Abarth Punto Evo hits the street in 180-hp EsseEsse trim

Abarth Punto Evo EsseEsse

With the 500 getting the lion's share of the attention, it'd be all too easy to forget about the Punto. But Fiat offers more than one model, and so does its tuning division, Abarth.

The Grande Punto has been around since 2005, and was updated in 2009 as the Punto Evo, something of a stopgap until its eventual replacement comes along. Abarth offers its own version of the Punto Evo for those who find the 500 either too small or too cutesy, and has now rolled out an even more powerful version of the Italian performance hatch.

Instead of the 165-horsepower turbo four in the existing Abarth Punto Evo, the EsseEsse version gets a more promising 180, thanks to revised ECU programming and bigger turbocharger. The brakes are also upgraded, as are the springs, dampers and wheel/tire package. The result is a 7.5-second sprint to 62 and a 134 mph top end.

Best of all, the modifications in the EsseEsse kit can be ordered and installed from the dealership up to a year after the car was purchased. Although the model was unveiled nearly a year ago in Paris, it's only just hitting the market. Read more about it in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Abarth Punto Evo EsseEsse

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