Compact cars tend to have slightly different lifecycles than bigger ones mostly because each group deals with the costs in a particular way. It’s easier to sell a new medium or large new vehicle without big price increases because some of the project’s costs can be easily compensated by reducing the profit margins. However, since cheaper cars have these already reduced, their automakers are demanded to come up with different solutions. One of them is what now represents the current Fiat Punto’s second facelift.
Those mentioned differences are what explains topics such as why more expensive cars usually receive only one facelift or, in the case of several Japanese cars, spend around seven, eight years untouched until the next whole new phase. The first partial changes are frequently recommended because a four-year-old project doesn’t need to be replaced yet, but could use some minor updates to readapt itself to its current context: some examples are adding equipments, engine options, trim levels and some style changes. However, any subsequent repetitions of that have a different interpretation because they imply dealing with eight-year or older projects… which can be explained using Punto’s example. Fiat’s supermini entered the third generation in 2006, and became important also because helped the company to overcome a very serious crisis, but first due to its design. Once again there were Giugiaro’s lines, which ended turning Punto one of the best-accepted Fiats of the latest years. That’s why it didn’t change too much in 2009, when it added plastic protectors in the outside and a cabin redesign to become Punto Evo. But three more years later, the situation became much different.
Since Fiat’s financial situation became complicated again, the Italians preferred to focus on bigger priorities, like the new Panda or 500’s minivan, and make Punto stay attractive for few more years without big investments. If you’re thinking the new front fascia looks too much like Grande Punto’s, you’re right: the previous facelift’s biggest change was adding Evo’s protectors, while this one basically took them off again, leaving the rest untouched. Both bumpers only had their elements adapted to their new fully-painted design. Internally, the car received more equipments and new dashboard and fabrics, along with the new trims Easy, Pop, GBT and Lounge – GBT differs from Pop for having sportier items. Punto preserves well-accepted items such as the Skydome sunroof or its overall design language, but received some items precisely to suit better today’s young customers: there are daytime lights, infotainment system with Bluetooth connection and GPS navigator, several new color and coating options and start/stop system. The latter suits very well other Punto’s interesting update: the engines became more efficient. There still are Multijet and MultiAir units, the first group using diesel and reaching 90 g/km of CO2, while the second group uses gasoline and reaches 135 hp. But there’s also the turbocharged TwinAir, a two-cylinder 0.9L which reaches 85 hp.
