The Koni FSD technology uses a revolutionary new technique to combine the benefits of firm and comfortable suspension in a single perfect shock absorber: firm for sporty driving on even road surfaces, comfortable for a smooth ride on uneven road surfaces.

This new feature is an integrated part of the hydraulic valving system inside the damper. Consequently, there are no additional cables, sensors, or any other electronic devices needed to operate this system.

How does it work?

Koni FSD damper kit

The split between comfort and handling can be defined in two frequency areas:

• For comfort, with the suspension moving in a high frequency area (± 10 Hz), asking for low damping forces.
• For handling, with the suspension moving in a low frequency area (± 1 Hz), asking for high damping forces.

By changing the damping force level in relation to the frequency of the movement, it is possible to resolve the conflict in terms of comfort and handling ever present in conventional dampers.

In standard shock absorbers, the main damping characteristic is defined by the oil flow going through the piston assembly. Combining it with the FSD technology, Koni added a special valve, which controls an oil flow parallel to the one going through the piston rod. This parallel oil flow is closed by the FSD technology, giving a rise in damping force almost linear to the time that the piston is moving in one direction. Put simply: the FSD system is a hydraulic amplifier that delays the build up of pressure.

The Koni FSD dampers are included in the new esseesse kits for the Abarth 500C and Abarth Punto Evo.

Available now from the Abarthisti Shop

Abarthisti members wishing to buy the shocks separately from the esseesse kits can now buy them from the Abarthisti Shop, and we’ve secured a number of these kits at a special price.

A full set of four shocks normally retails at £672.  However, we’ve negotiated a special deal that allows us to offer the kit for just £549 inc. VAT – a saving of over £120!

These shocks have been specifically designed to work with the OEM springs on both standard and esseesse models.

However, as many people choose to accompany them with the 10mm lower ride-height offered by the esseesse, we’ve also negotiated a special price on kits of four new esseesse springs for the Abarth 500. They are available now from the Abarthisti Shop, priced at £249 inc. VAT.

Update: The Koni FSD kits for the Abarth Grande Punto are now also available.  Kits for Evo are expected to follow soon.

Abarth Punto Evo esseesse

The Abarth Punto Evo esseesse kit allows the 1.4 16v Turbo MultiAir power unit to achieve a maximum power of 180 HP at 5,750 rpm and, in Sport mode, a maximum torque of 270 Nm at 3,000 rpm.  This increases the top speed to 134 mph while 0-62 mph acceleration drops from 7.9 to 7.5 seconds.

The kit includes perforated, ventilated front disc brakes (diameter 305 mm x 28 mm), perforated rear disc brakes (diameter 264 mm x 11 mm), high performance front brake pads, replacement red springs set lower than those on the original car, Abarth esseesse 7” x 18” ET39 alloy wheels painted white or titanium, combined with 215/40 ZR18 tyres, a special “powered by BMC” air filter, an Abarth silencer with twin tail pipes, and esseesse badges for the engine cover and tailgate.

The new addition for these kits comes in the form of front and rear Koni FSD shock absorbers, and you can read more about these elsewhere in the Magazine.

The esseesse kit for the Abarth Punto Evo is due to go on sale from December.  Prices have yet to be announced.

Abarth 500C esseesse

The kit for the Abarth 500C tunes the 1.4 16v Turbo T-Jet power unit to achieve a maximum power of 160 HP at 5,750 rpm and in Sport mode, and a maximum torque of 230 Nm at 3,000 rpm.  Top speed rises to 130 mph  while 0-62 mph acceleration drops from 8.1 to 7.6 seconds.

The kit for the 500C includes perforated, ventilated front disc brakes (diameter 284 mm x 22 mm), perforated rear disc brakes (diameter 240 mm x 11 mm), high performance front brake pads, replacement red springs set lower than those on the original car, Abarth esseesse 7” x 17” ET35 alloy wheels painted white or titanium, combined with 205/40 ZR17 tyres, four tyre pressure monitoring sensors, a special “powered by BMC” air filter and esseesse badges for the engine cover and tailgate.

As with the Abarth Punto Evo esseesse, the 500C esseesse kit also now includes four Koni FSD dampers.

The esseesse kit for the Abarth 500C is due to go on sale from October, with prices yet to be confirmed.

New colours and options for Abarth 500

Accompanying the unveiling of the esseesse kits at the Paris Motor Show was news of a wider choice of colours and options for the tin-top Abarth 500.

Abarth 500 customers will soon have new customisation options due to the addition of new body shades and two-tone liveries, together with new materials and designs for wheels and interiors.

An Abarth 500 in Record Grey, a colour previously only available on the convertible Abarth 500C, was presented at the Paris show, and illustrated not just the arrival of a new colour, but also the availability of the new 17’’ anthracite alloy wheels from the ‘C’.

No word yet on when these options will be available.

He folds in his thumb – four seconds – as his expression softens a little, the intense scowl dissipating into a look of mild concern.

Taking a step back and tilting his head to one side, he’s clearly re-appraising his opinion. His brow unfurrows, the creases slowly dispersing like waves on the shoreline. Three seconds.

With two fingers extended sideways, he glances down the side of the car. His eyes widen, and ridges appear in his forehead as a look of appreciation washes over him.

One second. As he looks through the windscreen we briefly catch each other’s eyes. Is that a smile I see appearing at the corners of his mouth?

There’s no time to find out as, with his fingers clenched into a fist to mark the beginning of my slot, I dump the clutch and leave him standing on the start line, pondering the brief emotional journey he’s just completed.

Four pages of Goodwood Moving Motor Show briefing notes

It’s a journey familiar to many who’ve followed the impending arrival of the new Abarth Punto Evo.

It starts with disbelief at the hands of the first official photos released in February ahead of the car’s unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show. As the car reveals some of its more subtle details – the red and yellow stitching on the leather instrument cowl, the ‘Scorpion’ alloy wheels, the LED rear lights – the concern fades a little. But it’s still there – even when those in the know relay their assertion that “it looks so much better in the flesh.”

They’re right.

Five minutes ago, I was enjoying a coffee on the Abarth stand within the Moving Motor Show pavilion. I’d read the four pages of Goodwood-supplied rules and regulations, and was studying the Campovolo Grey Punto Evo parked centre stage.

In the metal, it looks sharper, fresher. It seems larger, too, perhaps a function of the now body-coloured wheel arch extensions and side skirts. The wheels are every bit as appealing as they look in the photos.

Straw bales funnel your attention up Goodwood hill

While it may have taken some of us five months to grow accustomed to the Evo’s looks, it bodes well that an orange-suited marshal managed it in just five seconds.

As he disappears in the rear-view mirror, I concentrate on the view ahead. Until today, it’s a view enjoyed only by the few – straw bales funnel your attention up the hill as Goodwood House appears on your left, before the stone wall focuses your mind and tests the Evo’s Brembos as you turn in to the right-hander and blast your way up the last section of the hillclimb.

Our route turns off to the left close to where the Festival of Speed’s finish line would normally be, and we follow a narrow tree- and marshal-lined road that takes us to the rear of Goodwood race course. Here, there’s a brief spell on public roads before returning to the private lanes of the estate.

We’ve bunched a little by now, but I’m keeping a respectful distance from the Citroen in front. The Audi R8 behind me, however, looks somewhat less patient. With a mix of cars that ranges from small hybrid-engined hatchbacks to 600 bhp snorting saloons, a few hold-ups were inevitable.

Abarth Punto Evo returning to the Moving Motor Show pavilion

Still, it gives me a chance to re-discover a feature of the new Evo that I’d forgotten about. While waiting patiently in a queue, I select neutral and step off the clutch. Silence fills the cabin as the engine stops, and a flash of nervousness sweeps across my chaperone’s face. Embarrassing thoughts of bringing the show to a stand-still with a broken-down Abarth blocking the test route are thankfully quickly replaced with the realisation that Start&Stop is now standard.

Casting an eye around the interior reveals more that’s new – the ‘technical’ fabric used in the centre sections of the part-leather seats, the Jaeger instruments, and the conveniently located USB slot. There are less convincing changes in almost equal measure, though – the loss of the leather dashboard, replaced by a new ‘asfalto’ finish, and the shiny black plastic of the stereo surround, for instance.

The latter may only feature in the minds of Abarth Grande Punto owners who’ll be quick to make a direct comparison. But with stylistic doubts aside, it’s the drive that reveals the greatest degree of change. Crawling behind a slow-moving Citroen isn’t conducive to forming a meaningful opinion of the new MultiAir engine, although it is certainly eager. But to my mind, it’s the steering that feels most improved over its predecessor, with better judged assistance at all speeds, and with a much improved transition away from the straight-ahead.

After three miles and a little less than 10 minutes, we pick our way through the crowd and park up next to the Abarth stand.

Glancing at the queue of eager test pilots, I wonder how long each will need to complete their own Evo journey.

Firstly, the event would play host to the UK debut of the new Abarth Punto Evo and Abarth 500C.

And secondly, this year saw the introduction of the Moving Motor Show, a new concept billed as a replacement for the now defunct British Motor Show and taking place on the Thursday before the Festival of Speed.

The Moving Motor Show provided an opportunity to preview much of what would be available during the festival, with a fine selection of rare and historic metal, the usual smattering of supercars, and enough trade stands to empty your wallet several times over.

The real appeal, though, came from the ‘Moving’ element of the event. Visitors could climb aboard cars from the likes of Alfa Romeo, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and, of course, Abarth, to experience the vehicles first hand. The cars undertook hundreds of runs on a special evaluation route that included the world famous Goodwood hillclimb, following in the wheel tracks of many celebrated racing drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Sir Stirling Moss.

The new Abarth 500C and Abarth Punto Evo were both available to drive at Goodwood

You can read our thoughts on the test drive experience elsewhere in the Abarthisti Magazine.

The Abarth presence at the show generated much interest, and I fielded questions from new-to-the-brand converts and returning-to-the-fold old-timers in almost equal measure.

As with any new concept, there were lessons to be learnt. While the ‘moving’ element of the show added a welcome USP over events such as those at ExCeL in London, it wasn’t perfect. The central roadway through the Moving Motor Show pavilion quickly became saturated with visitors, making it difficult for test drivers to get in or out.

The biggest lesson, however, came around lunchtime. The driver of the Honda Civic Type-R Mugen blacked out soon after starting the engine, leaving the car to roll into two Jaguars (one of which was reportedly the oldest E-Type in existence) and into the pavilion wall. Four bystanders were injured in the incident, although thankfully not seriously, and the pavilion was closed for several hours while an investigation took place.

Honda Civic Type-R Mugen crashes through the pavilion at Goodwood (Photo: Domc)

Two hours later, with the investigation concluded and the damage cleared, the pavilion re-opened. This time, however, under better organisation, with marshals at both ends preventing pedestrian access to the central roadway.

That incident aside, the event proved extremely popular, with Goodwood reporting nearly 30,000 visitors for Thursday’s event alone.

It’s a format that deserves to be repeated next year.

Our sincere thanks to Abarth UK for providing so many Abarthisti with free tickets.

As expected, the new Punto Evo will be the first Abarth to receive Fiat Powertrain’s new 1.4-litre MultiAir engine. MultiAir uses a new electro-hydraulic valve control system to directly control the flow of air via the engine’s intake valves without using the throttle. This technique leads to a finer degree of control than is possible using conventional mechanical cam-operated valves – indeed, the system can even close and re-open the intake valve several times during the same intake cycle – and it’s this control that leads to greater combustion efficiency, and therefore improved economy, emissions and power.

MultiAir Technology: how it works

MultiAir valve assembly

A piston, acted upon by the intake lobe on the camshaft, is contained within an oil-filled chamber. Hydraulic pressure created in this chamber is relayed to hydraulic actuators mounted above the intake valves, via a solenoid control valve.

When the valve is closed, the oil in the hydraulic chamber behaves like a solid and transmits the movement of the intake cam directly to the intake valves.

When the valve is open, the hydraulic chamber and intake valves are decoupled; the intake valves do not follow the intake cam, and the valves close under pressure from the valve springs.

By controlling the operation and timing of the solenoid valve, a wider range of intake valve schedules can be created.

For instance, to achieve maximum power, the solenoid valve is closed and intake valve opening is regulated entirely by the camshaft lobes, which have been designed specifically to maximise power at high engine speeds.

To achieve low-rpm torque, the solenoid valve is opened towards the end of the cam profile, leading to early intake valve closing. This eliminates unwanted backflow into the manifold and maximises the air mass trapped in the cylinders.

During engine part load, the solenoid valve is opened earlier causing partial valve openings to control the trapped air mass as a function of the required torque. Alternatively the intake valves can be partially opened by closing the solenoid valve once the mechanical cam action has already started. In this case the air stream into the cylinder is faster and results in higher in-cylinder turbulence.

The last two actuation modes can be combined in the same intake stroke, generating a so-called “Multi-lift” mode that enhances turbulence and combustion rate at very low loads.

MultiAir intake valve actuation modes

In addition to MultiAir, the Abarth Punto Evo uses the Garrett GT1446 turbocharger that previously saw service only on the Abarth Grande Punto esseesse and Assetto Corse race car, and peak power is now quoted as 165 hp at 5,500 rpm, with peak torque of 250 Nm (184 lb/ft) at 2,250 rpm.

Curiously, the MultiAir-equipped Alfa MiTo is quoted at 170 hp. We’re not sure why Abarth appear to be holding back on the final 5 hp.

Despite missing a few horses, the Evo is faster, with 62 mph arriving in 7.9 seconds vs. 8.2 for the current model, before maxing out at 132 mph (a 3 mph increase).

CO2 emissions have been reduced, with the Evo now producing 142 g/km – enough to drop into Band F and a £125 annual bill for road tax.

Fuel economy sees a substantial improvement, too, with preliminary figures for the new Evo reporting 47.1 mpg on the combined cycle, versus 42.2 mpg for the Grande Punto. Urban and extra-urban figures continue the upward trend, with 34.8 mpg vs. 30.1 mpg and 58.8 mpg vs. 54.3 mpg respectively.

As standard, the Abarth Evo features 20% stiffer springs and a larger anti-roll bar than its Fiat brother, and makes use of the same Brembo dual-piston calipers as the Abarth Grande Punto.

A new ‘SS’ kit will be available, although this only adds a rather disappointing 15 hp bringing the total to 180 hp. The kit is supplied in a wooden crate to be installed by the dealer, just as before. The bulk of the kit’s contents are made up of lower springs, drilled and vented brake discs, high-performance brake pads, a BMC air filter, and four wheels and tyres in a choice of white or titanium.

Start&Stop appears on the Punto for the first time, and the company claims the system can improve economy and emissions by up to 10% in some situations. The system works by turning off the engine when the car stops at idle, automatically re-starting when you take your foot off the brake pedal or engage first gear. If you accidentally stall the engine while pulling away, the system will re-start it for you if you depress the clutch pedal. Those that prefer to have full control over what their engine is up to can disable the system with a dash-mounted button.

TTC (Torque Transfer Control), which uses the braking system to rein-in a spinning inside wheel, is now standard, and is activated when Sport mode is engaged – now billed as a ‘mode’ selector, and relocated down by the gear lever.

Abarth Punto Evo interior

GSI (Gear Shift Indicator) has also made the jump from the 500 to the Punto, and is ready to nag you into obscenely early gear changes ostensibly to improve economy. The gearbox itself is the same M32 six-speed unit from the outgoing car – no word yet on the new C635 dual-clutch transmission.

Inside, materials are said to have been upgraded, with Jaeger-designed instruments, red stitching on the new two-level leather dash and part-leather seats. The Sabelt seats will still be available as an option.

For the safety conscious, there are now seven airbags, including a new driver’s knee air bag.

It’s the outside that’s likely to divide opinion, however. While we’d been led to believe the Abarth version would receive its own unique front-end treatment, it appears that the changes from the Fiat Punto Evo are more minor.

The front bumper is slightly wider, with new side vents ahead of the front wheels, and a larger central grille to match. The chrome ‘wings’ on the bonnet’s leading edge have been replaced with black vents and, at the rear, there are more side vents and a larger diffuser that incorporates the reversing and fog lights. The rear spoiler is now larger and body-coloured, rather than black, as are the side skirts and wheel-arch extensions. The front-mounted Abarth badge is now the more traditional shield shape, as on the 500.

Of course, the most obvious new feature is the large, black bar that runs across the nose of the car, and it’s this that draws the most opinion. Whether you feel this makes the car look like it’s crashed into an Armco barrier, or adds a welcome extra element to the design, will be largely down to personal opinion, but it’s probably fair to say it’s not universally loved.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but given the £15,295 price tag of the 135 bhp Fiat Punto Evo Sporting, we’d expect the new Abarth Punto Evo to figure in around the £17,000 mark.

Update: The UK price has been announced as £16,500.

• New MultiAir engine should add improved drivability, slightly faster to 62mph
• Reduced emissions, lower road tax and improved fuel economy
• Start&Stop, TTC now standard
• Upgraded interior

• Engine appears to be in weaker state of tune than other Fiat Group products
• SS kit a disappointing upgrade
• Divisive looks
• Price up-lift