New FIAT GRANDE PUNTO VAN review at a glance:
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Advantages: Economic to run, very stylish, user-friendly in town

Disadvantages: Only one engine available, not as valuable as its rivals, low quality of hard plastics
New FIAT GRANDE PUNTO Review:
The new Fiat Grande Punto is a very practical van, particularly for light use.

Fiat has added extra versatility to the model’s sporty style and hatchback handling to make it a very pleasant proposition for small businesses.

You have to agree that it is one of the best-looking small vans on sale, with the additional attraction of low running costs that add to its charm.

A comfortable driving position is very quick and easy to find. Indeed, the steering wheel is high and well adjustable, and besides, the driver’s seat can be elevated.

Passengers of all sizes would feel fine in the Grande Punto due to the plenty of legroom inside.

The centre stack aims to be simple and practical, but the drawback is the hard plastics, which appear very cheap.

The steering wheel-mounted audio controls permit the drivers not to get distracted from keeping their eyes on the road with a very useful quick mute function also available on hand to cut the volume.

The van’s all-round visibility is very good, even when fully loaded. It makes the Grande Punto very easy to park and drive around town. There is nevertheless the reverse parking sensor as an optional extra.

Unfortunately, there’s only one engine available for this car. It is the efficient and frugal 75bhp 1.3-litre diesel unit shared with other cars in Fiat’s line-up.

This small engine allows reaching 62mph in 13.6 seconds, and would be more than enough to drive in towns.

In addition, the well-spaced gearbox, the reduced lock-to-lock direction, and the light, well-assisted steering prove a great help when driving around town. City driving in particular suits very well to this van, but you can hear the engine turn noisy when running on A-roads.

The103mph top speed seems also to be hard to achieve and it needs encouragement to achieve and maintain on motorway speeds.

The Grande Punto van can accommodate fair-sized loads and a payload of up to 520kg, with a cargo capacity of one cubic metre. Four anchor points and a non-slip lining help prevent materials from sliding around during the transport. The loading lip is low enough to lug heavy items in and out of the boot.

The Grande Punto van has obtained a maximum five stars in crash test confirming it excellent level of safety with all models getting an ABS with electronic brake distribution, two front airbags, anti-whiplash head restraints and anti-submarine seats.

To finish with, standard remote central locking and an anti-theft alarm take care of security, while rear privacy glass and an optional load compartment cover stop prying eyes.

The Grande Punto Van is an very good cost-effective choice for small business owners. Impressively, it returns almost 63mpg, making it one of the most frugal small vans on sale.

It is also cheap to buy from new with all new models backed up by Fiat’s three-year warranty. However, its depreciation is worse than rivals, so buyers could find their happiness in a second-hand model.

Traditionally, those buyers in need of a trusty workhorse may have been deterred by Punto’s patchy reliability record.

Fortunately, the new generation seems to be better built and mechanically more robust. Interior plastics could be a little bit more attractive but, overall, Grande Punto Van is a very good choice for small business.