Grande level of peace of mind; STEVE HUGHES round up the week's motoring news in a nutshell

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), August 1, 2008

Byline: STEVE HUGHES

THE move towards greater consumer protection for new car buyers has taken an important step forward with the introduction of a five-year warranty by major European motor manufacturer Fiat.

It follows similar long-term guarantees by Asian companies such as Hyundai and Kia, although the UK's major players such as Ford and Vauxhall are determined to resist such a move for as long as they can.

Now that a company as powerful as Fiat has started the European ball moving it can only be a matter of time before all new cars sold here come with warranties of at least five years. Fiat says it is now so confident of the quality and reliability of its latest Grande Punto model that it is unconditionally guaranteeing every model for five years. It coincides with a new line-up of trim and equipment levels in the range.

There are now 1.4-litre petrol engines with power outputs of 77bhp, 95bhp and 120bhp plus diesel options of 1.3 and 1.9 litres.

The entry-level 77bhp 1.4-litre version comes with a choice of Active and Dynamic trim and equipment levels whilst there is also a new trim level called GP that replaces the Active Sport. These models boast sports-style instrumentation and interior furnishings plus darkened glass for the headlamps, front fog lights, a rear spoiler and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The Grande Punto Sporting model comes with a choice of the most powerful petrol or diesel engines and has a revised interior incorporating different instrumentation, a sportier front grille and cruise control added as standard equipment.

All models now have Fiat's Blue&Me connectivity, while Active models get digital instrumentation and body-coloured wing mirrors.

The flagship Eleganza is now fitted with ESP electronic stability programme, automatic wipers, cruise control and 16-inch alloy wheels.

In an attempt to enable owners to personalise their cars, there are new exterior colours, stickers, stripes and assorted cosmetic paraphernalia.

Prices range from pounds 9,200 for the entry-level 1.4-litre petrol model to pounds 14,325 for the Sport 1.9 Multijet 130 five-door.

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FIVE-YEAR WARRANTY - the Fiat Grande Punto