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Fiat Chrysler launches India’s first hot hatch Abarth Punto and the new Avventura powered by Abarth

By Team LTD

Posted on October 20, 2015

Popular in Europe for a while now, hot hatches have finally hit Indian shores. Fiat Chrysler today launched its performance oriented hot hatch the Abarth Punto, opening up the segment for the Indian market. The latest offering from Fiat has been highly anticipated for its performance upgrades and race car like driving dynamics, and the car promises to set a new benchmarks in the category. The company also launched the all new Avventura powered by Abarth, which is a performance variant of the standard Avventura, aptly called the ‘hot cross’.

The Abarth Punto has a 1.4 litre T-Jet petrol engine, which produces an able 145 BHP, enabling the hatch to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 8.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 190 km/h. In fact, it is the first hatch in the country to break the 10 second acceleration mark. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, which gives you complete control to exploit the available power. The engine produces 212 Nm of torque, and peak torque is achieved from 2000 rpm, which means you don’t need to reach higher revs to use the power.

In terms of styling, the Abarth Punto builds upon the already good looking Punto, and adds aggressive decals and sporty alloy wheels for an overall package which screams performance. The car has been lowered and the ground clearance has been kept at 155 mm. The 16″ scorpion alloys look distinct and give the car an enhanced presence on the road. Generous Abarth badging is visible at the front and rear of the car, which will be available in two colours – Hip-hop Black and Pearl White.

Inside, the Abarth Punto has a racing-inspired cabin, with black seats and red & yellow stitching. The car comes with automatic climate control, rear AC vents, an easy to use infotainment system and electric boot opening. Overall, the Abarth Punto is an appealing package which is well designed inside out, and has the performance to leave the competition behind by a mile.

The Abarth Avventura, which was also unveiled at the event, will be powered by the same 1.4 litre T-Jet engine, which produces 140 BHP in the Avventura. The car accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 9.9 seconds and is equipped with the same 5-speed manual transmission. The Avventura powered by Abarth is touted as the fastest and most powerful crossover bred in the country.

Speaking on the launch, Kevin Flynn, President and Managing Director, FCA India Automobiles Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are delighted to roll-out the Abarth Punto which is a performance oriented hatchback. This indigenously designed hot hatch is crafted to rev-up the adrenalin of the racing enthusiasts by delivering exhilarating speed and stability at the same time. The Italian styling and design, stability at high speeds, lowered ground clearance and host of plush features makes the Abarth Punto the hottest and the fastest hatchback available in the country”

He further added, “We are also widening and strengthening our product portfolio by introducing another performance oriented vehicle from FCA’s stable. Avventura powered by Abarth will be the fastest crossover in the country. India is a strategic market for us and delivering world class products and services to our valued customers is an integral part of our commitment to the Indian market. We are confident that these two new category defining models from Fiat stable would catch the fancy of the car enthusiasts and perk up sales during the festive season.”

Both the Abarth Punto and Avventura are priced aggressively at INR 9.95 lacs, ex-showroom Delhi. The cars will be available in one variant in dealerships across the country starting today and should hopefully excite a lot of enthusiasts who are looking for a performance oriented drive in the sub INR 10.0 lacs segment.