Fiat introduced the facelifted version of the Grande Punto in 2012, ditched the "Grande" from the nameplate, and fixed some of the problems noticed on its predecessor.
During the world financial crisis, the Grande Punto was the car that helped the Italian automaker to survive by selling in big numbers. But Fiat didn't want to use only the five-door version for that and offered the car with a sportier-looking, three-door version as well. Then, when it finally escaped from bankruptcy ax, it refreshed the car's look for both versions.
The 2012 model was enhanced with a new front bumper, with a black mesh grille for all the range. In the rear, the bumper was body-colored and featured new, elongated fog- and reversing lights. In addition, the grille was slimmer and broader, and depending on the version, it sported a stylized honeycomb mesh. The car's profile looked slightly different for the three-door version, with longer doors and a blacked-out B-pillar. In addition, the C-pillar was wider at the bottom than on its five-door sibling.
Inside, the carmaker considered that a sporty-looking hatchback required bolstered front seats that offered better side support during high-speed cornering. But its upgrades didn't limit to that. New types of equipment were added, such as the Radio-CD with MP3 player, a trip computer, an adjustable steering column for reach and height, and more airbags fitted as standard.
Under the hood, Fiat installed a wide choice of engines ranging from 69 to 135 hp. In addition, it introduced the turbocharged 0.9-liter, two-cylinder engine dubbed Twin-Air.
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