Fiat India had almost run out of luck before it launched the Fiat Linea and the Grande Punto. But things have started to pick up speed, and in the right direction at that. The success of the Linea and Punto has revived the soul of the Italian car manufacturer. Now we have another update on this lifesaver Punto.

After a long waiting period, Fiat India is finally going to launch the 90 bhp Punto Sport in India. And our confirmed sources reveal that the Punto Sport will be launched on 16th July, 2010.

Last week, Fiat launched the new car in Argentina just about a week ago and India could be the next one on the launch map. The new Grande Punto comes equipped with a massive power upgrade of 15 bhp, which comes as a result of the addition of the Variable Geometry Turbo from the Fixed Geometry Turbo. This comes as a much desired relief since cars like Maruti Suzuki Swift Diesel are more than 3 seconds faster when it comes to the 0-100 kmph.

And now with the new 1.3 Liter VGT engine (yes, the same one that is featured in the Linea), the Punto can sprint from 0-100 kmph in a rapid 12 seconds. And if you can believe the vital statistics, the Punto is set to scorch the roads. Now the beautiful car can also boasts of a power that will set the Indian hearts racing. But we already have someone spoiling the fun. We are having a lot of expectations from this car, but the Autocar review seems to be saying things otherwise. The Punto Sport is definitely fast but the in-gear acceleration figures seem to be rather stagnant.

Pricing of the car seems to be another major flaw in the Punto Sport. The Punto Sport costs almost 6.8 lakhs Ex-Delhi, which is way above the prices of the cars in its segment. Even when it comes to the performance, it seems much less powerful than the competing cars.

But, we still can’t wait for the supposed launch of the car on 16th July. Any further delay in the launch would result in potential customers losing their interests in the new more powerful variant of the Grande Punto.