Fiat has brought in the first Abarth badged performance SUV – It is based on Pulse compact SUV
Stellantis JV owns brands like Opel, Jeep, Maserati, Fiat, Citroen, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot etc. The company was formed in 2021 after an interesting 50-50 merger of the French PSA Group and the Italian American Fiat Chrysler corporation. Now, the group plans to bring in additional focus on the Abarth brand, which happens to be the performance-oriented sub brand of Fiat.
Stellantis has announced that going ahead, Abarth will be treated like any other brand within the group and it will no longer be treated as a sub-brand. However, Fiat will continue to be the mother brand for Abarth. As a first step, the group has now brought in its first performance SUV under the Abarth brand.
2023 Fiat Abarth SUV Debuts
The new model happens to be the Fiat Pulse Abarth, which has been planned for South American markets. It must be noted that the Fiat Pulse SUV is already on sale in select countries in the region.
The Abarth badged versions will undoubtedly be more performance oriented and will certainly command a premium on the pricing front as well. As of now, Fiat and Abarth have only released photos of the Pulse Abarth, technical specs of the model haven’t been revealed as of now.
What we know for sure is that the model gets cosmetic updates like typical Abarth badges, new livery, updated front and rear bumpers, re-designed 18-inch alloy wheels and much more. While power output figures aren’t out yet, reports suggest that the 1.3 litre turbo petrol motor will be tuned to dish out more than 185hp. More details are expected to be released closer to the final model launch.
Stellantis’ Future Plans
Talking about the Abarth brand, Stellantis plans to bring in dedicated dealerships for Abarth, especially in markets in which it already operates. Most enthusiasts in India would remember Abarth due to the Punto Abarth, which was launched towards the fag-end of Fiat’s Indian stint.
Fiat had also brought in the Fiat 500 Abarth 595 Competizione, however the car couldn’t create the buzz it was expected to. While Fiat and Abarth, both have left the Indian market, their parent company, Stellantis still operates 2 major brands in the country. These include Jeep and Citroen, both of which have developed their own niche segments and clientele.
Jeep’s major number churner in the Indian market happens to be the Compass which has established a unique position for itself in the highly cluttered midsize SUV segment. The company is currently getting ready to bring in the Meridian, which is touted as a 7-seater version of the Compass, however with some additional features and differences.
Citroen currently sells the C5 Aircross, which has been positioned in the premium-end of the pricing spectrum. The next launch from Citroen, the C3 hatchback will however be a more mass-market model which shall help Citroen build some volumes in the country.