Inside & Out: 8/10

We have been running a Fiat Punto Evo on CompleteCar.ie for several months now, but it was overshadowed by the arrival of its steroid-fuelled older brother. The Abarth Punto Evo is a successor to the Abarth Grande Punto and this time around there is a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine with MultiAir variable valve timing. And it looks superb.

The new Punto Evo is a prettier car than the Grande Punto anyway and adding the Abarth racing overalls has just improved this. It isn't subtle though: our test car was white with Abarth badging, red stripes and massive dark alloy wheels.

Inside, there are superb figure-hugging seats, a chunky steering wheel and a Sport switch (that sharpens up the car's throttle and steering responses and activates Torque Transfer Control (TTC) - which works like a limited slip differential). There is no Fiat badging on this car, because, well it is an Abarth. When there is an Irish dealer appointed in summer next year, the cars will be treated separately.

Engine & Transmission: 8/10

Under the bonnet is the excellent 1.4-litre MultiAir engine, which we are familiar with from our long-term Evo. Turbo boost has been increased so peak power is now 165hp. Although this seems reasonably mild compared to the almost habitual 200hp we find in hot hatches these days, you have to remember that this is quite a light car so the power does go a long way. The 0-100km/h sprint takes less than eight seconds. The delivery feels a little more refined than in the previous incarnation of the car and the power gets to the road better too. There is a palpable jolt when you switch the 'manettino' to sport mode.

However this Abarth is thankfully well bred and while poor weather conditions prevented us from exploring this car's true capabilities it was certainly playful and perky. What is really impressive is that this car also features stop-start technology and is only two grams short of being in Band B.

Ride & Handling: 7/10

As you would expect the ride is a little on the firm side so it can be a little bone-shaking in and around the city, but you'll welcome this out on the twisty stuff where the Abarth feels really well planted. The Punto has never really been known for its steering 'feel' but this isn't an issue here with plenty of feedback through the chunky steering wheel.

This car does feel its most at home on a smooth back road, there is no doubt about that, but it is not so hard edged that you can't or wouldn't want to live with it everyday. You so want to be mischievous in it though: hence the official fuel economy figures are unlikely to ever materialise.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money: 7/10

This car is not yet officially on sale in Ireland, but Fiat tells us that it would cost around €25,000 - and up to €31,000 or so with all the optional extras that were fitted to our car. These included leather upholstery, satellite navigation and some other adornments.

Rivals to this car are thin enough on the ground, but you don't need to look too far to find one because the Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf comes with 170hp and falls into motor tax Band B. That is also €23,995 so it would probably make a better buy than the Abarth. You could also have something like an Audi A1 1.4-litre Sport with just 122hp, but really nice build quality, for €23,950.

CompleteCar Index: 7/10

I did like this car, because it is a really honest-to-goodness warm-to-hot hatch and it definitely has a sense of occasion to it. It would need to be better value though to make any impact and even within the brand's own family I'd be inclined to choose the MiTo Cloverleaf instead - not because it is necessarily a better car, but it is probably a nicer package overall. However you must remember that this is a privately imported car, so when Abarth becomes better established the pricing structure could change. 

Abarth Punto Evo:

• Engine: 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol
• Maximum power: 165hp at 5,500rpm
• Maximum torque: 249Nm at 2,250rpm
• Acceleration (0-100km/h): 7.9 seconds
• Maximum speed: 214km/h
• Fuel economy (combined cycle): 5.9 litres/100km (37.2mpg)
• CO₂ emissions: 142g/km
• Motor tax band: C
• Annual road tax: €302
• Retail price: Official price of test car without options is €25,000