Fiat to leverage diesel

FIAT will use diesel as one of its unique selling points when it resumes selling passenger cars here in mid-2006 after a 17-year hiatus, company boss David Stone told GoAuto at this month’s Melbourne International Motor Show.

Making its first local appearance at the Melbourne show, the new Grande Punto is available from the factory with a range of four diesel engines, but just two petrol units – which reflects the model’s diesel-heavy bias.

The Multijet diesels comprise 90kW and 96kW 1.9-litre units, a 55kW 1.3-litre and a 66kW 1.3-litre with a variable geometry turbo. Mr Stone would not elaborate on which powerplants will be offered here.

The Grande Punto will join a growing diesel small-car brigade that includes the VW Golf and Polo, Peugeot 307 and just-unveiled 1.9-litre turbo-diesel Holden Astra.