Highway isolation improves a bit, thanks perhaps to Koni brand selective-damping shock absorbers. The Abarth feels similar to the firm 500 over bumps and potholes, despite stiffer springs and a lower ride height. Parallel parking, so easy in the 500, becomes a multipoint chore. That increases the turning circle from 30.6 feet to an SUV-like 37.6 feet. The 500 and Abarth share the same wheelbase, but the latter gets a quicker steering ratio with 2.3 turns, lock to lock, versus the 500’s three turns. Low-speed turns, by contrast, frustrate even more. You feel less body roll than in the 500, thanks to stiffer springs and a new rear stabilizer bar, but several editors still found enough body roll and top-heavy feel to sap the Abarth’s fun. Though it shares the same 64/36 percent (front/rear) weight distribution as the driftable 500, the Abarth feels a touch nose-heavier. Find a cloverleaf and the 500 changes direction quickly, with impressive road-holding from the Pirelli P Zero Nero summer tires.ĭespite the rubber’s modest width, the Abarth hugs its course, ceding grip to mild understeer at high speeds. In practice, Sport gives the car punchier response from 3,000 rpm to redline, and the steering feels more settled at highway speeds. Full horsepower is available if you put the pedal down, but the extra torque means the Abarth will always accelerate quicker in Sport mode, Fiat says. At minimum, it could have narrowed the gulf in EPA-estimated gas mileage between the Abarth (28/34 mpg city/highway) and the stick-shift 500 (30/38 mpg), which is to say nothing of the performance gains it could bring.Ī Sport button reduces power-steering assist and unleashes full engine torque, which is otherwise limited, especially in 1st and 2nd gear, to preserve gas mileage. But the Abarth’s stick still has five speeds instead of six, and it’s beyond me why Fiat didn’t add another cog. The engine responds instantly to the gas pedal - much appreciated, considering that too many performance cars incur killjoy accelerator lag - and the pedals sit close enough for easy rev matching. The Abarth gets a heavier-duty manual transmission than the 500’s, and its hefty shifter and medium throws make slapping through gears easy enough. One editor noticed preponderant torque steer, despite provisions in the transmission and front differential to quell it, but the overall experience beats those in yesterday’s sport compacts - the Toyota Celica, Acura RSX and their ilk - whose power didn’t show up until sky-high rpm. Mash the pedal and the Abarth starts out tepid but scurries to speed as the engine tears through its torque peak, a plateau from 2,500 to 4,000 rpm. The exhaust blats and pops at idle it sounds even more grating than the 500’s agricultural note, turning into a less-awful whine only as your right foot sends the Abarth’s turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder past 2,500 rpm or so. Two passengers asked if something was amiss with the muffler. Turn the key and the 500 Abarth clatters to life with all the racket of a slammed Honda Civic. Kudos to Fiat for making each one functional: Why automakers festoon cars with fake louvers is beyond me, and it happens to cars as fast as the 621-hp Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG. Fiat says it provides clearance for the turbocharged engine’s two intercoolers, which receive air through six separate nostrils. The Abarth measures 4.8 inches longer than the regular 500, partly because its front bumper extends 2.7 inches ahead of the pencil-moustache face. Whereas the 500 comes as a hatchback or quasi-convertible 500 Cabrio with manual or automatic transmissions, the Abarth sticks with a stick shift in hatchback form only.Įxtended side skirts and a 0.6-inch lower ride masculinize the Abarth’s gumdrop profile, but the biggest change comes in back, where a prominent roof spoiler, black diffuser and dual tailpipes add some needed presence. This review focuses on the Abarth click here for our review of the 500 for a broader overview of the hatchback, or click here to compare all four trims. The 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth improves on the 500’s driving fun, but it feels short on refinement, making its price premium hard to accept.įor standard features, the Abarth roughly matches the 500 Sport, the middle trim level there’s also a base 500 Pop and a better-equipped 500 Lounge. Unfortunately, the drink is a bit bitter. The Abarth (pronounced AH-bart) adds another 59 horses to the 101-horsepower 500 - a double-espresso of extra power. A year after Fiat returned stateside with the 500 hatchback, it brought us the Abarth performance version, named for Austrian racer and aftermarket tuner Karl Abarth.
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