Fit-and-finish is decent, but the hard plastic sections still beg for improvement.
With a car like this, you expect to see it loaded with features, but the car we drove came only with an average music system with Bluetooth and USB connectivity. There is no infotainment screen, which is an expected feature for a car like this, no parking camera or sensors.
All of that just might change because FIAT are yet to launch the car and we expect many changes to the interior in order to make this Scorpion chariot more desirable to the tech-demanding clientele.
Nevertheless, one thing I wish the company doesn’t fiddle around with is that potent 1.4-litre turbocharged monster that dwells under the hood. Many FIAT owners will be familiar with this 1.4-litre unit; what they don’t know, though, is that this guy went to Abarth. The engineers at Abarth slapped it with a turbocharger, which took the total power output to 145 PS and torque shot up to 212 Nm. Sounds intimidating, doesn’t it?
I don’t often suggest this but you have to nail the throttle to experience the Abarth magic. Slot the manual five-speed gearbox into first, build up the revs and then let go the clutch and then hear and feel what 145 PS and 212 Nm of torque do to the front wheels. The Punto lunges forward with gusto, with a violent wheel-spin that lays thick black strips on the tarmac, properly displaying what this engine is capable of doing. Although I don’t suggest doing this often, I am sure enthusiastic owners will definitely do this regularly just to show off.
The 1.4-litre engine is quite an aggressive beast; however, to get going I had to keep the revs above 1,700 RPM because below that there is hardly anything that happens thanks to the ever-present turbo lag. Once the RPM needle crosses 1,700, all hell breaks loose and if you are not careful enough, you see the scenery pass by at a faster than expected rate. This unit is refined and quite linear, though the turbo-lag makes it painful to drive in the city. Moreover, the close-ratio five-speed manual gearbox, which I think is appropriate for a performance hatch, has long throws and the shifts feel spongy. I hope FIAT address this issue, as this was just a pre-production model that we drove.
