First look: Bertone lops Punto's roof off

BASED on the Fiat Grande Punto and previously revealed in sketch guise ahead of it Geneva show debut last week, the Bertone Suagna concept interprets the theme of the coupe-cabriolet with "aggressive elegance".

In the metal, this emerges – according to Bertone – via a low front-end, arching waistline and high, muscular rear-end treatment, matched for visual effect with 18-inch alloys.

The Suagna has a completely retractable two-piece hardtop, joining a growing list of four-seater hardtop cabrios surfacing in Europe. The roof systemwas jointly developed by Pininfarina and German convertible roof specialistCar Top Systems.

It can be raised or lowered in less than 30 seconds. The rear window of the roof can also be lowered separately without opening the roof to enhance the open-air feel. Also, with the roof down, the rear window can be raised separately to operate as a windbreaker.

The name comes from the adjective "suagna" which, in Piedmontese dialect,means a job done painstakingly, paying scrupulous attention to every detail.