Fiat India suddenly seems to have realised that India does have a market for performance oriented products. The demand for which they tried to answer with the recently launched 595 Competizione. At the launch press conference at the Buddh International Circuit, the company also showcased the Punto Evo Abarth powered by the 1.4 litre T-Jet petrol mill. You can check out its preview with 20 droolworthy pics here…
They also have plans to launch Avventura Abarth with the same motor and it has already been spotted testing a few times on the roads. However the word on the street is that the Avventura will not be the last of the Fiat India products to get a tuned up performance setup.
As per a report on Autocar India, the Italian car maker is also considering the Abarth moniker for their sedan Linea! Thanks to the interest developed by the showcase of Punto Evo Abarth, Fiat seems to have realised that the best way to work on their brand image is to offer performance oriented trims of everyday models. This way they can target the niche segment buyers who prefer performance cars and that without spending a bomb.
The Linea Abarth’s 1.4 litre T-Jet mill is expected to produce the same 145 PS of maximum power and 200+ Nm of peak torque and it should continue with a manual gearbox! The report further claims that Linea Abarth may get additional changes like a rear disc brake, stiffer suspension and a 20 mm reduction in ride height. Design updates will include the familiar Scorpion logo, Scorpion alloy wheels and Abarth decals for distinction.
However, a lot will depend on how the market receives the Punto Evo Abarth and Avventura Abarth and how Fiat prices them eventually….