• Refreshed interior and exterior styling
• Award winning TwinAir engines
• From £9,900 on the road

Prices and specification have been announced for the 2012 model year Fiat Punto, with the car now having lost ‘Evo’ from its name.

Initially there will be six engines to choose from. The two diesel options are both based on the same 1.3-litre 16-valve MultiJet engine and develop 75 and 85bhp respectively.

Petrol engines include a 69bhp 1.2-litre, a 77bhp 1.4-litre and two 1.4-litre MultiAir engines with a choice of 105 and 135bhp. An 85bhp 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol model will join the range in April. All engines are fitted with stop and start technology as standard.

Styling revisions have been made both inside and out, with the exterior getting body coloured bumpers and three new colours: Brit Pop Blue, Tango Red and Underground Grey, while the interior benefits from a new style of seat fabric and refreshed dashboard inserts.

The model line-up has now been simplified, with three trim levels: Pop, Easy (with sporty GBT version) and Lounge, as seen on the Fiat 500 and forthcoming Panda.

Equipment on the entry level Pop trim includes remote central locking, electric front windows, driver, passenger and window airbags, CD player with MP3 compatibility and electric power steering.

Easy trim level adds a leather steering wheel, 15-inch alloy wheels and air conditioning. GBT models complement this with sports suspension and a rear spoiler and side skirts.

Range-topping Lounge models feature climate control, front fog lamps, cruise control, ambient interior lighting and an electric sunroof.

The new Fiat Punto will be available from dealers this month, starting from £9,900 on the road for the entry level Pop 1.2 three-door and rising to £15,600 for the top end Lounge 1.3 MultiJet.

By Daljinder Nagra