Stellantis, the current owner of Fiat and its performance arm Abarth, is now looking at making the Abarth brand more mainstream. It has announced that Abarth will now be treated as any other brand within the group, but will stay under Fiat, and that it will get dedicated dealerships and gradually expand in its current markets.

While the Fiat and Abarth brands are non-existent in India, they are still quite popular in markets like South America. The Italian carmaker has now introduced its first performance SUV, the Fiat Pulse Abarth, in South America. We tell you more about it.

• Pulse Abarth is the brand’s first performance SUV
• Expected to deliver more than 185hp
• Gets traditional Abarth-themed decals and exterior upgrades

Fiat Pulse Abarth: what’s new?

While the Fiat Pulse SUV has been on sale in markets like Brazil for some time, the performance-oriented version is its first Abarth-branded SUV. Fiat has released the first set of pictures, but the full list of mechanical upgrades for the Pulse Abarth are yet to be released.

As far as styling tweaks go, the Pulse Abarth gets 18-inch alloy wheels, unique front and rear bumpers, and Abarth badges and livery instead of conventional Fiat logos. The Pulse Abarth’s power output hasn’t been disclosed, however, we expect its 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine to churn out more than 185hp, which is currently available in the standard version.

Fiat Abarth brand: the India connection

The Fiat brand has had a long history in the country, and thanks to the now-discontinued Abarth Punto, the Abarth brand still has a cult following in India. While parent Stellantis is present here, there are no plans as of now to bring Fiat or Abarth back to India. Stellantis is currently focusing on Jeep and Citroen in India, with both brands set to introduce new products this year.

Should Fiat bring the Pulse Abarth SUV to India? Let us know in the comments section.