Fiat Grande Punto Abarth

Our verdict

A proper revival of the Abarth legend at long last, after Fiat had been underplaying it for years with warm-ish hatches. The Fiat Punto Abarth looks the part and goes like stink, something we haven’t said of a Fiat for quite some time.

Comfort

The Punto is firm, but not to the point where it becomes a problem. This is a proper hot hatch, with the inevitable compromises that brings, but ultimately there's nothing here you can't easily live with.

Performance

The Punto Abarth gets a 155bhp version of the standard 1.4-litre petrol engine. Performance stats aren't anything to write home about, but they're not what make the Abarth special. Hairpin, handbrake, repeat until broken.

Cool

The Punto is strangely cool, the Abarth sightly less so on the grounds that no car with ‘sporty' decals is cooler than one without. It'll make you look like a hormonal teenager, ripe for a spot of stop and search.

Quality

You'd hardly dare expect it, but the Punto seems oddly sturdy. For an Italian hatch this is nothing short of miraculous. Another string to what's become a surprisingly tempting bow.

Handling

Steering could be a touch more direct and communicative, but the Abarth makes the best of the standard Punto's fantastic chassis and improves upon it with a firmer, more composed ride.

Practicality

The B-segment is full of cars that aren't quite as big in the back or boot as you'd really like them to be, the worst offender being the Mini. The Punto lays waste to all before it in that respect, earning its ‘Grande' moniker with ease.

Running costs

Naturally the Abarth is going to be more expensive to run than a more modestly powered Punto, but it's still no deal breaker. Economy should stick at a healthy 40mpg, insurance won't be a killer and with a list price in the region of £13k it's a bit of a steal.