Geneva motor show - Fiat

The Fiat with a sting in its tail
Abarth, see? You know - Fiat's hot scorpion-badged brand with a great deal of racing heritage behind it?

Fiat hasn't really made much of the brand recently, but that all has changed at Geneva where it has unveiled this rather tasty-looking Grande Punto Abarth.

It's on sale from later this year and will be available with a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol in two states of tune. Pick a 155bhp version to rival the Ford Fiesta ST, or opt for the 180bhp car if you want to tackle faster cars such as the Peugeot 207 GTi and Vauxhall Corsa VXR - both of which are also on show for the first time at Geneva this year.

The Abarth badging even replaces the Fiat badges at the front and rear of the car - part of a push to establish it as a brand in its own right.

And more…
The 207 GTi, Corsa VXR and Renault Clio Renaultsport all offer more than the most powerful of the Abarth cars, but Fiat could have the answer.

It has let slip to us that a faster model with more than 200bhp is in the pipeline. It's been nicknamed the Puntograle - after the Lancia Delta Integrale - and will probably need four-wheel-drive to keep itself stable.

Anything else?
Well, we've seen and driven the new Bravo small family car, but Geneva is the first time that Fiat's new Ford Focus rival has been on show.

Oh, there's also a limited-edition Panda Monster - the latest in a line of design tie-ins that Fiat has done with various companies, from kitchen appliance designers such as Alessi to, in this case, motorbike manufacturer Ducati.