Paris Preshow: Abarth Unveils 160HP 500C "esseesse" and 180HP Punto Evo "essesse"

Fiat's Abarth division is expanding its range with the launch of the esseesse tuning kits for the new Abarth 500C (convertible) and Abarth Punto Evo models at this month's Paris Auto Show. While Abarth is withholding most details on the "esseesse" packages that are designed improve the cars' performance, handling and styling, the Italian company did release info on the power upgrades.

With this kit, the scorpion-branded 500 convertible's 1.4-liter turbocharged engine delivers 160HP and a peak torque of 230Nm (170 lb-ft), up from the standard car's 140HP and 206Nm.

Acceleration from 0-100 km/h (62mph) drops from 8.1 seconds to 7.5 seconds, while top speed increases from 205km/h to 209km/h (130mph).

Output in the tuned Punto Evo "esseesse" is increased from 165HP and 250Nm to 180HP and 270Nm (184 lb-ft) at 3000 rpm. As a result, the 0-100km/h sprint is reduced from 7.9 seconds to 7.5 seconds, and top speed goes up to 216km/h (134mph).

The 'essesse' package also includes a set of 17-inch alloys with 5 diamond shaped spokes against an anthracite background for the Abarth 500C, and 18-inch alloys in a special titanium-coloured design for the Abarth Punto Evo.

Full details will be released at the presentation of the cars in Paris.

Abarth 500C "esseesse"

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Abarth Punto Evo "esseesse"

READ MORE - Paris Preshow: Abarth Unveils 160HP 500C "esseesse" and 180HP Punto Evo "essesse"

Fiat UK Prices New Abarth 500C 140HP and Punto Evo 165HP

The new Abarth 500C will cost from £17,500 OTR and the Abarth Punto Evo from £16,500 OTR, Fiat's UK arm announced. Both models will make their UK public debuts at this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed, before going on sale in Britain from Saturday 17 July.

The semi-convertible Abarth 500C is motivated by a 140HP 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which provides a top speed of 127mph and a 0-62mph (100km/h) time of 8.1 seconds, while returning 43mpg UK on the combined cycle.

The feisty city car is equipped with seven airbags, xenon headlights, TTC (torque transfer control), parking sensors, Blue&Me hands-free telecommunications system, leather steering wheel and 16-inch alloy wheels plus a six-speed automated manual gearbox with paddle shifters, as standard.

The facelifted Abarth Punto Evo is powered by a 165bhp 1.4-liter Turbo, which can accelerate the car from 0-62mph (100km/h) in 7.9 seconds, and on to a top speed of 132mph, while delivering more than 47mpg UK on the combined cycle.

Standard equipment includes six airbags, TTC, Eco Gear Shift Indicator (EGSI), performance sport switch, Start&Stop tech, 17-inch alloy wheels and Blue&Me hands-free telecommunications system.

READ MORE - Fiat UK Prices New Abarth 500C 140HP and Punto Evo 165HP

Geneva Preview: New Abarth Punto EVO Packs 165HP 1.4-liter Turbo Engine

A few months after the premiere of the (facelifted) Punto EVO, and Abarth has announced that it has prepared its own version of the three-door supermini packing a 1.4 liter turbocharged Multiair four-banger that will debut alongside the souped-up 500C that we told you about earlier today at next week's Geneva Motor Show.

Fiat's performance division has sourced a larger turbocharger from Garrett in order to lift output to 165-horsepower and 250Nm of torque (at 2,250 RPM). 100 km/h rolls by you in 7.9 seconds, meaning there's got to be more than just a power boost to make this worthy of the Abarth name. And there is.

In the handling department, the Abarth provides a beefed up suspension consisting of McPherson struts up front and a torsion-bar-eqipped "semi-independent" rear suspension out back. Combined with a new, bigger anti-roll bar and 20% stiffer springs, the Abarth should make a standard Punto EVO feel like a boat - or so to say.

Aerodynamics have improved over the outgoing model and more than couple of beauty enhancements have also been made.

Abarth's Punto EVO has changed thus: a wider front bumper, realigned air inlets/outlets, redesigned rear bumper (featuring a carryover diffuser with new details and reorganized reverse/fog lights), color-matched side-skirts and new rear spoiler, different satin finish on the exhaust tips, new 17-inch wheels, and a fresh set of graphics. All that, and they've gone back to the old badge (shield versus circle).

Inside, drivers have access to optional Sabelt racing buckets and a new vehicle dynamics system that allows them to control braking/steering/engine characteristics with a 2-mode lever (Sport and Normal) housed on the center tunnel. The selected driving mode appears on the dashboard, while a shift light (Gear Shift Indicator, or GSI) resides in the Jaeger-filled instrument panel.

Other features to be found on Abarth's latest hot-hatch include Start&Stop technology and Torque Transfer Control (TTC), which provides a locking differential that is automatically activated in sport mode.

While output has gone up, so has fuel economy and green-ness with the hot hatch returning a combined 6.0 lt / 100km (39.2 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 142g / km.

Now the real good news (as if no one saw it coming): an SS kit which pushes the envelope even further.

The SS features lowering springs and 18-inch wheels in white or titanium, while output is cranked up to 180-horsepower and the brakes are beefed up with new pads and vented discs. Oh, and the air filter is tagged with the phrase "Powered by BMC". Details, details.

-By Phil Alex

READ MORE - Geneva Preview: New Abarth Punto EVO Packs 165HP 1.4-liter Turbo Engine

Abarth 500 Convertible and Abarth Punto EVO Rumored to Debut in Geneva

Rumors of the pending arrival of the Abarth branded Fiat 500C and Punto Evo have been circulating for months, but Italian car magazine Quattroruote is certain now that both models will have their official world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in about two weeks time from today.

There's nothing official about the two cars (the above photo is a Carscoop photoshop) but we expect to see Abarth's version of the 500 Convertible featuring the same bodykit and mechanical upgrades - including the 1.4-liter turbocharged petrol engine and sportier suspension setup, as its tin-top sibling.

As for the Abarth Punto Evo, aside from the new sheetmetal and interior upgrades of the facelifted model, it is believed that it will benefit from the Fiat Group's new and more powerful, 1.4-liter MultiAir turbo engine with 170 horsepower that recently premiered on the Alfa Romeo MiTo QV (click here for details).

Via: Quattrorouote

READ MORE - Abarth 500 Convertible and Abarth Punto EVO Rumored to Debut in Geneva

Fiat Announces UK Pricing for New Punto EVO

The facelifted Grande Punto, which has been renamed to Punto EVO, will begin arriving in Fiat's 170-strong UK dealer network in January 2010 with prices ranging from £10,995 for the base 1.4 8v Active to £15,295 the highly specified Eleganza 1.3 Multijet, the automaker announced today.

The Punto EVO will be available with a choice of four Euro 5 engines, all fitted with Start&Stop as standard, and five different trim levels – Active, Dynamic, GP, Eleganza and Sporting.

The engine range includes two petrols, a 1.4-liter with 105HP and a 1.4-liter Multiair unit with 135HP, plus two 1.3 MultiJet diesels with 75HP and 95HP.

The entry-level Active model includes ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD, driver, passenger and knee airbags, radio/CD/MP3 player, power steering, electric mirrors and Blue&Me infotainment.

The Dynamic trim level adds side and window airbags, leather steering wheel and air conditioning, while the Eleganza models get alloy wheels, cruise control and rear parking sensors as standard. The GP specification includes rear spoiler, dark tinted headlights and foglights, while the Sportingf features sports seats, cruise control, side skirts, air conditioning, sports suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels as standard.

READ MORE - Fiat Announces UK Pricing for New Punto EVO

New VW Golf and Ford Fiesta Lead European Market in 3Q of 2009, Defy Crisis with Increased Sales

Helped by their popularity in national scrappage schemes, the latest generation VW Golf and Ford Fiesta models are leading the way in the European sales chart boasting a 21.3% and 40.2% increase in sales respectively in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2008, according to data released by Jato Dynamics.

The Golf VI, which is the market leader, recorded sales of 59,552 units in September representing a 56% increase over the 2008. VW's Polo and Passat models didn't fare as well in the month and are down YtD (Year to Date - January to September) by 3.3% and 15.8% respectively.

Ford's new Fiesta that will soon be available in the States found 51,291 new owners in September, 63.9% more than a year ago and over 12,000 more new registrations than the third-placed Opel/ Vauxhall Corsa that was up 17.1% in September but down 6.8% YtD.

Fiat's best selling models, the Punto supermini and the Panda mini enjoyed another jaunty sales period, with both cars featured in the top ten list. The Punto recording a 66.2% rise in sales for the month (+10.1% YtD) while the Panda was up by 14.4% in September (+30.6% YtD).

Finally, Renault's new Megane rounded off the top ten list in September with a whopping 90.4% increase in sales over the same month last year (+29.0% YtD).

As for brand performance, Volkswagen continues to hold on to first place with 1,241,755 sales YtD (+3.7%). In September, the German automaker sold 155,770 new cars in Europe which represents a significant increase of 16.3%.

In second place we find Ford that saw a healthy 3.7% YtD sales rise (+18.0% in September). The only other car manufacturer in the top ten list to record an increase in YtD sales is Fiat (+2.5%).

Overall, the European car market was up 7.5 per cent in September (1,379,610 units sold) compared to last year (1,283,537 units), but 5.7 per cent down in YtD sales ( 10,857,605 vs 11,517,910 cars )

Data: Jato Dynamics

READ MORE - New VW Golf and Ford Fiesta Lead European Market in 3Q of 2009, Defy Crisis with Increased Sales

VIDEO: 2010 Fiat Punto EVO Presentation Aboard the Decks of Italy's Newest Aircraft Carrier

Unveiled in a world premiere at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, the 2010 Punto Evo replaces the Grande Punto in Fiat's European passenger car range. Despite the name change, the differences between the two models are limited to a new nose job, some minor cosmetic tweaks at the back, a restyled dashboard and the introduction of two new powerplants to the lineup. The Punto EVO is scheduled to go on sale in mid October. Hit the jump to watch the videos that include footage from the presentation of the car on the decks of Italy's newest aircraft carrier, Cavour, in La Spezia, Italy.

READ MORE - VIDEO: 2010 Fiat Punto EVO Presentation Aboard the Decks of Italy's Newest Aircraft Carrier

New Fiat Punto EVO: Mega Gallery with 60 High-Res Photos

In typical Fiat fashion, the Italian automaker took its time to release a full gallery of its cosmetically refreshed and mechanically updated Grande Punto that has been renamed to Punto EVO for the 2010 model year. Unveiled for the first time at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show, the Italian supermini gets newly styled bumpers and lights at the front and the rear while a redesigned three-piece grille and new alloy wheel designs complete the exterior updates.

Meanwhile, the cabin receives a comprehensive makeover with a redesigned dashboard that features a new instrument cluster and center console plus new seats and fabric options.

Beneath the skin, the Punto Evo features a wide range of Euro 5 engines, including a second-generation 1.3 MultiJet diesel that offers an improvement of around 2 percent in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and a new 1.4 MultiAir gasoline unit that utilize electrohydraulic valve management to reduce fuel consumption by controlling air directly through the inlet valves without using the throttle.

Fiat claims that the 1.4-liter's MutliAir system cuts emissions by 10 percent while delivering 10 percent more power and 15 percent more torque than the regular 1.4L engine/

The revamped supermini also gains a new Blue&Me-TomTom infotainment system. European sales of the Punto EVO will begin in the second half of October.

READ MORE - New Fiat Punto EVO: Mega Gallery with 60 High-Res Photos