The Fiat Abarth 595 Competizione has been launched in India at Rs 29.85 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Besides the Abarth 595 Competizione, the Italian manufacturer has also showcased the Punto Abarth at the launch event in Delhi, and is expected to go on sale in the next few months.
The 595 Competizione is the first product to wear the iconic ‘Abarth’ brand, and marks the foray of this performance brand into the country. Based on the Fiat 500 hatchback, the 595 Competizione retains all the retro styling cues along with a host of cosmetic upgrades and decals to give it the distinct look of a hot hatch. Both the front and rear of the car get titanium grey grilles to add to the car’s sporty appeal. The ‘Competizione’ package adds sporty touches to the car, like aluminium pedals, footrest and door kick-plates, bespoke floor mats, machined aluminium fuel and oil filler caps. The 595 Competizione rides on 17-inch, five-spoke Diamond finish alloy wheels, which house cross-drilled disc brakes with red brake callipers. Inside, the layout is similar to the standard Fiat 500, though the 595 Competizione comes with a host of exotic fabric upholstery options and Sabelt seats.
The 595 Competizione is powered by the Linea’s 1.4-litre turbocharged T-Jet four-cylinder petrol engine, which puts out 158bhp and 230Nm of torque in the ‘Sports’ mode. The engine can also be driven around in ‘Normal’ mode, which brings down the torque to 206Nm. Though the Abarth 595 Competizione is globally offered with an option of a five-speed manual gearbox, the one launched in India gets a five-speed automated manual transmission, called MTA. The Abarth 595 Competizione gets high-end Frequency Selective Dampers and Koni rear suspension to aid the hatchback’s handling dynamics.
The Fiat Abarth 595 Competizione is available in four paint schemes- iridato white, scorpione black, cordolo red and campovolo grey. It competes with the only other performance-focussed premium hatchback in the country – the Mini Cooper S.