The revamped Fiat 500 has been turned into an Abarth, the scorpion badged motorsport brand has already turned the Grande Punto into an Abarth and it has done the same to the 500. The Abarth's are tailored to those who enjoy driving.
The Abarth 500 Looks Good
Painted in the classic white and the red, the Abarth 500 looks swell. It is slightly longer than its sibling Fiat 500 and the Abarth version has been lowered too. These alterations are to enhance already good driving dynamics to be even better. To further enhance the style, the Abarth 500 has received sporty side skirts, a much larger roof spoiler, and a deep aerodynamic diffuser at the rear.
Abarth 500 On Test
The Abarth 500 has a energetic and lively 1.4-litre 16v turbocharged engine and is a very responsive unit.
Producing a whopping 135bhp, the little Abarth is really quick - the performance figures are good, it will sprint from zero to 62mph in a time of 7.9 seconds and it has a top speed of 128mph.
When 'pushing on' the driver will feel that the car is well balanced and the steering is direct and accurate making driving fun and precise.
To make the Abarth 500 more sporty than the Fiat version, the engineers have had the suspension comprehensively re-designed and the car is also equipped with Torque Transfer Control to improve its poise through corners even more.
There are two versions of the Abarth 500, there is an ‘Esseesse’ just like the Grande Punto Abarth, this version sees the 500's engine power boosted to 160bhp by using a re-mapped ECU (Electronic Control Unit).
The ‘Esseesse’ conversion costs an additional £2, 500 and must be carried out within 12 months or 20,000km of the car’s first registration and can only be undertaken by Abarth’s skilled network of technicians.
Abarth 500 Interior Has A Sporty Feel
When a driver jumps into the Abarth 500 they will see the sporty heritage. The seats are covered in leather and the sides are raised so that they hug the driver. The steering wheel has a flat bottom (common in sporty coupes) and feels racy.
The dash complements the sporty look as it has a dash-mounted turbo boost gauge and gear shift indicator to help you get the most out of the Abarth 500’s performance.
The Abarth is priced from £13,600, and it will return 43.4mpg on the combined cycle, so it could be used as a daily commuter. A superb package for any driving enthusiast.
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