The Fiat 595 Competizone is the first Abarth to be launched in India and is being brought in via the CBU route.
One of the most exciting Italian cars to get your hands on, Fiat India has been teasing the Abarth 595 Competizone for quite some time now. While the puny performance hatchback won’t be a volume puller, the enthusiastic lot are keenly awaited for the car that boasts of superlative levels of power and handling capabilities, while also featuring an extremely likeable retro charm. Nonetheless, it now seems that the launch date is finally coming closer for the first Abarth in the country as Fiat has imported five units of the 595 Competizone and sales can be expected to commence in the following weeks.
The Abarth 595 Competizone is already up on Fiat India’s website as ‘Coming Soon’ and will be the first product in the country to come from the automaker’s performance division. Derived from a racing heritage, the 595 Competizone boasts of a 1.4-litre T-Jet engine with a fixed geometry turbocharger that is tuned to produce 160 PS at 5500 RPM and 230 Nm of torque at 3000 RPM. The motor comes paired to an AMT unit for easy drivability and there is no manual gearbox on offer. With the price expected around Rs. 25 lakhs (ex-showroom), the Abarth 595 will primarily compete against the MINI Cooper S in the segment.
Fiat will be kick starting the Abarth lineup in the country with the 595 Competizone, which will be followed by the Punto Evo and Avventura versions. Both the models have been spotted testing on a number of occasions and are expected to use the 1.4-litre T-Jet engine with power bumped up to 135 PS. However, the figures remain a speculation at present and will be confirmed once the cars hit the showrooms later this year. Speaking of which, Fiat India will be retailing the Abarth 595 Competizone via “exclusive” dealers in the country and have already shortlisted four dealerships, each located in Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Delhi. Other metro cities can be expected to join the list soon.
Source – Zauba.com