Search: more on the Abarth 500
The Fiat 500 is a great small car and was rightfully crowned Car of The Year 2008, but what it really lacked was a proper sporty version. Spin forward a year, and with the Abarth performance brand successfully relaunched in the UK, we have this, the 135bhp Abarth 500. Clearly cleverly conceived, but looking beyond the tweaked styling and history - will it keep drivers entertained? We headed to Poole to find out...Styling
The Abarth 500 has obviously been developed from the stylish, if tame original, but has been on a testosterone-fuelled diet. The results are immediately obvious from the front, with a deeper front spoiler feeding sufficient air to the brakes and turbo.
Other changes include deep side skirts, a larger rear roof spoiler, and a chunky rear aerodynamic diffuser with twin rear pipes at the back. So does this modern incarnation of Abarth's 50s original work? Yes, the Abarth 500 is a mix of the best retro flavours with modern design.
What's under the bonnet?
The Abarth 500 uses the turbocharged version of Fiat's 1.4-litre, 16-valve engine. The engine is similar to that used in the Abarth version of the Punto, but here producing 135bhp. Top speed is 128mph, with 0-60mph taking 7.9 seconds. Torque peaks at 152lb-ft, reached at 5,500rpm, but pressing the 'Sport' button makes the peak torque available at just 3,000rpm giving an instant rush of torque.
Not powerful enough for you? Well, for an extra £2,500 Abarth is offering the Esseesse kit. The boxed kit, which can only be fitted at one of the dedicated Abarth centres, gives an extra 25bhp and 27lb ft of torque, adding up to a 0-62 time of 7.4 seconds and a top speed of 131mph.
On the inside....
It maybe based on the standard 500, but the Abarth feels surprisingly special for a car costing just £13,600. Highlights include the one-piece sports seats, flat-bottomed steering wheel, and the dashboard-mounted turbo boost and gearshift indicator. Our test car was fitted with optional red/black leather trim (£800) which really looked the part.
The driving position is comfortable with supportive seats, but taller drivers should avoid the optional fixed sunroof as it severely eats into the front head room. There's enough room for two in the back and a boot, spacious enough to hold a couple of soft bags or a week's worth of shopping.
On the road
So what's it like to drive then? We got to drive the Abarth 500 on the road and track. The 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol unit is spirited enough, with a crisp throttle response and its twin exhausts sound great too. Happiest being revved and mated to one of the nicest five-speed transmission I've tried, I can't help feeling that Abarth has missed a trick not fitting a sixth gear for refinement.
The uprated 500 chassis copes with the extra power very well. The handling is grippy and the steering accurate, though even with the clever Torque Transfer Control the 500 has a tendency to understeer. The brakes are excellent too. If you can afford the £2,500 extra for the Esseesse kit, we'd say it's money well spent, as the Abarth 500 feels noticeably more willing with it.
To sum up:
The Abarth 500 is a great drive and the 600 lucky UK buyers will not be disappointed when they get their cars over the coming months.
Fancy a closer look? Check out our Abarth 500 gallery
