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.

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Fiat’s official tuning brand, Abarth, has dropped the lid on its latest creation based on the 500C ahead of the convertible’s world premiere at next week’s Geneva Motor Show. Like its tin-topped counterpart, the Abarth 500C benefits from a more powerful turbocharged engine as well as chassis upgrades and a full suite of aero tweaks to reduce drag and improve high-speed stability over the standard Fiat 500C.

Motivation comes from a 1.4-liter turbocharged T-Jet engine delivering 140 horsepower and 206Nm of peak torque at 2,000 rpm. Power is transferred to the front wheels through a standard six-speed automated manual gearbox with paddle shifters.

The Abarth-ized 500C can sprint from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 8.1 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 205km/h or 127mph, while returning an average fuel consumption in the combined cycle of 6.5lt/100km, or the U.S. equal of 36.2mpg.

The Italian company said that it is also working on a more powerful “Esseesse” model that will be available later this year.

Aside from the turbocharged engine, the firm’s engineers have also tweaked the rag-top mini’s suspension and brake components.

The “Scorpion treatment” adds a full body kit with beefed up front and rear bumpers, side skirts, a roof spoiler and a rear diffuser that integrates the twin tail pipes. The Abarth 500C rides on newly styled 17-inch alloy wheels.

The vehicle’s electrically operated rollover canvas top comes in a choice of two colours (black or titanium grey), while Abarth also created three special two-tone color schemes, one in black and race white and the other in two different shades of grey.

As for the interior, the sporty 500C’s features include a thick-rimmed sports steering wheel, unique decorative trim, a pair of body-hugging front sport seats and a modified instrument panel.

The Abarth 500C will reach European dealerships later this year with North American sales scheduled to start sometime in 2012.

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Busting the myth that more power equals higher fuel consumption, Fiat announced today that it is replacing the 500 mini’s 75HP Multijet diesel unit with a more potent yet much more fuel efficient 1.3-liter Multijet II engine that incorporates Start&Stop technology and a DPF particulate filter.

The new diesel unit that features a novel variable geometry turbocharger produces an output of 95 horsepower (+20HP) at 4,000rpm and 200Nm or 148 lb-ft of torque at only 1,500rpm.

The result is a significant improvement in the car’s performance as top speed is increased from 165km/h or 103mph to 181km/h or 112mph while the 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration time is reduced from 12.5 to just 10.7 seconds.

At the same time, fuel consumption is improved from 67.3mpg UK (equal to 4.2lt/100km and 56.1mpg US) to 72.4mpg UK (3.9 lt/100km or 60.2mpg) in the combined European cycle, while emissions drop from 110g/km to 104g/km of CO2.

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What better place to introduce a new set of duds than at a fashion show? Fiat chose the “Bread & Butter” youth fashion show in Berlin to debut a new color for its Fiat 500 by Diesel. The limited edition Diesel has been available in black and green up until now, with 6,000 of the planned 10,000 units already sold. Those still in the market for a 500 by Diesel can now choose to have their Cinquecento slathered in the newly available “Midnight Indigo” blue, which was specially chosen because it “recalls the denim used to make jeans,” according to Fiat.

Now, a new body color usually isn’t enough to warrant a whole post, even a sharp-looking dark denim blue. No, Fiat has more to offer in this update than just the cool new hue. Underhood they’ve stuffed their latest Euro 5 compliant 1.3-liter Multijet II engine. The second-generation turbodiesel features the company’s Start&Stop system and is good for 95 horsepower.

What better place to introduce a new set of duds than at a fashion show? Fiat chose the “Bread & Butter” youth fashion show in Berlin to debut a new color for its Fiat 500 by DieselThe Indigo version also gets the same upgrades as its predecessors – 16″ alloy wheels, a faux rear air intake, satin chrome trim, and yellow brake calipers on the 1.4-liter, 100 horsepower version. Inside you’ll find a dark denim fabric with yellow stitching that features the signature Diesel fifth pocket, the famous Mohican head on the shift knob and more satin chrome highlights. The full press release can be found after the jump and there’s a pair of big images available in the gallery below.

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As you’ve probably already guessed by the title of this post, neither Fiat nor Chrysler published any details on the Fiat 500 BEV concept model that was showcased alongside the 500 Abarth at the American automaker’s Detroit Motor Show stand. Nothing new here as we’re in the dark about the “Chrysler Delta” also.

The car’s name stands for Battery-Electric Vehicle and from what we’ve heard, it’s pure study as Fiat has no plans to introduce a production version of the concept – at least not in this form.

To make a short story longer, the 500 BEV features a similar bodykit to the Abarth model minus the tail pipes at the rear as well as new alloy wheels.

Inside, the concept model gets sumptuous leather seats finished in red and a sport steering wheel accented by red stitching while the traditional gear lever has been replaced with push-button controls.

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