The performance brand will offer three models – the Abarth 595, Abarth Punto and Avventura ‘Powered by Abarth’.

With the launch of the high-performance Abarth 595, Fiat has introduced its performance brand, Abarth, in India. The 595 is the halo car for the performance brand, with two other models slated to be positioned below it as mass-market offerings. The first of the two models to be launch is the Abarth Punto, and the second, the Fiat Avventura ‘Powered by Abarth’.

Founded in 1949 by Carlo Abarth, the Abarth brand was created to build cars as well as modify and improve existing road and race cars. The scorpion badge was derived from Abarth’s zodiac sign – Scorpio. The brand worked on several models for the road and race track before creating the original Abarth 500 way back in 1958 with a 26bhp 479cc engine. The Abarth 595 was born in 1963, by increasing the existing engine capacity of the Abarth 500 to 595cc.

In India, the Abarth 595 is the essentially a more beefed-up version of the Abarth 500. Though looking almost like the standard car save for a different body kit, the 595 has a completely different mechanical set-up. Under the hood is a 158bhp 1.4-litre turbo-petrol motor, developing up to 23.45kgm of torque as per the drive mode, mated to a five-speed AMT gearbox with paddle shifters. The suspension has been lowered and stiffened to add to the car’s racing feel.
Inside, there are race seats up front and an Abarth-badged flat-bottomed steering wheel. The instrument cluster is an all-digital affair while a boost gauge sits atop the dashboard in a separate pod with a shift indicator light incorporated at its centre.

The first of the more mass-market offerings from the brand is the Abarth Punto. Though at a first glance it can be mistaken for the standard Punto Evo 90HP, the car does get mechanical and styling modifications. The biggest change is the engine. The comparatively tame standard engines have been replaced by a 145bhp 1.4-litre T-Jet motor. The suspension has been lowered so that the car sits 20mm closer to the ground, and has also been stiffened. The stopping power has also been enhanced with disc brakes now at the rear as well.

On the styling front, the Fiat badge has been replaced by Abarth badge inside and out, while the wheels too are now ‘scorpion’ styled alloys. Other changes include colour-contrast inserts on the front grille, both bumpers and wing-mirror covers, along with Abarth decals on the outside and the use of sportier steel pedals on the inside, and red and yellow contrast stitching on the all- black interior. The Punto is expected to go on sale sometime around Diwali with prices likely to be under Rs 10 lakh.

The second of the models to be launched is the Fiat Avventura ‘Powered by Abarth’. The Avventura, unlike the Abarth Punto, isn’t a proper Abarth. In the styling department, the car is likely to remain untouched by the performance brand, while mechanically only the 145bhp 1.4-litre T-Jet unit is to be introduced under its hood. The Avventura would also become the first model ever to wear the ‘Powered by Abarth’ badge rather than the iconic scorpion badge itself.

Speaking at the launch of its halo model, Fiat India CEO, Kevin Flynn said that the introduction of the Abarth brand was much needed to spice up the company’s offering in India. He also said that with this performance brand, Fiat was now looking to achieve a four percent market share in the coming years.

Courtesy : Autocar

Production of the Mobilio and Amaze to be cut down to meet increasing demand for the Jazz hatchback

Launched on July 8, Honda’s new Jazz seems to have already struck a chord with customers. The carmaker sold 6,676 units of the Jazz through July, making it the highest-selling car for the company that month.

However, Honda is facing a capacity crunch at both its Tapukara and Greater Noida manufacturing facilities; both units are running two shifts, and have reached full capacity. To match the demand for the new Jazz, the carmaker has begun juggling production at these plants.

A few months ago, sister publication Autocar Professional, had reported on the likelihood of the Brio hatchback or the Mobilio MPV’s production being brought down to bump up the Jazz's production. It is now believed that the carmaker has already brought down production of the Mobilio by 5-10 percent, at Tapukara, to make space for the Jazz. Though the MPV is produced at the Greater Noida plant, any cut in its volumes is adjusted against the Amaze sedan which is manufactured at both these facilities. Thus, production numbers of the Amaze are spiked up at Greater Noida and juggled at Tapukara to make way for the new Jazz. This is also one of the factors that has affected the sales of the Amaze — down in July to 4,589 units from the 6,834 units in June.

The new Jazz currently has a waiting period of 1-2 months and Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice President – Marketing and Sales, told Autocar Professional that the sales for the petrol variant stand at 60 percent, with diesels contributing to the rest. The CVT edition of the Jazz has raked in sales of 25 percent.

Courtesy : Autocar

Fiat will officially launch its performance brand Abarth today and the first car from its stables will be the 595 Competizione

Fiat India is all set to sting India with its high performance Abarth brand as the company readies the launch of its first product from the Abarth stable, the 595 Competizione. The 595 Competizione will take on the Mini Cooper S is the premium hot  Hatchback  segment.

Based on the cute Fiat 500 hatchback, the 595 Competizione comes with an equal doze of adrenaline and aggression to transform the 500 into a hot hatchback. Powering the 595 Competizione is a 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine (Fiat’s famed T-Jet) but tweaked to produce a healthy dose of power and torque – 160PS and 230Nm to be precise. The Abarth 595 Competizione will come mated to a 5-speed AMT gearbox with steering mounted paddle shifters. The 595 comes with two driving modes – Drive (D) and Sport (S), for regular and enthusiastic driving respectively.

While the power and torque figures aren’t high up to hot hatch standards, the 595 if a light car at just 1045 kg. It’s also just a shade over 3.6 metres long and 1.6 metres wide and so it does the 0-100kmph sprint in just 7.6 seconds and hits a top speed of 209kmph. 

The Abarth 595 gets sportier bumpers, stronger brakes, stiffer suspension, the likes over a stock 500. Sporty side skirts and 17 inch Abarth wheels make the 595 a lot more menacing than its little brother. With a roof spoiler and 595 Competizione badges, there is no mistaking it from the donor car. On the Replica Watches UK Sale,Cheap Quality Replica Watches Shop features front, the 595 gets air conditioning, and an entertainment system but no LCD touchscreen or satellite navigation. It however comes with a cool boost gauge. 

Expect Fiat to price the Abarth 595 Competizione in the Rs 25-30 lakh bracket, ex-showroom Delhi.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

Chevrolet will ride in the next generation of the Beat hatchback in 2017. The new Chevrolet Beat will get cosmetic and mechanical updates.

Chevrolet Indian announced that it will roll out the next generation of the Beat hatchback in our market in first half of 2017. The Chevrolet Beat is among the most important cars for the American manufacturer as it is among its few successful products in India. The 2017 Chevrolet Beat will undergo a cosmetic and mechanical transformation and will not be a mere facelift. It was earlier reported that the new Chevrolet Beat will be based on the M2 platform as seen on the 2016 Chevrolet Spark that was launched in the overseas markets. But the American carmaker denied this as manufacturing the 2017 Chevrolet Beat on the M2 platform was escalating costs. Given the fact that India is a price sensitive market, Chevrolet will develop the upcoming Hatchback on the current Beat’s M300 platform.

The styling of the 2017 Chevrolet Beat will be heavily based on the new Spark. It will be the same on the interiors front as well. Expect the upcoming Chevrolet Beat to have feature packed and more premium interiors in comparison to the current car. The new Chevrolet Spark sports a 1.4-litre displacement all-aluminium engine. But for the Indian market it will be downsized to 1.0-litre, three-cylinder motor. The 2017 Chevrolet Beat will be offered with a diesel heart as well. It will be powered by the same 1.0-litre mill as seen on the current car but will be tweaked for more power, refinement and better fuel efficiency. Chevrolet’s parent company General Motors is betting beg on Indian market and for that purpose will be investing billions of dollars at its new facility in Maharashtra. As Chevrolet plans to make India the manufacturing hub for its small cars expect percentage of localisation to rise up and the 2017 Chevrolet Beat would be aggressively priced owing to this fact.

Courtesy : Zigwheels.

The all-electric Youxia Ranger X draws inspiration from the Tesla Model S; powered by an electric motor producing 352bhp.

Chinese automaker Youxia has revealed its all-electric car, the Ranger X. The car draws inspiration from the Tesla Model S in terms of design, while certain aspects of the car seem to heavily inspired by the TV series, Knight Rider.

From the original car, the Tesla Model S, the Ranger X borrows the front grille design and body shape. The front grille of the car houses a LCD display capable of recreating the oscillating LED lights like the ones seen on the Knight Rider TV show.

Inside, the Ranger X has a large centrally mounted touchscreen unit like in the Model S, and also cheap iwc replica watches
gets sound symposers to make it sound like a regular petrol car. The central touchscreen uses an Android-based operating system that the company calls Kitt, another aspect drawn from the TV series.

The Ranger X is powered by a 352bhp electric motor and the manufacturer claims that the car can achieve a 0-100kph sprint in 5.6 seconds. The manufacturer also claims a range of 460km on a single charge on the top-spec model.

Youxia also claims that the omega seamaster replica watches car features technology found under the skin of the BMW i3 and Tesla Model S.

Courtesy : Autocar.