width: 1,625 mm, height: 1,450 mm, load capacity: min/max: 275/1,080 liters, curb weight: 840 - 1000 kg + driver, 150 km/h - 178 km/h, 200 km/h, 150 - 163 km/h, 1993 - 2007, Convertible
variant.
You could call it the truly new Uno, in many ways. It starts with the body, from proven hands. It's not only functional but also has a certain flair, which at the same time contributes to stability. Then there's the dashboard,
which avoids some of the gimmicks of earlier years.
Even more important is the significantly improved quality, which makes the car attractive again for people who pay close attention to what they get for their money. So, not only does the canny interior design and the
improved torsional rigidity of the entire car provide peace of mind, but the suspension comfort also contributes, even slightly in the GT version too.
Is the Uno finally grown-up in the Punto, or has Fiat finally woken up? It was time to finally focus on the pan-European market again, and thus abandon certain Italian-specific refinements. Overall, one can only pay respect
to the usability, the engine selection, and even the range of safety features, even if some are optional extras.
In the first-generation Puntos (1993-1999 respectively 2000), all engines are four-cylinder, except for the Punto 85, which has 16 valves. They are equipped with central or multi-point injection in the more powerful models,
and with a distributor injection pump in the diesel models.
So this Punto not only became Europe's best-selling car, but also Car of the Year in 1995. The Punto from 1999 onwards differs from its predecessor only below the bumper, which is now completely closed.
It wasn't until 2003 that it received a facelift, which gave it a normal radiator grille. At the rear, only the taillights changed significantly. The engines remained largely unchanged, only the displacement was limited to 1.2 to 1.4
liters. Different power outputs were achieved for both displacements thanks to the 16-valve engines.
The 1.8 liters version is now available as an HGT/Abarth, with the same power output as before. Common-rail versions are also available for diesel engines, such as a 1.25L with 16 valves and 51 kW (69 hp). All others
have a 1.9L displacement and 8 valves. There's even a naturally aspirated diesel engine.
The 1.8L version is now available as an HGT/Abarth, with the same power output as before. The diesel engines are joined by versions with common rail, e.g. in the form of a 1.25 liters with 16 valves and 51 kW (69 hp). All
others have a 1.9 liter displacement and 8 valves. There's even a naturally aspirated diesel engine.
Before the third Punto generation came to an end in 2011, the Grande Punto, 20 cm longer and slightly wider, was launched in 2005. The crash test video below best describes it as one of the safest vehicles in its class,
again enjoying enormous sales success.
Another intermediate step in 2009 with the Evo(lution). This is the further development of the Grande Punto at a similarly affordable entry-level price of €11,550, something we can only dream of today. Seven airbags, ESP,
and a redesigned body both inside and out are offered at virtually no extra cost.
Two of the 1.4 liter engines are completely new, featuring the so-called MultiAir system. In collaboration with the German company Schaeffler, a hydraulic control of the intake valves via the camshaft of the exhaust valves
was developed.
1.8 16V/JTD, inline four-cylinder, 1,747/1,910 cm3, 82 mm * 82.7 / 82 mm * 90.4 mm, 10.3 / 18.5 : 1, 4/2 valves per cylinder, turbocharging -/1 bar, intercooling, 164/196 Nm at 4,300/1,500 rpm, 96/59 kW
(130/80 hp) at 6,300/3,000 rpm, five-speed, 195/45 R 15 V / 185/60 R 14 H (6", 5 1/2"), 1,110/1,130 kg incl. driver, approx. 205/170 km/h, from 19,000 DM, from 1999
One wonders whether, with further technological advancements, it would have been possible to build an internal combustion engine entirely without camshaft(s). This technology can then be readily combined with
turbocharging. Diesel injection technology is also being improved. Start-stop technology is also being added.
Fiat Punto Evo, engine type, in-line four-cylinder, 1,248 cm3 (69.6 mm * 82 mm), 16.8:1 (diesel), supercharging, turbo, intercooler, engine management DOHC, valves, 4 per cylinder, 200 Nm at 1,500 rpm, 70
kW (95 hp) at 4,000 rpm, CO2 emissions 110 g/km, manual five-speed, McPherson at the front, torsion beam at the rear, brakes, discs/drums, wheelbase 2,511 mm, turning circle, 11,300 mm, 205/45 R 17 (7''), length
4,065 mm, width 1,687 mm, height 1,490 mm, tank capacity, 45 liters, loading volume from 275 liters, payload 441 kg, unladen weight 1,209 kg incl. driver, from 2010..
Starting in 2010, it will be even more fuel-efficient with an engine that can also run on natural gas. As if that weren't enough, the TwinAir two-cylinder engine will be launched that same year. The MultiAir technology is now
also included.
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The two-cylinder inline engine suffers from the most uneven running of any engine with only two cylinders, so it relies on at least one balance shaft. Doubts arise as to whether this would be a sensible alternative to a
three-cylinder engine. Fiat is producing it anyway, and even with a turbocharger.
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