Fiat recently announced that it will launch Abarth in India in 2013 and it is expected that the first offering from the performance brand will be the Grande Punto Abarth. This car will be launched sometime this year and unlike the Fiat 500 or the Mini Cooper it will be built and assembled locally making it very cost effective. It is quite likely that the Punto Abarth will be priced at just Rs. 9 lakhs, making it India’s first affordable performance car.
The Punto Abarth will most probably use the 1.4-litre turbo-charged engine out of the Linea T-Jet but with a much higher power output of about 165 BHP making it the most powerful car under Rs. 20 lakh. The Punto Abarth will have a much stiffer chassis and upgraded suspension for improved handling and to handle all the grunt from the highly tuned engine. It will have thicker anti-roll bars and much bigger brakes with discs all round. This should make the Punto Abarth a real sweet car to drive.
Read The Punto Abarth Review
Unlike the Abarths abroad, in India, it could be launched as a 4-door hatchback rather than a 2-door. The Punto Abarth will be available in special ‘Abarth Studios’ as part of the Fiat showrooms itself though separate Abarth showrooms are being considered by Fiat as well. But in any case, the launch of a localized Abarth product with such performance and at such an affordable price point will give the performance car industry in India quite a boost. With many Indians being able to afford better luxury as well an increased interest in performance cars, this may start a new age in India for performance vehicles.
Source – Autocar India
