Fiat Abarth Punto Evo : Detailed Review

Automotive journalists love getting surprised. A nice looking interior, a cool set of wheels, a good sounding engine note and of course a brilliant engine are just a few things that make us fizz. So what happens when these things come together in an unlikely package? Well, the hatchback market in India is about to get a LOT more interesting, and this, the new Abarth Punto Evo is the sole reason!

Ok so first things first. The car we are driving here is probably not the version that we will actually see in production but more of a pre production prototype of sorts. In fact, we think there is a decent number of things Fiat can do to make it better. That said, there are a bucket full of good things about it too. Like the exterior for example. For starters, Fiat seems to have got the styling additions that they have made to the Abarth Punto subtle enough to be appreciated by true petrolheads while being bold enough to be noticed by the mere mortal. We like how not much has actually changed apart from the fact that some of the chrome trim that you get on the normal Punto is now painted in a bright shade of red. Black and red of course is one of the sportiest combinations of all time and the new Abarth Punto really does look the business.

And then you take a closer look and see the Abarth badges on the front and back that have replaced the Fiat ones and of course, the new 16-inch wheels that get a diamond cut finish. You also get a very subtle spoiler and the tell tale T-Jet chrome exhaust trim to go along with the package. What does spoil the overall look of the car is how tall it rides. In fact, drop about an inch or so on the overall ride height and the Abarth Punto would have had the perfect stance.

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Moving over the interior, the same subtle changes continue with a set of black seats. And there is a black dashboard too. No beige business here and thank God for that!! The car we drove had a very subtle yellow and red stitching combination on the comfortable and inviting black cloth seats in honor of the red and yellow Abarth colors. That said, the infotainment system from the regular Punto has been carried on to the Abarth version but we guess the production car will get the touchscreen that is now selectively being offered in some versions of the Linea. In fact, the Punto desperately needs a better infotainment system to compliment the fantastic interior design that all of us have come to love.

Ok so enough with the design bits. Lets get down to business. Lets get down to why you are really reading this review. The Abarth Punto Evo gets 4 cylinder, twin-cam 1.4-litre engine which has a turbo slapped on to it to make things a bit more....ummm......interesting. With 145PS of peak power and 212Nm of peak torque, it is precisely engines like these that shows us what manufacturers like Fiat are really capable of. Being used to driving a regular Punto, a sense of apprehension exists when you first get into the car, all of which instantly disappears when you floor the throttle pedal for the first time. Half a second of turbo lag is followed by a serge of power which instantly triggers some flowery language and jaw bones being found rolling around on the carpets. When you are in a Mini Cooper S, you know it is powerful by association.

Nothing prepares you for this one though. And it is almost as exciting as the latter. Which, is high praise. But yes, there is a hint of turbo lag which can be soon overcome by changing your driving style. And yes, the gearbox is still not up to mark. In fact, the gearbox is possibly the only thing Fiat needs to change, or maybe just the ratios or the shift action to make this car really really potent. And by that we do not mean an automatic!! This car deserves a manual and it would be foolish to even consider changing that. I personally also do not like how tall the actual shifter knob position is and how the throws are just a tad bit rubbery.

With great power comes great responsibility. A responsibility to handle well. And the Punto certainly does the Spiderman phrase justice. Although the ride height is definitely something we would like to see changed, it hasn’t really had a major effect on the suspension setup. The Punto still handles as flat as it always has and showcases the same composure over rough roads. Yes, there is a considerable amount of understeer especially on wet roads, but that is mainly due to the tyres (and the fact that it now has 145PS of power). Fiat has definitely fiddled with the spring stiffness as the Punto does ride slightly stiffer as compared to before. But it isn’t a bad thing and won’t exactly break your back. And of course, you get a set of disc brakes at the rear which gives the Punto enough braking power to stop on a dime.

There is no doubting the fact that the Abarth Punto Evo is a great package. The fact that you get that much power in a hatchback and the fact that it will be an affordable proposition makes it a very very tempting car indeed. If rumors are to be believed, Fiat says the car will be priced at about Rs 10 lakhs making the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI its prime competition. In our opinion, Fiat needs to concentrate on making cars for enthusiasts with engines that are way ahead of its competition and this is exactly what the Abarth Punto Evo is. It might not sell phenomenal numbers, but it will certainly make Fiat extremely desirable once again.