When Fiat labelled their latest Punto 'Grande' they weren't kidding. In many respects, the term supermini no longer seems appropriate for this capacious, elegantly-styled hatchback. For conformation of just how the Punto has grown-up size-wise, you need only look back to family hatchbacks of yesteryear. Today's Grande Punto is nearly 20cm longer than a MKIV Ford Escort and over 30cm longer than a MKIII Volkswagen Golf, it's taller than both cars too. In light of these substantial dimensions, you'd imagine that a 1.4-litre 8-valve petrol engine would be a minimum requirement.

1.1 or 1.2-litre engines have traditionally done a decent job in supermini products but that was before superminis became super-sized. Cars from the larger family hatchback sector have rarely been offered with anything less gutsy than a 1.4-litre petrol unit and now superminis like Fiat's Grande Punto are encroaching on that territory in terms of weight as well as size. Even allowing for advances in engine technology, you have to look sympathetically on the 65bhp 1.2-litre 8-valve engine that's tasked with hauling 1,015kg of entry-level Grande Punto about. In truth, the 1.2-litre Grande Punto isn't quite the slowcoach that you might imagine. The car will be fine for the kind of short-trip urban driving where speeds in excess of 40mph are a rarity but for anything more strenuous, the 1.4-litre alternative is definitely preferable.

This 1.4-litre engine generates an extra 12bhp over the 1.2 and so posts a maximum power output of 77bhp. Peak torque is also raised from 102Nm at 3,000rpm to 115Nm at the same engine speed. That equates to an improvement of over a second in 0-60mph acceleration to 13.2s. The 1.4-litre Grande Punto is no hot hatch but it's able to cope with the cut and thrust of longer motorway journeys and it's that bit nippier around town.

"?the latest Punto is a highly accomplished product"

One suspects that most Punto buyers will seek out the extra cash that's needed to upgrade from 1.2 to 1.4-litre power, especially when they check out the fuel economy and emissions figures. Both cars produce an identical 145g/km of CO2 and an identical 46.3mpg combined fuel consumption. The 1.2-litre is marginally thriftier on the extra urban cycle (it will travel a mile further on a gallon of unleaded than the 1.4's 54mpg) but with a 36.7mpg urban average, the 1.4-litre is fractionally better around town.

Customers looking at a three-door Grand Punto can specify the 8-valve 1.4-litre engine in either of two trim levels. Active Sport takes the car's already generous standard specification and adds a number of aesthetic enhancements. 15" alloy wheels combine with a rear spoiler, body-coloured electric mirrors, side skirts and front fog lights to bring a sporty dimension to the exterior. Meanwhile, a leather steering wheel, an MP3-compatible CD stereo, side airbags and curtain airbags feature inside. The alternative is Dynamic Sport trim. Here, you get everything featured on the Active Sport plus air-conditioning, 16" alloys and body-coloured door handles. Prices kick off at £9,450 for a 1.4-litre 8v Active Sport three door with the five door models are £600 more. The 1.4-litre 8v Dynamic Sport models are at £10,300 and £10,900 respectively. There's also a 16v 1.4-litre engine priced from £10,150.

Interior space - as you would expect from a car this generously endowed in the wheelbase department - is a standout feature. The 275-litre boot is about average for the class but rear leg and headroom is very good indeed. Fiat claim the interior 'represents the epitome of Italian style', although that may be stretching the point a little. It's rather minimalist in fact, the main dials being housed in a curiously flat-topped binnacle with an unexceptional centre console that, from a purely aesthetic perspective, is probably the car's weakest point. Still, it's undoubtedly functional, and if you get confused by the big buttons, self explanatory ventilation controls and stereo controls, then modern life has really got on top of you. One particularly smart touch is the extension of body colour to the soft trims and dash inserts. If the dashboard was finished in grey or black it would look a little dull, but specify it in red and it really lifts the cabin. On the safety front, there are twin front airbags and three point belts for all three rear passengers plus ABS with EBD all helping the Punto to achieve its 5-star NCAP rating.

Like the existing Punto, the Grande version features the 'City' button which reduces steering effort when parking to fingertip levels. With the City mode disabled, the steering gains a bit more feel although the Punto has never been a car with a particularly natural and feelsome helm. One of the areas that have come on leaps and bounds since the launch of the last Punto is refinement and Fiat have added a significant amount of sound deadening material to the Grande and worked on reducing vibration in the engine bay. The result is that the car is far more hushed at motorway speeds, helping to reinforce that all-important perception of quality.

The Grande Punto is a substantial vehicle by modern supermini standards and it's well worth finding that little bit extra to upgrade from the 1.2-litre entry-level powerplant to the more powerful 1.4-litre unit we feature here. A diesel would probably be better still for most buyers but we don't want to stretch the budget too far. Overall, the latest Punto is a highly accomplished product. The way the car looks will, obviously, generate the most headlines but in terms of safety, packaging and refinement, it's similarly impressive.

TOP 5 GRANDE PUNTO DEALS

The results below show the top GRANDE PUNTO deals on buyacar

	Fiat Punto Grande 1.4 16V T-Jet Sporting 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £161	Saving £2,687	Price £9,713
	Fiat Punto Grande 1.4 16V T-Jet Sporting 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £169	Saving £2,857	Price £10,143
	Fiat Punto Grande 1.4 Eleganza 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £139	Saving £2,370	Price £8,885
	Fiat Punto Grande 1.4 Eleganza 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £130	Saving £2,200	Price £8,455
	Fiat Punto Grande 1.4 Eleganza 5dr Auto Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £149	Saving £2,568	Price £9,387

typical 11.48% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000