9th Jan 2007, 03:32

The above post is utter rubbish, I drive a HGT Multijet diesel, but quality wise it's going to be the same. The build quality is fantastic, I've not had one single problem what so ever in the 12 months I've owned it. And yes I have also had older Fiat's, a 10 year old Uno, and an 7 year old mk1 Punto, which were also great (which is why I chose a Fiat the 3rd time round!). I've been in/driven expensive Merc's, Porsche's, etc, and yes the ride and feel of them is far superior too many other cars, but in day to day life my Punto fits the bill fine. Besides, when did you ever see a Porsche the size of a Punto? The size of the Punto is part of the appeal, it's small outside (easy to park, manoeuvre around town centres, fit through small gaps, etc), yet it's much more spacious inside that the exterior would suggest. Therefore, why on earth should a 30-odd year old feel silly driving a Punto!?

11th Jan 2007, 09:51

Well I'm 30yrs old and drive a punto hgt, I don't feel silly!

18th Jan 2007, 09:50

I am eyeing a 2nd hand HGT, after reading all the post, I do feel that the HGT is a great car for singapore where the speed limit is 90 Km/h..:P, we hardly hit 120 km/h here.

Though the FC leaves much to desire.

There is only 21 running on our roads, don't know if it is a good thing or bad thing.

21st Jan 2007, 08:31

I've just bought an HGT simply because I like it. If you're happy with the car you drive and it's what you want, that's all there is to it.

19th Feb 2007, 10:10

I have just bought a 2000 (W) HGT in a lovely shade of blue and I think it's a smashing car, I am 32 and have had performance cars pretty much all my driving life, the only car to make me smile as much as my HGT does was when I owned a Renault 5 GT Turbo some ten years ago. The HGT is very good looking, very rare, and an absolute hoot to drive. If your thinking of getting one I should just go for it!!

9th Jul 2007, 08:13

My HGT is much faster than a Type R or 182; it kills a Porsche Boxsters all the time.

It's an HGT with a turbo + 100 NOS = 310 to 320 bhp.

It's so fast it's no fun; it's evil.

11th Jul 2007, 02:55

If you put NOS and turbo on the cars mentioned above, they would kill the Punto.

17th Jul 2007, 07:52

Don't be too sure of that. It's all about bhp to each ton, and it would cost the price of the super Punto to even begin to make most of them close to it.

7th Aug 2007, 08:52

The Fiat HGT is a good car. Easy to drive and good fun. But it is a tourer. Not a road burner. You can add turbo etc. this would shut up the philistines. Anyway, enough said, enjoy your car whatever your age. Edy...

24th Aug 2007, 17:32

Fiat made it clear that when testing the HGT, it had the driver, two passengers, a full tank of petrol plus 20kilos in the boot. That's why it takes 8.6 seconds to hit 60. All this info is supplied by Fiat if you want to check.

Top speed is 140mph; I know as I have done it. But still it's not a CTR or a 197 Clio. But then again, the HGT is not an Abarth.. Later this year the fire breathing section of Fiat are letting out of their stable a 240ps Abarth Punto. So Clios, CTRs and all the rest shake in your wee tin boxes.. the Abarth scorpion is back. And it bites.

Not that any of the above need worry anyone; all you will see is its badge as it passes you like you're not there...

26th Aug 2007, 12:38

"Fiat made it clear that when testing the HGT, it had the driver, two passengers, a full tank of petrol plus 20kilos in the boot. That's why it takes 8.6 seconds to hit 60. All this info is supplied by Fiat if you want to check."

Yes this is true, but the time claimed was to "62mph" not 0-60mph.

27th Aug 2007, 10:49

OK then give me a link so that I can find this information from fiat, until then I won't believe it.

3rd Sep 2007, 05:30

Must apologise in advance. Just been on the Web and got the correct specs for the HGT road test. 0 to 62mph in 8.6 is correct, but it was with the driver and one passenger only, plus 20 kilos. So we can say that without a passenger and the extra 20kgs, 0 to 60 is going to be faster. Around 7.2, but if you hold the car at about 6300 revs, dry day, flat road, it feels faster.

All this info can be found on www.carenthusiast.com/archives.html

Click on the 2000 model, hope this clears up the last enquiry confusion.

p.s. I am away to put down my deposit on my new Fiat 500 595SS. 200bhp. 0.60 in 5.8 secs. Top speed of 150mph should be fun. Have to wait about a year though, damn...

3rd Sep 2007, 12:31

No way would one passenger plus 20 kilos drop the 0-62 time from 8.6 to 7.2.

5th Sep 2007, 10:45

Hmmm from 125bhp to 150bhp with a cold air intake. That's 20% more power. I'm struggling to believe that LOL.

6th Sep 2007, 03:51

The Punto HGT has a 1.8 16v twin cam. It produces 133bhp as standard and that's a conservative quoted figure from fiat, as many when dynoed have produced in excess of 140bhp in base spec. Also the 0-62mph was tested with "two" passengers + the driver and a 20kg ballast in the boot plus a full tank of petrol, where other rival cars were tested 0-60mph with just the driver.

6th Sep 2007, 10:50

It is 130 to 135 bhp from new. All are different. What about top end? Who has hit what speed and was it, up or down hill? Be honest though!!!

28th Sep 2007, 05:00

Does anyone know who sells a turbo for the hgt...

21st Nov 2007, 19:32

I have an HGT, 6 years now and I know the power you get each mod you make.

Power is not so easy my friend.

1) Cold air induction - noticeable difference and nice sound (gives also the impression you are goin faster ;) ) 4-7 bhp.

2) Supersprint full exhaust - same as above 2-4 bhp.

3) Head job (flow correction + skimming, compression 11.2) Now this is what made the car show its teeth. 12-15 bhp.

4) Minor weight reducing (about 40 kilos).

The car is 154 BHP dynoed and weighs 1003 kg, which gives a weight to power ratio of about 6,5.

Now I can overtake Saxos, Rallyes, VTis, MR2s, Golfs and stuff. I can also give a hard time to Type Rs and RX8s (challenge), but after third gear they go away.

It is a very lovely (not so small) small car, and it is fast; but it is not a rocket, and if you want to make it faster you've got to pay. Modding the HGT is expensive because it is a NA engine and the ECU is not reprogrammable.

If you want to gain 100 bhp with a 2500euro mod, go buy a turbo.