Review of the new Fiat Punto Evo 1.4 MultiAir

If you've recently been persuaded by the advantages of diesel engines compared to their petrol counterparts, you're not alone. Diesel has been a big success story over the last few years, particularly in smaller cars where oil-burning engines have grown compact and refined enough to deliver the goods. But just when it looked like a victor was emerging in the petrol versus diesel conflict, our old friend petrol is back on the offensive and engines like the 1.4-litre MultiAir unit in Fiat's Punto Evo supermini are in the front line.

Diesel can deliver outstanding fuel economy figures but as the European regulations governing vehicle emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter are tightened in the coming years, the cost of getting diesel engines to comply is likely to rise. Even today, car buyers will typically pay around £1,000 more for a diesel supermini than they will for an equivalent petrol one and the gap could widen. Paying the premium currently makes sense for motorists who cover sufficient miles to recoup it in fuel savings but lower mileage drivers may find the cheaper petrol engine more cost-effective.

If a petrol engine could somehow narrow the fuel economy gap while replicating the muscular performance of a diesel, then we'd really have a conundrum on our hands. Well, get your thinking caps on because Fiat thinks it's done precisely that with the Punto Evo and its clever MultiAir petrol engine technology.

"The Punto Evo has one of the strongest engine ranges you'll encounter in a modern supermini"

Unlike conventional powerplants of this type, MultiAir engines make do with just one camshaft. It controls the exhaust valves, while the inlet valves are instead governed by oil pressure. An electro-hydraulic valve management system can then adjust the timing of the valves to vary the fuel and air mixture in the combustion chambers according to the way the car is being driven. Conventional variable valve timing engines only have a couple of sets of parameters in which they operate but MultiAir units have six and the valve timings can be infinitely varied within this framework, to give optimum performance or economy at all times.

It's clever stuff but you have to be willing to take Fiat's word for it to an extent because the strengths of the MultiAir engine don't really manifest themselves in the power and torque figures we're used to comparing. The basic 1.4-litre MultiAir engine in the Punto Evo has 105bhp and achieves 130Nm maximum torque at 4,000rpm. That's good but not spectacular for a 1.4-litre engine in a supermini. More impressive is a 0-60mph sprint time of 10.8s but the real strength of the engine in terms of performance is its flat torque curve that equates to lots of muscle on tap at low to medium engine speeds.

It's a sweet-sounding and willing engine that feels like it's larger than 1.4-litres. It's let down a little by the set-up of the Punto Evo which isn't the sharpest in the supermini sector. The gearchange is somewhat rubbery, although the close ratios work well around town while the ride is comfortable on the flat, it can get giggly over poor surfaces. Buyers wanting more power can opt for the turbocharged MultiAir engine which can deliver 135bhp with the aid of forced induction. In this model, 0-60mph performance is a hot hatch-equalling 8.5s and maximum torque is boosted to 206Nm.

Whether this latest Punto looks better than the original deliciously stylish Grande Punto will be a matter of personal taste. Certainly, the new design packs in more aggression, with the indicators relocated outside the main headlight clusters and the grille dropped lower down the nose, but the effect is fussier than that in place before. At the rear, less has changed and the lines are more successful. The tail light design is attractive and the bumper insert mirrors the shape made by the grille and intake at the front. The Punto remains a handsome supermini but it'll be interesting to see if customers still judge it to be one of the most stylish cars in the sector.

Inside, this car makes a far more obvious step forward. The quality of the plastics and fabrics used is very impressive and the two tone colour schemes on the plusher models work well. The dashboard is sculpted around its control consoles and air vents with chrome and gloss black inserts adding to the upmarket ambience. The control systems are easy to work out and particular mention should go to the nicely shaped steering wheel. The Punto is one of the larger cars in the supermini sector and with its lengthy wheelbase comes a spacious interior. The 275-litre boot isn't outstanding for the class but rear leg and headroom is very good indeed.

The MultiAir engines form the bedrock of the Punto Evo petrol range with only the entry-level 8-valve 1.4-litre unit not using the technology. The 105bhp normally-aspirated engine can be ordered with Dynamic, GP or Eleganza trim while the turbocharged option is reserved for the Sporting model. Both three and five door versions are available but the posh Eleganza variants are five-door only and the Sporting comes exclusively in the sportier three-door bodystyle.

Depending on the trim level, the Punto Evo can come with daytime running lights, adaptive cornering fog lights, a hill holder function, the Sky Dome electric sunroof and some tempting infotainment options. Fiat is particularly proud of its award-winning Blue&Me system which incorporates Bluetooth wireless technology with voice recognition, a USB and MP3 compatible stereo and Blue&Me TomTom satellite navigation. In partnership with leading manufacturer TomTom, Fiat is offering a removable satellite navigation unit that integrates seamlessly with the car's other systems and can be controlled via voice recognition or buttons on the steering wheel.

All the Punto Evo MultiAir models also come with Fiat's Stop&Start technology which cuts the vehicle's engine when it's stopped, restarting it again automatically when it's time to pull away. Combined with the advanced MultiAir combustion system, this makes for some very attractive fuel economy figures. Remarkably the 135bhp turbocharged engine is more efficient than the 105bhp non-turbo unit. It can achieve an excellent 50.4mpg with emissions of 129g/km while the less powerful option lags slightly behind with 49.6mpg and 134g/km emissions. If you need more leverage to persuade a disapproving partner why you really should have the extra 30bhp, there it is.

A further innovation is the eco:Drive system which collects information about your driving style that can then be downloaded and transferred to a computer on a USB stick. Punto Evo owners can then get tips on driving in a more eco-friendly manner that Fiat claims can improve fuel economy by as much as 15%.

In the recent past, Fiat has been best known for it's expertise in the field of diesel engine technology but now it's turned its hand to petrol with equally outstanding results. The MultiAir petrol engines in the Punto Evo close the gap in flexibility and efficiency that has existed between petrol and diesel. It presents buyers with a problem but choosing between MultiAir petrol and Multijet diesel power is a nice problem to have.

The Punto Evo has one of the strongest engine ranges you'll encounter in a modern supermini and the high-tech approach doesn't end in the engine bay. All models come well equipped and as you ascend the range, the amount of technology that Fiat has crammed in becomes all the more eye-opening. There will be doubts over whether the frontal styling of the Punto Evo is an improvement over its Grande Punto predecessor and the driving experience could be slicker but in almost every other respect, the car has made big strides forward.

TOP 5 PUNTO EVO DEALS

The results below show the top PUNTO EVO deals on buyacar

Fiat Punto EVO 1.4 Multiair 16V GP 3dr Hatchback
Price £11,023 Read Punto EVO Reviews	Save £1,972
Fiat Punto EVO 1.4 Multiair 16V Dynamic 3dr Hatchback
Price £10,623 Read Punto EVO Reviews	Save £1,872
Fiat Punto EVO 1.4 Multiair 16V GP 5dr Hatchback
Price £11,503 Read Punto EVO Reviews	Save £2,092
Fiat Punto EVO 1.4 Multiair 16V Dynamic 5dr Hatchback
Price £11,103 Read Punto EVO Reviews	Save £1,992
Fiat Punto EVO 1.2 MyLife 5dr Hatchback Special Editions
Price £10,210 Read Punto EVO Reviews	Save £1,740
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