Increased Output and Torque for a Sportier Drive

Esse esse is the Italian rendering of the initials SS, meaning "Super Sport." This is a traditional designation that was once available for Fiat vehicles, with its roots tracing back to a kit developed by Abarth in 1958 to easily enhance a car's performance. At the time, Fiat cars equipped with this kit achieved success and gained renown in various motorsports.

This esse esse kit was revived in July 2008 for the Grande Punto and in October of the same year for the Abarth 500. At the Paris Motor Show, it will be unveiled further evolved for the Punto Evo and Abarth 500C.

FIAT Abarth 500C

Regarding performance, the Abarth 500C's 1.4-liter inline-4 turbo engine is enhanced with a dedicated computer, exhaust, and air filter, resulting in a maximum output of 160ps—a 25ps increase over the standard model—and a maximum torque of 23.5kgm, a 2.5kgm boost. This improves the 0-100km/h acceleration from 8.1 seconds to 7.6 seconds and increases the top speed from 205km/h to 209km/h.

Similarly, the Abarth Punto Evo receives comparable equipment, achieving a maximum output of 180ps—a 15ps increase over the standard—and a maximum torque of 27.5kgm, a 2kgm rise. This reduces the 0-100km/h acceleration by 0.4 seconds to 7.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 216km/h.

At the Paris Motor Show, opening on the 30th, these two esse esse models are sure to be the center of attention at the Abarth booth.