The new Fiat Grande Punto finally arrived yesterday, and immediately an innovative new Italian television advertising campaign is getting got underway.

Very rarely does the launch of a car provoke quite so much interest, and have so much hope riding on its success, but the new Grande Punto is the car that Fiat's senior management believe will now push the century old Italian carmaker onwards and upwards. It has a tough act to follow: the existing Punto model (which it replaces) has been the Italian best seller for more than a decade, and earlier this summer, the six millionth one rolled off the production lines.

Across Italy the Grande Punto's launch has captured the public's attention as a car that hoists firmly the nation's banner high and loud, a symbol that Italian technology, innovation and ability is once more to the fore. Rather in the way that the iconic Fiat 500 literally 'motorised' the nation in the post-war years, so the Grande Punto will usher in a new era.

On the 10th September a new television advertising campaign will kick into action across Italy. Its theme will be simply stated. "This car speaks itself alone. It is enough to watch it," comments Luca De Meo, Brand and Commercial Manager for Fiat.

The car will be revealed to the uplifting soundtrack 'Without Words', performed by the famous Italian musician, Vasco Rossi. Fiat want the Grande Punto to do the talking, so using 'Without Words' was judged fitting, and the whole advert's message will simply state that 'It's arrived'. "It seemed that anything we added to the essense of this announcement simply risked reducing the impact of the event. This is not only an automotive event, but one which will also strongly  impact on the social and economic life of our Country. The choice of Vasco Rossi for the sonorous music is coherent with the profile of the car: just like Vasco, the Punto speaks to all the Italians, as part of their life, like their daily paper, and perhaps also part of their history. And we hope of their future."
 

The new advertising campaign has been devised by Michela Grasso and Daniele Ricci of the SaffirioTortelliVigoriti agency, and produced by 'New Partners', under the direction of Laszlo Kadar. As well as the TV adverts, giant poster are being displayed at strategic points - including Mirafiori and Lingotto - which also announce the arrival of the Grande Punto in the simplest of language.

ITALIAN GRANDE PUNTO PRICING ANNOUNCED

During the course of the glitzy press presentation at the Palavela in Turin yesterday, Fiat revealed Italian pricing of the new Grande Punto. The cheapest option in the range will be the 1.2-litre 65bhp petrol 3-door version in 'Active' trim which comes in at 11,110 euros. The 1.2-litre Active - with 5 doors - is priced at 11,750, while these two models, but in 'Dynamic' trim, are to be sold at 12,550 and 13,200 euros respectively. The second petrol engine option will be the 1.4-litre unit, with 77bhp on hand. These are priced at 11,550 euros (Active 3-dr), 12,200 (Active 5-dr), 13,000 (Dynamic 3-dr) and 13,650 (Dynamic 5-dr).

Two diesel engines (1.3- and 1.9-litre Multijets) will be spread over different eleven packages. The highly-compact, common-rail 1.3-litre 16v Multijet - with 75bhp available - features in the diesel range's entry level model, the Active 3-dr, which will go on sale priced at 12,850 euros. The 75bhp engine is also to be offered in the Active 5-dr (13,600 euros), Dynamic 3-dr (14,400 euros) and Dynamic 5-dr (15,050 euros). In its second, more powerful guise - with 90bhp on tap - on tap, the 1.3-litre Multijet 16v is to be offered in the 6M Dynamic 3-dr (15,550 euros), 6M Dynamic 5-dr (16,200), 6M Emotion 3-dr (16,650) and 6M Emotion 5-dr (17,300 euros).

Finally, the powerful 1.9-litre Multijet engine is to be present in three options. The 6M Emotion 3-dr and 5-dr, priced at 17,800 and 18,450 euros respectively, have 120bhp available, while the range's power-topping 6M 'Sport' 3-dr (with 130bhp) will cost 17,500 euros.