Both the Punto and Avventura models will get an up-rated 1.4-litre MultiAir engine under the hood along with changes to the exterior and will be badged as an Abarth.
The Abarth brand is to Fiat, what AMG is to Mercedes. A performance house converting stock road going vehicles into track scorching monsters, Abarth has been instrumental for the excessively wide grins on every Fiat lover’s face over the years. With Fiat all set to make its performance debut with the Abarth 500, news comes in that the Italian automaker has also cooked up plans to offer products in the mass market segment. After launching the comprehensively updated Punto Evo and Avventura crossover in the past months, Fiat India will bring in the performance derivatives of both the models under the Abarth brand.
Christened as the Abarth Punto Evo and Abarth Avventura, both the models will get the very powerful 1.4-litre MultiAir 4-cylinder engine that is tuned to produce around 135 PS of power and 206 Nm of torque on both the models. To make things even better, this engine enables a 0-100 km/hr sprint in just 8.5 seconds, while the top speed is rated at 200 km/hr. Considering that the petrol versions on the outgoing Punto and Avventura models are decades old and big sloths, the new engine will certainly be a huge game changer in terms of performance. While these numbers are for the UK spec version, we do expect the Indian model to see a marginal decrease in power output, but still will be crackling of a motor.
To put it into perspective, the Volkswagen Polo is currently one of the best affordable driver centric hatchbacks in the country and comes with a 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine producing 105 PS of power. The Abarth Punto and Avventura will be around 30 HP more powerful than the Polo. Still not convinced on how huge this is? Well, the compact premium hatchback Mercedes A-Class produces 122 HP from a 1.6-litre petrol engine, while the BMW 1-Series is also equipped with a 1.6-litre petrol engine which produces 136 HP of power. But, these cars cost almost Rs. 15 lakhs more than what the Abarth Punto and Avventura models will cost. You could actually buy both the Abarths for the price of one A-Class.
However, the Abarth Punto internationally is available in a different configuration. Set to compete in a more performance oriented environment, the Abarth Punto makes 163 HP of power from the same 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine, while the very powerful SS version uses a more powerful derivative of the same engine producing over 180 HP and 230 Nm of torque. The 0-100 km/hr sprint is achievable in less than 7 seconds, while the top speed is rated at 225 km/hr on the Punto SS. The car also comes equipped with Fiat’s Torque Transfer Control system and also an electronic faux-differential.
Apart from the changes to the powertrain, both the Punto and Avventura will get styled with Abarth livery. Part of the changes include Abarth body kits with new front and rear bumpers, side skirts, rear spoiler and new alloy wheels as well as new upholstery and updates on the dashboard. The Fiat badges will be completely replaced by Abarth ones, while the company is most likely to offer changes to the suspension set-up as well to handle all that power with much ease. The Avventura petrol will also finally get a host of safety equipment that is currently missing on the car. Both the models are expected to come into the country in the third quarter of 2015 with prices starting around the Rs. 9 lakh mark.
Source – Rush Lane