The commonality between every company in the world is that they all want higher profits and a higher share of the market. But, in order for companies to achieve their objectives, they first need to focus on something far more important. I’m talking, of course, of ‘brand image.’ Take for example Coca Cola. Throughout its history, the soft-drink giant has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on branding and positioning itself. There isn’t a city in this world where you won’t see a Coke advertisement. And not just Coca Cola, but thousands of other companies spend gazillions of dollars on improving, or even maintaining, their brand image.

The same goes for car companies. A notable case study can be observed by Czech manufacturers Skoda. Until 1989, the company had a monopoly on the Czech market, but it was considered a joke by most other European customers. The cars were very cheap, had poor quality finishing, and heaps of internal technical problems. After the communist party fell in the country, the government-run Skoda started looking for commercial partners to revitalize its factories. To cut a long story short, Volkswagen took a 30% stake in the company, pumped in $3.7 billion in the plant, R&D, and new product lines. The first two launches were received very well by the European market. In 1998, the Octavia was launched and was the first VW backed model. The German giants spent $16 million on a marketing campaign to promote the car in the UK, and improve its brand image. The rest is history, and now jokes about Skoda have been completely put to rest.



The next product launch was the Fabia. It was launched with a smaller marketing campaign, and even banked on its mocking past, stating, ‘The Fabia is a car so good that you won’t believe it’s a Skoda.’ The results were again impressive, and by the end of 2000 more than 11,000 Fabias were sold in the UK alone. In India, the Skoda brand image is held high and it’s perceived to be a premium segment car. The Octavia did exceptionally well here, and helped Skoda cement its brand identity into the minds of Indian consumers. The Fabia is still relatively new to the Indian market, and its importance for Skoda in the small car segment can’t go unnoticed.

Similar to the Skoda branding scenario, Fiat has been struggling to establish its brand in India for some time now. Fiat might have a long history in the Indian market, but, in its current guise, it’s failed to grab much attention. Now, to really take on the small car segment, and gain more market share and awareness, Fiat recently launched its Grande Punto hatch with a 90bhp engine.

Setting aside brand image, we take a look at these two hot hatches – the Punto 90bhp and Fabia 1.6 – to see which leaves more of a mark.

From the Outside



Before I continue, I must be honest. When we first test drove the Grande Punto a couple of months ago, I really didn’t like it – especially the way it looked. But, after looking at it again and again from every angle, I have finally come to terms with the way it looks – so much so that I actually like it now. The car has got a unique Italian style to it, which makes it stand out over every other hatch in the country. The front headlights protrude sharply along the side of the bonnet, just like a Maserati, and it’s got more curves than any other hatch in the country, which makes it look sleeker and sportier. The rear headlights flow gently along the short C-pillars, and the toned wheel arches compliment the front and rear bumpers. The Punto also boasts chrome door handles, a chrome exhaust, a beautifully finished brushed-aluminum look on the alloys, and rear and front fog lamps.

The car we had was Bossa Nova White, and sported an attractive red scattered vinyl design along the sides, which certainly made it stand out. The graphics apart though, I started to finally appreciate its aesthetics. The one thing that did bother me, however, was that there was only one reverse light on the left side of the rear bumper – a trait shared with the Fabia interestingly. A lot of manufacturers have started doing this as a means to reduce costs, but in my opinion having one reverse light is as ridiculous as having one brake light. It’s pointless.

All said and done, the Punto does look better than the Fabia, which is just another box on wheels – despite its attempts to look cheeky and sophisticated at the same time. The Fabia looks really tacky, especially in bright red. The nose is too short, the roof is flat, and the rear headlights bulge out – making the car seem like it has a hunched back. It’s corporate cousin, the VW Polo, does a far better job in the looks department. However, a point to note, and one that I picked up on, is that the fairer sex feels the car is cute. However, the Fabia might also appeal to the older car buyer because of its sheer simplicity, and, of course, the Skoda badge on the front and the rear. The Fabia does sport a decent chrome front grille with vertical fins in the typical Skoda style. Plus, the A and B pillars are coloured black, which also adds a nice touch. The oversize fog lamps are an attempt to give the Fabia some presence, and they do succeed on that front. But, on the looks front, the Punto wins hands down. It’s much more the hot hatch, and it’s aggressive, but can also be sophisticated as well. The Fabia, on the other hand, just looks boring.

From the Inside



As you enter the Fabia, the first thing you notice is just how roomy the cabin actually is. The boxy shape may not work on the outside, but it certainly pays dividends from in here, as there’s ample head and leg room for even the tallest of drivers and passengers. In fact, the Fabia provides more room than most sedans, and still has enough space for a 300 litre boot. The front seats can also be adjusted for height, which most drivers will appreciate, and the telescopic steering wheel adjusts for height as well as reach. The interiors are definitely the selling point for the Fabia, as its very well put together and extremely refined for a small car.

The controls are easy to access, and the buttons and dials are placed perfectly on the center console. The Fabia also comes stocked with a CD MP3 player with a large graphic display, air conditioning, electrically heated outside rear view mirrors, and a dual glove box. The two tone black and beige interiors give the car a premium look and feel, which is all the more important in this segment. The interiors of the Fabia are all about passenger comfort, something that the Punto decides to ignore completely.

The Punto is purely driver centric. The front seats are very sporty and covered in black leather with red stitching. Plus, the two-tone grey and black dashboard emphasizes this sporty feel. The interior design and center console appears more modern than the somewhat staid layout of the Fabia. The instrument cluster is also more stylish with a sharper font on the dials. A big selling point is the fact that the Punto features steering mounted audio controls, an integrated MP3 Player, and Bluetooth connectivity. The foot pedals sport an aluminum finish, which enhance the race car feel, and the thick steering wheel is grippy and has a set of sharp protrusions where the driver’s hands should be placed for a perfect grip of the wheel – another sporty attribute.



You soon realize, however, that everything works far better on the Fabia – both in terms of functionality, as well as ergonomics. The Punto lacks any form of comfort for the rear passengers, as there simply isn’t enough headroom or legroom. The Punto is clearly meant to be driven, rather than be a passenger in – something the Fabia is much better at. The Punto may come loaded with eye candy, but the cabin of the Fabia is far superior to that of the Punto.

With that said, and while the Fabia is more elegant and better put together than the Punto, I prefer the sporty feel of the Fiat. As the driver’s seat is the most important position in a hot hatch, and passenger comfort can take second place, the Punto makes a great case for itself by virtue of its sporty black and grey interior, and aluminum pedals – all of which makes you feel like you’re in a real race car.

On the road



On the road, both of these cars are extremely different from one another. The Fabia has a 1.6 litre petrol engine with a power output of 105bhp and 153Nm of torque, while the Punto has a 1.3 litre diesel engine capable of producing 90bhp and 209Nm of torque. The only similarity is that both cars are front wheel drive.

The only change in the new Punto, as compared to the previous model, is its turbo, and therefore its power output. It has the exact same Multijet diesel engine as its predecessors, but uses a new turbo and ECU to provide the engine with an additional 15bhp. However, the only problem is you really have to feel this additional power. There is immense turbo lag when you push down on the accelerator, and there is absolutely no power available to you when trundling around at an easy pace in second gear. When you shift up, you have to wait till the engine spins up to 2500rpm before you feel the turbo kick in – and this can make city driving quite a chore. Nevertheless, third is quite a versatile ratio, and perhaps all that you’ll need in the Punto. Press on the accelerator for dear glory, and you will experience a powerful punch, which will knock you back all the way up to 100km/h. When the engine gets past 2500rpm, it unleashes all 90 horses and the car will blast past everything in its sight. This might not sound probable, but I did managed to touch 185km/h while testing the Punto, and the smile on my face just wouldn’t go away. This car is breathtaking on the highway, and I couldn’t believe that I was leaving the 1.6 litre Fabia behind to eat my dust.

The Punto also has a stiff chassis set up, which gives the driver complete control. It, nevertheless, handles the city roads well – and also makes some brilliant U-turns when needed. It has an impressive minimum turning radius of 5.4 metres. That said, you really have to drive the Punto to get the most out of it, and that can get tiring on an everyday basis. The Fabia, on the other hand, is always at your service.



The 1.6 litre engined Fabia is as smooth as a smoothie. The car drives effortlessly on crowded city roads, and handles every bump or ditch with perfection. And this speaks of the Skoda brand once again, which now reeks of refinement. But, let me tell you, besides being a placid and cute car, the Fabia can also be a brute racer in disguise. The power response is near instantaneous, and its acceleration off the line left the Punto begging for mercy. In fact, we decided to do a little drag race to bring home the point, and the Fabia proved itself unequivocally once again. The 1.6 litre engine picks up the revs fast, and goes berserk when it reaches 2500rpm – following which it shoots down the open road like you simply don’t expect. The Fabia is so well engineered and refined that you can hardly feel the engine revving when you max out at 160km/h – not to mention the fact that you’re treated to a beautiful sound when accelerating. The steering is also very light, which makes in city driving a piece of cake.

Surprisingly, the Fabia wins from behind the wheel. Yes, the Punto does boogie down a highway extremely well, but in the city it lacks the peppiness which the Fabia thrives on. The Fabia is fast, and, at the same time, comfortable. Its top speed may not be anywhere near a match for the Punto, but its overall performance on the road is just so much better.

Verdict



The Punto has been able to gain ground due to its fun factor, and, of course, its looks. But the Fabia fought back valiantly on the road, and is truly on another level from a refinement point of view. But it all boils down to one thing, how much?

The Punto is a brilliant car that comes loaded with features. It looks very fashionable, and drives very well when pushed. However, the Fiat comes with a hefty price tag of 6.8 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). If Fiat wants to seriously compete with the likes of the Hyundai i20 and Skoda Fabia, they’re going to have to consider providing better value than that. After all, the Skoda Fabia features a more tractable engine, even though it’s not a diesel, and more classy interiors. Plus, it’s almost a lakh less. Yes, it may not be as economical over long distances, but it’ll certainly be more comfortable.

The Punto may be stunning from a design point of view, but its engine lacks the promised performance. And the price tag seals the deal for most. The strange thing is that my brain knows that the Fabia is a better option, but my heart strings still respond more to the Italian. Eventually, it all comes down to what you want from your car – and brand image will likely be the deciding factor in that process.