Fiat is one of those manufacturers which has experienced a bit of a resurgence in popularity writes Bob Hickman.

A few years ago Fiats were considered to be delightfully quirky, but not the sort of car that you would want to buy.

Now, however, with the Panda, Punto, and the brilliant 500, there’s a range of cars that is really worth a second look in this overcrowded marketplace.

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The Punto has been particularly good to Fiat and now, with the arrival of the new version, it is moving the goal posts and has introduced a vehicle that really does look the business.

It is not until you see them side by side that you appreciate the changes Fiat has made. I had the opportunity when I stopped at the shops and parked behind the previous derivative, to see that the rear of the vehicle has become rounder, and that the lights have moved to shoulder level, in line with the side windows.

The front has had a makeover that makes the Punto look less angular and more rounded – and I think it works very well.

It is not just the outside that Fiat has worked on, the interior has had a makeover as well and new safety features abound. They include knee air bags, and double seat belt pretensioners with ESP and a hill-holder facility.

Inside the vehicle, from a driver’s perspective, Fiat has worked hard on the dashboard and the instrumentation. The speedometer and rev counter are now much larger and far easier to read, although I must admit to still being a little confused when you glance down quickly, I can’t always work out which is which.

I liked the fact that they have incorporated a cowling, like a sunshade, over the instruments which does help when we do get the occasional bright sunlight.

The instrument panel includes a gear suggestion device, by that, I mean a little arrow comes up when the engine management system thinks you should be changing gear, one of these features that I can well do without. I think I am old enough, wise enough, and experienced enough to know when to change gear.

Fiat has redesigned and improved the seats and they are now more ergonomically suited to front passengers and driver.

I also like the little lighting devices in the vehicle that glow quite reassuringly when the vehicle is being used at night time.

One near the glove box and one either side of the door handles on both front seats does make life a little easier. How often have you tried to find the door handle to get out of the car when it is pitch black – a nice little feature.

Certain derivatives of Punto are equipped with Bluetooth facility and TomTom compatibility, and this includes a completely integrated information and entertainment system.

It took me a little time to get used to the Bluetooth phone system, but when I did, it worked convincingly – except, people who I had to speak to on the phone did suggest that it sounded like I was talking to them from within an echo chamber.

The Punto Evo has a five-engine range and all conform to the latest emission standards, in addition all are fitted with start and stop technology as standard.

This takes a little bit of getting used to, but after probably a day or so you just accept that suddenly it has gone quiet and as soon as you depress the clutch, the engine starts and it is time to go.

Of course this does add to the economics of running the vehicle and Fiat, with certain of its new engines and extremely low CO2 emissions, suggests that the new range will be £35 vehicle excise duty and that to me is a big bonus.

Five trim levels are available for you to choose from in the dealership but the level of specification, even on the standard entry level, is quite adequate.

Fiat with the Punto has suggested that this vehicle is conceived to cosset its occupants as a large car might do, and this they suggest has been achieved through a clever combination of factors.

To me it is a nice package with sufficient interior room for four adults, not huge room for their luggage, but sufficient, and I think they have done a good job.

My test vehicle was equipped with the 1.4-litre engine which has been breathed on extensively and produces a healthy 135bhp, sufficient to give a 0-60 of 8.5 seconds and a top speed of a very healthy 127mph.

It is all achieved with cost saving low CO2 figures and combined fuel figures quoted as being marginally over 50mpg.

The Punto range starts at £9,995, up to £14,995. All Fiat products come with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty and a third-year dealer warranty, paintwork is guaranteed for three years and Fiat is confident enough to give an eight-year anti-perforation warranty.