Abarth showrooms to be a part of the Fiat dealerships -EXCLUSIVE

Fiat will be introducing the Abarth 500 and the performance versions of the Punto Evo and the Avventura. The company will have a separate section in the existing dealerships for the Abarth brand. Fiat will be commencing to make these changes in their metro cities dealerships first and it will made across the range of dealerships beginning mostly with one Abarth section for the city. The Abarth range might be coming to India by the CKD route, as Fiat has increased the strengthen at the Ranjangaon plant not just for development but our sources state even for hiring.

FCA has been injecting a lot of investment in their existing plants to manufacture more new products and the Indian plant will also be of key importance for FCA.

However, there is no clarity if these two will be rebadged as Abarth or will be Fiats. The Punto Evo and Avventura will be powered by a 1.4-litre T-JET engine that will produce 135CV (133bhp) of power and will come mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The Punto Evo and the Avventura might come in as 105bhp with the Fiat badge too and enhance the existing product range. Though there is no clarity on if there will be a 105bhp Punto as well.

Abarth and Fiat have been testing the Punto Evo and Avventura mostly in Italy, however when will they be launched? There is no fixed timeline for that at the moment.

Fiat will introduce the Jeep brand separately as a new identity and they will commence with a handful of dealerships till the end of 2016.

Read our detailed story on the Jeep dealerships in India.