Fiat unveils Abarth 595, to be launched next month in India

Italian car maker Fiat is set to launch the Abarth 595 Competizione in the Indian market in January. The hatchback, which is now much more sportier, than the earlier Fiat 500 that was launched in India a few years ago, was showcased at the Autocar Performance show on Thursday.

Abarth, the performance brand of Fiat, is powered by a 1.4-litre T-Jet engine producing 160Ps of power at 5,500 RPM. Its 201nM of torque can be further enhanced to 230nM via shifting to the sports mode. For now, the Abarth 595 will only be available with an automatic-manual transmission.

The car will be imported into India as a completely built unit and will be priced in the ₹ 25-30 lakh range, according to a company spokesperson. Exact prices will be revealed at the time of the launch, which will be in a month's time, he said.

The Abarth 595 will be fourth product launched by Fiat this year after Linea sedan in March, followed by the Punto Evo hatchback in August and the Avventura crossover launched in October.

The Abart 595 will compete with German luxury car maker BMW's Mini Cooper. The three-door and five-door Mini was launched in India last month, priced in the ₹ 31.85-35.20 lakh range.