2002 Fiat Punto HGT from UK and Ireland - Comments

"Did you lot know about torque? The Punto has 165 and that's more than an RX8."

Did you know about bhp. The RX8 has 228, which is a lot more than the Punto.

This is pointless, you're trying to say that the HGT is good or bad. Please don't say anything unless you have one, because if you did then you would know that it most definitely is in the same league as the Clio 172, the Mini Cooper S, Fiesta Turbo, Escort Turbo, Fiesta ST. But a Saxo? You lot are mad to think the HGT is not as good. When and where did you ever see a Saxo beating a Punto at anything???

I have a Mini Cooper S and it defo does 0-60 in 7 seconds and 140mph. One of my girlfriend's friends has a Punto HGT, and she is a nutter behind the wheel. I have read some of the things on this site, and it makes me LOL that you think it's so slow, because I know for a fact it will do 0-60 in 7 seconds, because she keeps up with me in my Mini?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but a Mini Cooper S won't do 60 in 7 seconds either; at best seven and a half!

The Cooper S isn't that amazing speed wise in standard trim. The John Works variants are more brisk, but I can believe the HGT would stay with it at lower speeds at least, as their power to weight ain't miles apart.

I still can't understand why you think the Punto is in league with the Clio sports etc, as they weigh similar to the Punto, but have an extra 40-50 bhp, which is a lot on these sort of powered cars!

Just explain to me what wizardry the Punto has that makes it faster than all similar cars with similar power and weight:

Eg a VTS, with a little less power, but about 100 kg lighter, will only do 60 in 7.7 and around 130 being generous.

A Rover 25 GTI, the same weight, more power at 143 bhp, will do 60 in 7.8 and top speed low 130s.

A Corsa 1.8 SRi, much the same power and weight, 0-60 8 seconds and again 130 being generous.\

Even the ZR 160, which weighs the same yet has around 20-30 more bhp, will only hit 60 in 7.4 and top out at around 136-137, and the Clio Sports you mentioned, which as I mentioned has around 40-50 bhp more, are only 6.9-7.1.

So why will the Punto out do all these similar cars, and match all these cars that should be quicker, given their far superior power to weight - please. I'm really interested to find out about the magic of the Punto!!

Just because she keeps up with your Mini mate, doesn't mean it's the same performance figures, which in fact on a Cooper S ain't 7 seconds anyway, probably nearer 8, as they're only just over 160 bhp, and not that light - barely a hot hatch!!

Your wrong about the torque as the Punto has only 121 lb ft and an RX8, the 231 bhp model, 156 lb. And torque, like the Honda vtecs, is the RX8's down side, yet it still has bags more than the Punto.

I think you must have seen the torque figure in Nm for the Punto and in lb for the RX8, as the Punto is nothing special in the slightest!

That list of cars was just as mixed up, and why are you getting so hung up on the Saxo comment? The Fiesta ST for example in standard guise will not match a Clio 172; it weighs more and has less power. This really is common sense.

As for the Mini, well to be honest it is too heavy for the power it has, and is comparable to an MG ZR 160 or Ford Focus ST170. In the hands of a poor and good driver in either car, you may find a HGT can keep up with some of the cars you are saying, but put them on a track or even a drag strip and the difference will be obvious. Nobody has particularly said the HGT is a bad car, simply that the performance figures people are quoting on here are misleading.

I think the reason the HGT is getting compared to the Saxo VTS is that there have been several reviews/comments similar to this one, where people are claiming a car with a book figure of 0-60 in around 8 seconds will actually do it a whole second faster, and that it was underrated by manufacturers etc etc... Couple that with the fact that the Saxo weighs less than the HGT and only has slightly less power, and it's pretty obvious why people are saying they are similar, should be a case of 0-60 being QUICKER in the VTS, and then from maybe 60/70mph onwards the HGT would edge it.

I have been away from this site too long.

HGT 0-60 7 secs, come on LOL. I have this car in my dreams, it's this fast.

Facts: HGT weight 1040kgs, 135-140bhp, they vary,. 8.6 to sixty, top speed 128mph. But that was with two people in the car, tank full of go go juice. 40kg in the boot, remove the excess weight, 8.2secs or 8, to sixty.

As they do vary in power.. people on this site have gone mad just to prove there point, which is pointless...

As for the comment diesels being slow (I also own an Astra CDTi SRi XP 1.9 16v) - long name that. 206bhp 320lbs. (420nm) hit 60 in under 7 seconds.

Hi, I work at Fiat and have had for 8 years a Punto HGT. It's 131php standard and 165nm. 0-62 in 8.0 seconds. This is the figure you get when you get one new! But most true outputs are higher, because its better to sell this car if people think the emissions aren't too high, and the power is about 145bhp. But its again better for younger drivers if insurance companies don't know!

The gearbox is out of the 156.

It has a very good background and has a race championship in rally and track.

Even if they do put out 145bhp, the 0-62 time is still accurate, as they would have tested a normal HGT to get that manufacturer time i.e. a 145bhp one.

In regards to the comment on the 7th October; nobody said diesel cars were slow... The closest comment was mine which said diesel cars have relatively slow 0-60 times compared to petrol cars with the same torque figures, because torque makes little difference on standing starts.

As for your car doing 0-60 in under 7 seconds, it may well do but that's because of the 200+ bhp more than the torque.

With a diesel it's the torque that makes it so fast. Also so frugal. Petrol cars are more to do with hp, but 200hp in a diesel is something to be experienced.

Punto HGT is rubbish, don't get one. I had 1 for 2 years and it was a nightmare.

Now I have a Fiesta Zetec-S; it is much better, it has far better handling and speed. It feels much better built and more solid.

I have a K+N induction, superchip and kent cams / full sports exhaust + uprated manifold. It's about 160bhp and I beat Civic Type-Rs all day now yyyyeeeeerrrrr!!!

Won't get near 160bhp with those mods, more like 130/135, and even if you had 160, you wouldn't get near a Type R with 200bhp.

A Fiesta Zetec S, even with 160 bhp won't beat Civic Type Rs all day, so why say it! Even if it's the mark 5, it'll only be around 150-160 hp per ton, so it may keep up, but beat them, I doubt it!

I've had 2 mk 5 Fiesta Zetec S, and think they are great little cars, and are great handling and really good fun, but don't get carried away just because you've jazzed it up a bit!