Grabbing visitors' attention on the Fiat stand at the Istanbul International Auto Show this week is a dramatically designed show car based on the Grande Punto, dubbed the Radicale. Fiat have arrived at this year's edition of the motor show - the tenth - with a full line-up of their products and show cars, determined to steal the limelight and make an impact in a growing market they are targeting.

As well as presenting the Grande Punto Radicale in Istanbul, the Turinese brand's "show car" line-up also includes the huge Iveco-based Oltre Fiat off-road concept, which was first seen making a dramatic entrance at last year's Bologna Motor Show where it smashed through a glass screen, and the Ducato-based "Truckster", which made its public debut at the Barcelona Motor Show, held earlier this year.

The Grande Punto Radical underlines the important role already being played by the Grande Punto in this emerging market. Since arriving on sale in Turkey during the spring the new model has consistently topped the B-segment. Three production versions are on show in the CNR Expo Centre this week: the first is fitted with the brand new economical 1.4 Starjet 1.6V engine and is a 5-door in 'Emotion' specification; the second, also a 5-door in Emotion trim, is powered by the punchy 90 bhp 1.3-litre Multijet 16v, while the third is a 3-door in Dynamic specification, with the 75 bhp version of the 1.3 Multijet 16v.
 

Alongside these three cars is the new Super2000 category Grande Punto Rally. Fiat has a strong rally presence in Turkey with a long string of major successes to its name. The new Grande Punto Rally - which has won the Italian and European Rally Championships as well as the inaugural International Rally Challenge in its debut year - recently made its full FIA World Rally Championship on the Rally of Turkey, and the first example to be run outside the factory operation was put in the hands of the local Fiat Motorsports team. This car is on show in Istanbul this week, astride the Ducato Truckster, replicating the format of the Paris Motor Show where the new Panda 100 HP was shown mounted in a similar position.

Alongside its sisters also comes the Grande Punto Radicale, an extreme show car which develops the styling of the new 'supermini' to the maximum. Characterised by outrageous spoilers, bulging wheel arches and a massive rear wing, it has captured the attention of visitors, thrusting into view positioned close to the new Fiat Linea, the C-segment saloon that has made its world debut at the show. At the front of the 'Radicale' the bumper gives way to large meshed air intake areas that drop right down to a horizontal flat spoiler. On either side, these sweep into the huge wheel arches with little winglets slotting in between. The front wheel arches are dissected before the wheel, while behind it they give way to an open vertical air outlet. The rear arches follow a similar fashion, with chunky air inlets and exits, while the rear spoiler edges flip upwards into small winglets. The rear bumper area is completely cutaway exposing a large exhaust rear box that splits into four chromed tail pipes, and a similar flat finishing surface below. Other eye-catching features include an enormous roof mounted wing, air scoops in the bonnet and roof, and a flush-fitting aluminium fuel filler flap.