A fab family car

Boy Toys by Ding

The French and the Italians are good for two things: Food, and nippy little hatchbacks. Since I don't write about food in this column, I chose the latter. And this took me to the nice folks at Euro Motors, who gave Ms. VIP, MisChief and my self a ride, and a chance to drive around in a Fiat Punto.

It's a mid-size family hatchback, sports a 1.4 litre four cylinder engine, and a long list of really cool features. And when I say long, I mean long. Let's start from the mechanics. The car has a five-speed tiptronic transmission, ABS and EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution). The steering (which is reach and rake adjustable) has two modes. A very sloppy soft mode to make getting around in traffic and parking easier during city driving, and a heavier sport mode for (obviously) sportier steering with more feedback. I personally prefer the sport mode, because the steering feels dead in the soft setting. The engine revs all the way up to 7000RPM, and does not have a red line. This means once the running-in period of 1000km has passed, you can stick the car into manual mode, put the steering onto the sport setting, and thrash it about.

The car handles pretty well, but the ride comfort has a couple of drawbacks. However, passengers feel as if their travelling much faster than they actually are. It's also filled with a lot of creature comforts. The front passengers get Dual- zone climate control, the driver gets a height adjustable seat with lumbar support, in-car (or if you're racing along, in-flight) entertainment is provided through a sound system which bring together two of the best brands in the market: Blaupunkt and Bose Acoustics.

However, it does not deliver what the brands promise. At first glance you expect a spanking sound system which would blow you away with its audio quality, but all this manages to be is a tad above average. It plays MP3s, and also supports USB personal media devices. Buttons on the steering wheel provide control over track selection, volume etc.

So, how safe are you when you're driving along whilst listening to the latest album by some pop-diva or the other? The Punto boasts a combination of six airbags, which along with the car's other safety features contributed to a 5-star Euro NCAP rating. And if you want the little ones to tag along for the ride, the rear seats provide anchor points for two ISOFix child seats. And the space issue is also taken care of by a reasonable boot, which can be extended by the folding the 60/40 split rear seats.

Can it get any better? Well, it can. The car also has Bluetooth connectivity to hook up your mobile phone, little peeking window-like things to eliminate blind spots, two power outlets, vanity mirrors for the front passengers and a laser-cut key to make sure that the car remains yours.

So "It's Perfect," I you say? Well, not necessarily. Mischief was quick to point out part of the inner bodywork had come loose. A showroom car which has only covered 2000km with a piece of its inner workings shaking about, would raise an eyebrow or two about the car's build quality.

The rear seats were quite uncomfortable at moderately high speeds, and there was a certain jerkiness during hard acceleration. The jerk was something that I also found disappointing. This is what happens: You press hard on the throttle, and the engine starts to rev. But the downshift happens almost a whole second later. And the high revving petrol engine manages to rack up around 3-4000RPM during that time, and then when the shift does happen, the car jerks into acceleration.

Another complaint was that passengers felt a bit car-sick at the back, and that the seats were a bit uncomfortable. Genuine concerns. Wrap up time. It's a brilliant piece of kit. It's put together quite well, managing to be pretty economical, and even though it's no Julia Roberts, looks quite handsome. If you're looking for a good car to welcome as a family member, or if you've got one of those Duty-free permit things, go and get one of these. You won't be disappointed.

PS: And the most important thing which I have to say about the car, is the service. I don't know how the after sales service would be, and I'm in no position to make assumptions, but the guys at the dealerships are the best, and nicest I've ever come across in Sri Lanka. And trust me when I say this. I've been a petrol head in this Island for long enough.