Sporty tweaks to 595 Turismo for $1,695 premium.
Same 158bhp and 7.4 sec 0-62mph time
After A spate of eye-wateringly expensive
Abarth 500s, including the Edizione Maserati ($54,290) and the 50th Anniversary
($50,640), you’d be forgiven for thinking that you need five jobs to afford a
hot version of Fiat’s 500. Not so. The UK Abarth range starts at $24,190 for
the 133bhp 500, moving to $30,470 for the 158bhp 595 Turismo and $32,170 for
the Competizione tested here, which also has 158bhp.
Standard Competizione kit includes
aluminium pedals, footrest and kick-plates, machined aluminium fuel and oil
filler caps, tinted rear windows, 17in wheels, xenon headlights, red calipers
and titanium grey grilles. But the 595 shows its age with a lack of integrated
sat-nav or DAB on the options list.
The
Abarth's ride feels very firm, especially during urban driving
Of more interest are the cross-drilled
front and rear brake discs, while further upgrades include a ‘Monza’ exhaust
with four outlets (a car should never have a 1:1 ratio of cylinders per
tailpipe, in my opinion), Abarth Corse seats by Sabelt and the upgraded Koni
FSD (Frequency Selective Damping) dampers. Our test car is also specced with
Circuit Grey/Officina Red two-tone paint ($1,610), ten-spoke diamond finish
alloy wheels ($290), an upgraded hi-fi with a 100W subwoofer ($450), and
leather seat trim($1,695). Total cost? $36,215.
You approach the Competizione hoping the
driving experience will match its styling: fun, unique and playful. Mostly, it
does. You slide into the fantastic seats, grab the fat steering wheel and the
cold metal gearknob and feel thoroughly buoyed up for a slice of hot hatch
wrestling. And that’s what you get, once you’ve fumbled for a seat height
adjuster that isn’t there (the Sabelts are brilliant but mounted way too high)
and prodded the all-important Sport and TTC (Torque Transfer Control) buttons.
The
driving position is very upright for a hot hatchback
The car feels tame at first. The throttle
response is neither sharp nor effective, the steering is vacuous and the
responses are nothing like as hyperactive as you expect.
However, seek out Sport and TTC, as you
will after about a mile, and the 595 releases a little more spirit. Sport mode
increases steering weight from the all-electric rack and introduces more
torque, but steering feel doesn’t increase with the extra weight. The added
torque is however noticeable. TTC, meanwhile, allows the 595 to dig into apexes
and spread the torque across the front axle by braking the inside wheel. It’s
relatively common tech, but it works well in the Abarth, especially in the dry.
In the wet it creates noticeable wheelspin if you’re clumsy with the throttle.
The 1.4-litre engine is punchy and is
simple to ‘read’. You know instinctively when to upshift and the power is
consistent through the revs (although a few more of the latter wouldn’t got
amiss), while the gearshift action is short and sweet. The pedals are in a
decent layout for heel-and-toeing and the brakes offer fantastic feel and
power.
Turbocharged
1.4-litre engine sends 158bhp and 170lb ft to the front wheels
The Koni dampers work well on smooth
surfaces but on broken, undulating or cambered roads (i.e. every British road)
the Competizione loses its composure and hops, skips and fidgets non-stop.
Worse still, one action tends to cause another and before long the car ties
itself up in knots. In short, despite it willing you to do so, the 595 is not a
car to drive to the max and it embarrasses itself the closer it gets to the
limit.
The Abarth 500 is six years old, and while
there’s genuine appeal in the powertrain and styling, the chassis is in
desperate need of some of the Mini’s sophistication and a lot of the Ford
Fiesta’s agility and sheer energy. We sincerely hope that drivers’ demands are
considered equal to the fashionistas’ when Fiat replaces the current car. Until
then, you buy an Abarth for its personalisation options and styling rather than
the drive.
