Fiat Grande Punto Abarth (2007) CAR review

Abarth? Am I right in thinking the last time I saw that name it was on a Fiat Stilo?

Wash your mouth out! We don’t talk about that. Abarth has now been launched as a new brand in the Fiat stable, alongside the likes of Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati and Fiat. Fiat has owned Abarth outright since 1971, and the brand is one that can point to decades of racing and tuning heritage. Fiat believes it can be run profitably with marketing and merchandising to back it up. Abarth has recently had a successful presence in motorsport with a rally version of the Grande Punto so the marketing machine kicks into action with some current race DNA to draw on. This is the hot version of the Grande Punto, and will wear no Fiat badge. Instead it sports the yellow and red Abarth shield on its nose adorned with the traditional black scorpion. And it’s not a case of badge-engineering like the Stilo of recent years – there are significant changes under the skin to put the Abarth into contention against the best of the contemporary crop of hot hatches.

What sort of changes?

The hottest petrol version of the Fiat Grande Punto has 120bhp. The Abarth kicks off with a 155bhp version of the same 1.4-litre T-jet engine, and has 152lb ft at 5000 rpm. But in the centre of the dash there’s a button temptingly labelled ‘sport boost’, which liberates an extra 18-lb-ft of torque and makes it accessible lower down the rev range. Suspension is lowered by 10mm over the standard Grande Punto, with stiffer springs added, and 17-inch alloys are bolted on for good measure. Inside the Abarth benefits form bespoke sports seats and some different interior materials over its Fiat-badged twin.