Fiat may launch localised Punto Abarth in India this year

Fiat India has recently announced its big plans to revive the brand introducing the Chrysler Jeep range along with Abarth and Mopar. While the Jeep has already created a bit of stir in the SUV crazy country, the Abarth has got the auto enthusiasts talking. Autocar India has just added a few more specifics to the talks by reporting that the Punto Abarth will be launched this year for price of around Rs 9 lakh.

The report says that the version will be powered by a highly tuned version of the 1.4-litre T-Jet pumping around 165bhp. This means that the cars will need major alterations to manage the increased power like stiffer suspension setup, stiffer chassis, thicker anti-roll bars and better brakes.

Although we really like the idea of 165bhp hot-hatch, we think there is a possibility that Fiat may use the 114bhp turbo-charged unit from the T-Jet Linea and use it in the Indian version of the Punto Abarth. Even this version will require lot of modifications, but these won’t be as expensive as that for a fully done-up version. The Indian version of the car might also become the first four-door Abarth Punto in the world. In 114bhp tune the car will return decent fuel economy with the turbocharging and still be the most powerful hatchback in the country.

The Abarth Punto will also get better alloy-wheels, body kit and other cosmetic upgrades, along with Abarth’s logo in place of Fiat to differentiate it from the standard model. The performance version will sold through Abarth studios which for now will be part of the Fiat showrooms.