Spied: Fiat Punto Evo with a reported 135PS 1.4-litre T-Jet engine in India
For a nation starved of performance hatchbacks, the new Fiat Punto Evo T-Jet might just serve as the satiator.
The 1.4-litre mill in this iteration of the Punto will reportedly produce 135PS. The car when launched will be considerably more powerful than the 105PS, Volkswagen Polo TSI. The power output is also higher than that in the Fiat Linea T-Jet sedan. Reports claim that Fiat have adopted a different turbocharger for the engine in the Punto hatchback. Fiat had announced that it will launch the Abarth brand in India this year and it is likely that the Punto Evo T-Jet may sport that badge.
Visually, the car in these images resembles the current Fiat Punto Evo, save for the new set of alloys. It is likely that the company may style the production car in a different guise.
The Fiat Punto Evo was always lauded as a car with good ride and handling characteristics, and as of now, there are no reports of Fiat having tuned the setup for an even sharper handling. Since this is a test vehicle, we hope that the Italian company goes the whole hog to truly bestow the car with the handling to match the potential of the T-Jet engine.
Fiat India is expected to launch the car by the 2015 festive season, around September. Watch this space for more on the Fiat Punto Evo T-Jet.
Source: Team Fiat