Lying flat on your back staring up at a galaxy of stars in the cool mountain air, having survived the Timber Trail cable car of which everyone has a horror story to share, is an excellent time to consider the fate of the Fiat Grand Punto in comparison to all its other premium hatchback counterparts.

Fiat’s dogged determination to make a name for it in the Indian automobile segment is certainly admirable. It has tried and failed a number of times over the decades, but with the new alliance with Tata Motors and an all new fleet, there is a palpable feeling that Fiat may finally have the right strategy. On the heels of its success with the Linea, Fiat has now dipped a wheel into the dynamic, ever-evolving and key market segment of hatchbacks with the premium Grande Punto.

Designed by people who gave us the Maserati, the Grande Punto, quintessentially Italian, is really quite attractive on the outside, mildly challenged under the hood, and really quite exasperating on the inside. The Indian Punto comes with 1.2 Litre and 1.4 Litre Fully Integrated Robotised Engine (FIRE) in petrol and the 1.3 Litre multijet diesel, all with five-speed transmission. According to Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the 1.2L returns a mileage of 14.3km/l, the 1.4L of 13.8 km/l and the 1.3 of 19.2km/l under standard driving conditions.

The 1.2L petrol engine leaves the Punto, which is nearly 200 kg heavier than the Swift, underpowered. One doubts if Fiat actually expects to sell very many of this particular model and the company admits to looking at it as a teaser for the real thing. Chances are they felt they needed to position themselves in the 1.2L segment to compete with the likes of the Ritz.

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