Abarth Punto Evo To be Launched on October 19

There's a lot happening at Fiat this year and it's going to be a big year for them. More products and some exciting ones at that. Fiat India will launch more powerful versions of the Punto and Avventura under its performance brand 'Abarth' and we will see the Abarth Punto Evo hit the scene on October 19.

Fiat dealers across the nation have started taking pre-orders for the hot-hatch at Rs. 50,000 and we expect the car to be priced below the Rs. 10 lakh mark. Yes, there are hot hatches in the market like the VW Polo GT TSI and TDi, but the Abarth Punto Evo is going to be a different beast altogether.

Powering this performance-oriented version of the car will be a 1.4-litre T-Jet turbocharged petrol unit that will churn out a whooping 145bhp of power. The same engine will also do duty on the Abarth Avventura and will be capable of churning 140bhp. Just so you know, the regular Punto Evo models come with three engine options - 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre naturally-aspirated petrol units and a 1.3-litre multijet diesel unit.

The Punto Evo Abarth will take on the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI and will be about 40bhp more powerful than the VW's hot-hatchback. The hot hatch will get the Scorpion badge as well and 16-inch dual-tone alloys, Abarth decals on sides, wing mirrors and grille in contrast accents to enhance its sportiness.

The cabin too receives a few changes including different seats with contrast stitching in red and yellow and Abarth badge on steering wheel among others. To make the hatchback competent to handle the extra power, Fiat has lowered the vehicle's ride height by 20mm, stiffened the suspension and changed the brakes. The car will be the most powerful affordable hatchback in India and that will be followed by the most powerful compact SUV - the Avventura Abarth. We can't wait to get behind the wheel of both these cars.