Fiat Punto Evo Abarth review - the Italian Hooligan
Some companies are just plain mad. And some Italians have been described that way as well. So it's little wonder that the guys to bring out one of the craziest cars in India are the Italians. The Fiat Punto Evo Abarth is just 145 horses worth of fun. That turbocharged petrol engine with 212 Nm of torque has the potential to keep you smiling every time you drive it. However, although the Fiat Punto Abarth seems like the one car that is the answer to enthusiasts prayers, it may not really be that popular. Still, for the few who want that fun under Rs. 11 lakh on-road, it's the one to pick.
What I love about the Punto Abarth:
* Mad, mad, mad engine!
* Wheelspin any time you want it
* No electronic nannies such as traction control to spoil the fun
* The ability of the car to plaster your face with a silly grin each time you take off from a traffic light!
What I don't like about the Punto Abarth:
* Too much ground clearance dulls the handling a bit
* Driving position still not sorted out - the steering is set to high and pedal travel is too deep.
* Gear shift is too rubbery.
* Needs better tyres, these Apollo Alnacs don't look like they can hold on to this torque monster for long.
The Punto Abarth was one among three cars that we were shooting a few days ago for a comparison that has appeared elsewhere on ZigWheels. We set out early from South Delhi towards Greater Noida for the shoot and the scant traffic helped in really enjoying the shove the car has. Forget wheelspin in first gear, second gear wheelspins were pretty common each time we set off from a traffic signal. The squeal of the hapless Apollo Alnac tyres on tarmac was quite a treat. And, no, there is NO traction control to spoil the party! It's just raw power going straight to the front wheels.
However, with the Punto Abarth, being a turbocharged engine there is some lag below about 1800 rpm. Let the rev counter climb to about 5,000 rpm and shift and you'll find the Punto surging ahead pretty fast that it left all other cars (and these were hot hatches too) as specs in its rear view mirror. However, around corners if you shove the accelerator a bit too much, the car tends to understeer badly. And in a straight line, an enthusiastic launch leads to a bit of torque steer, for which you really need to grip the wheel to keep it from trying to wander.
The 1.4 litre T-Jet engine is brilliant. Period. But what we wish Fiat had done was to probably add a bit of a sport exhaust note to go with that power. The exhaust is muted - probably to meet CMVR norms, but I'm sure there is enough room for a bit of sound engineering that will make it live up to its name.
Now, there’s no point really harping about the looks of the Punto Abarth. It is identical to the regular Punto Evo, except for the graphics and badging. The one I drove came in black with red graphics. All the Fiat badges in the car have been replaced with Abarth badges. And of course the 16-inch alloys, with a Scorpion claw design look hot.
The tyres though are barely adequate. Sure, the Apollo Alnac 4G tyres (195/60 R16) that it comes shod with are decent, but for the kind of performance hooligan this car is, you will end up changing tyres fairly often. The brakes have decent bite – with all four disks. Ground clearance could have been lowered a bit – it’s currently at 185 mm, which is great for bad roads, but not so much in a performance car.
Fiat hasn’t done anything to the hydraulic power steering of the Abarth Punto and it continues to provide a pretty direct feel – like the regular Punto. However, the position of the steering in relation to the pedals is still a bit off.
But you are willing to forgive the car all these little idiosyncrasies because of that motor. The shove from standstill with the squeal of the tyres is thrilling. The gears, although with a bit of a long throw, slot in easily propelling the car to 100 kmph in under 10 seconds. Drama, thy name is the Fiat Punto Abarth!
What I love about the Punto Abarth:
* Mad, mad, mad engine!
* Wheelspin any time you want it
* No electronic nannies such as traction control to spoil the fun
* The ability of the car to plaster your face with a silly grin each time you take off from a traffic light!
What I don't like about the Punto Abarth:
* Too much ground clearance dulls the handling a bit
* Driving position still not sorted out - the steering is set to high and pedal travel is too deep.
* Gear shift is too rubbery.
* Needs better tyres, these Apollo Alnacs don't look like they can hold on to this torque monster for long.
The Punto Abarth was one among three cars that we were shooting a few days ago for a comparison that has appeared elsewhere on ZigWheels. We set out early from South Delhi towards Greater Noida for the shoot and the scant traffic helped in really enjoying the shove the car has. Forget wheelspin in first gear, second gear wheelspins were pretty common each time we set off from a traffic signal. The squeal of the hapless Apollo Alnac tyres on tarmac was quite a treat. And, no, there is NO traction control to spoil the party! It's just raw power going straight to the front wheels.
However, with the Punto Abarth, being a turbocharged engine there is some lag below about 1800 rpm. Let the rev counter climb to about 5,000 rpm and shift and you'll find the Punto surging ahead pretty fast that it left all other cars (and these were hot hatches too) as specs in its rear view mirror. However, around corners if you shove the accelerator a bit too much, the car tends to understeer badly. And in a straight line, an enthusiastic launch leads to a bit of torque steer, for which you really need to grip the wheel to keep it from trying to wander.
The 1.4 litre T-Jet engine is brilliant. Period. But what we wish Fiat had done was to probably add a bit of a sport exhaust note to go with that power. The exhaust is muted - probably to meet CMVR norms, but I'm sure there is enough room for a bit of sound engineering that will make it live up to its name.
Now, there’s no point really harping about the looks of the Punto Abarth. It is identical to the regular Punto Evo, except for the graphics and badging. The one I drove came in black with red graphics. All the Fiat badges in the car have been replaced with Abarth badges. And of course the 16-inch alloys, with a Scorpion claw design look hot.
The tyres though are barely adequate. Sure, the Apollo Alnac 4G tyres (195/60 R16) that it comes shod with are decent, but for the kind of performance hooligan this car is, you will end up changing tyres fairly often. The brakes have decent bite – with all four disks. Ground clearance could have been lowered a bit – it’s currently at 185 mm, which is great for bad roads, but not so much in a performance car.
Fiat hasn’t done anything to the hydraulic power steering of the Abarth Punto and it continues to provide a pretty direct feel – like the regular Punto. However, the position of the steering in relation to the pedals is still a bit off.
But you are willing to forgive the car all these little idiosyncrasies because of that motor. The shove from standstill with the squeal of the tyres is thrilling. The gears, although with a bit of a long throw, slot in easily propelling the car to 100 kmph in under 10 seconds. Drama, thy name is the Fiat Punto Abarth!
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