Contrary to popular belief, ABT can do more than just make your VW->ke94, Audi->ke14, SEAT, or Skoda look better. They offer a range of power upgrades as well, with their latest being an ECU (Engine Control Unit) upgrade to boost power and performance on 1.2 and 1.4 liter TSi turbocharged lumps.

The award winning engine is a great platform to work from thanks to its class and industry leading qualities, which include good fuel economy, an excellent power to weight ratio, and low carbon emissions. The basic ABT philosophy is to enhance the power output so that it equals that of the next size engine in its class. For example, a 1.2 liter TSi develops 105 HP (77 kW). After fitting it with the ECU, output is upped to 140 HP (103 kW), which is equal to that of the factory 1.4 liter unit. This equates to a gain of around 15% which will surely be felt when driving in both day-to-day scenarios as well as when you’re in a hurry.

The same treatment is available for the 1.4 liter TSi – power is increased from 180 HP (132 kW) to 210 HP (154 kW), which brings it on par with the Golf GTI. With less weight and more power, one can safely conclude that the likes of the Polo GTI or the Ibiza Cupra with the ABT enhancement will show up the benchmark Golf GTI in the performance stakes.

ABT claim the fuel economy remains unchanged even with more power – no doubt a useful feature with apparently no downsides. There are a host of other tuners who offer similar products with much higher gains, but the ABT guys “play it safe” to maintain fuel economy and reliability.

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