You read it first on MotorBeam. The next six months will be packed for Fiat India which will be rolling out three major products in its range inclusive of the 2014 Punto facelift, Avventura Crossover and the Abarth 500. While the company recently charted out its global plans till the end of the decade with a new range of products, our sources reveal some significant details about Fiat India’s plans starting from July onwards.
The Italian auto major will first launch the Punto facelift model that receives comprehensive changes to the front and rear fascia. The new Punto will get a redesigned grille and Avventura headlamps, while the rear will feature mildly tweaked tail lights, revised tail gate and a revised bumper. The Punto facelift will be sharing its interiors with the Linea facelift with beige and black colour scheme and will be available with the same engine options as the earlier model.
Powering the Punto facelift are the 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol options along with the 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel that will be on offer. The Sport variant (gets 90 HP tune instead of 75 HP) will also be offered which gets all black interiors, new 16-inch alloy wheels with a different design that will be wrapped on 195/55/16 tyres (the 75 HP Emotion gets 195/60/15 tyres). Completing the sporty look will be contrast coloured wing mirrors.
Following the launch of the Punto facelift, the Abarth 500 will be launched in the country in September this year. Showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo in February, the Abarth 500 is spruced up version of the regular 500 with more power and tech gadgetry on offer. The Abarth 500 is powered by a 1.4-litre MultiAir turbocharged motor that produces 160 BHP of power and 230 Nm of torque. The model is equipped with a high-flow air filter and the ECM is tuned to offer more torque in Sport mode. You also get TTC (Torque Transfer Control) on the Abarth 500. Considering the model will be a CBU, the Abarth 500 will come with a price tag of Rs. 25 lakhs (ex-showroom) in the country.
Fiat will be closing the year with the launch of the Avventura Crossover in November. Based on the Punto, the Avventura is a rugged crossover that was showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo. The model shares its looks with the Punto facelift and gets rugged black cladding all over along with pseudo skid plates at the front and rear bumper. The crossover also sports an exposed spare wheel, while all variants of the Avventura will sport alloy wheels. Engine options will be borrowed from the Punto hatchback.