Frankfurt 2009: Fiat Punto Evo

Ah, the Fiat Punto: never quite what it pretends to be. Supposedly designed to look like a Maserati in hatchback form, the existing model was called the Grande Punto when it was anything but. And now the Italian automaker has launched an updated version and dropped the Grande tag for the vaunted name Evo... for a budget hatchback. Set aside the aspirational naming scheme, though, and what you have is a strong-selling vehicle that's put Fiat back on the map.

Visually, the updated Punto Evo gets new bumpers and lights front and rear, a new grille, and a handful of modern touches. Under the hood, Fiat Powertrain Technologies has slotted in its latest MultiAir engine range (showcased in the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde), while the interior has been extensively updated to the inclusion of a new Blue&Me infotainment system developed with Microsoft and Tom Tom.

While the new Punto Evo hardly ranks among the myriad of European hatchbacks which – Chrysler or no Chrysler – we wish would make the journey across the Atlantic, it's sure to flood the streets abroad in no time. We stopped by to have a look and snap some photos of the new model and the models adorning it at Fiat's comically childish show stand here in Frankfurt