Fiat Punto Evo petrol long term review: After 15,720km and 6 months

I acquired the Punto from Bert a few weeks back. I drove it from our multi-level basement parking to a fuel station that is hardly a kilometre away - and this little journey gave me a shock that made me question my understanding of cars. Despite having spent over a decade driving and reviewing them, I wasn’t able to figure out if this Punto was a petrol or diesel. There is no turbocharging, but there is a torque surge at around 2,000rpm. Compared to the new generation petrol engines powering its rivals, this 1.4-litre FIRE engine feels unrefined. Add to it the fact that the tachometer doesn’t have a red line marking, and it is hard to differentiate between the Punto’s petrol and diesel motors if you are only trotting around in the city. At least that is how I justified my confusion.

Out on the highway though, the petrol character comes alive. …