Everything you need to know about the Abarth 500

 

By Farzana Chaumoo

A breakdown of what the Abarth 500 has to offer in terms of safety power, performance, fuel consumption and more. 

What is it?

Fiat Abarth engineers combined technology, performance and safety, in the spirit of the legendary 500 Abarth cars of the late-1950s And 1960s, to develop a new 500 Abarth. Inspiration was drawn from the automaker's heritage and experience in the racing arena. It was also because enthusiasts wanted a more punky Abarth version of the little hit wonder that was the Fiat 500. 

Not only is the 500 Abarth affordable but it has also been described as "stupid fun" and "Oh so loud".

Engine

The 500 Abarth is powered by a 1.4-litre 16-valve turbocharged petrol engine that delivers a maximum power output of 99kW at 5500rpm and the maximum torque peak of 206Nm at 3000rpm comes out in ‘Sport’ mode. In ‘Normal’ mode, the torque delivery settles at 180Nm at 2500 rpm. This small car is said to have the dynamic performance of a car built for the racetrack. 

Performance

The 500 Abarth accelerates from 0-100 km/h in just 7.9 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 205 km/h. Its quick acceleration is partly achieved by the overboost function, activated by the ‘Sport’ button that modulates control unit mapping and turbo pressure in addition to load on the steering wheel.

Fuel Economy

Even with its sporty performance, Fiat claims a frugal fuel consumption figure of just 5.4l/100 km for a combined cycle. Its good fuel economy figures should come as no surprise, as the car only weighs about 1,135 kg.

What's it like to drive?

The 500 Abarth has punchy acceleration when you downshift and is relatively quick but it is not fast. When you get up to high speeds it will run out of breath which is where you would usually want a little more. 

Journo's weren't completely won over by its gearbox either as the car is said to feel more economy than sport. The interior isn’t all that posh either. 

But a short wheelbase car with spinning front wheels and lots of power is bound to give you a great time.

In 2016 the 500 Abarth received some new paint options along with the new Uconnect 5.0 in-car communication system.

Interior

A clear racing vocation comes through the aluminium pedals with rubber inserts and the leather-trimmed gear knob and handbrake lever. 

Seats have been designed with a wraparound configuration to hold its occupant tightly in position, even when cornering. The head restraints have also been built into the backrest of the seats. 

Safety

The 500 Abarth features a high level of active and passive safety such as the clever Torque Transfer Control (TTC) system whereby it mimics a limited slip differential in corners by using the ESP sensors and braking system to transfer the engine’s torque away from the unloaded inner wheel to the loaded outer wheel. This results in understeer around corners, making the car not only safer, but also more fun to drive.

For stable and highly effective braking, the 500 Abarth has disc brakes all round ‑ 284mm self-ventilating at the front, 240mm at the rear ‑ and the system is supplemented by ABS anti-lock braking. In order for drivers to maximise the power of the brakes, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA) are both standard fitments.

Seven airbags are fitted as standard around the car which include two dual-stage front bags, two window bags, two side bags and unusually for a car this size is a driver’s knee bag. For added safety, optional equipment includes Xenon headlights which produce three times more light than the traditional halogen units. 

Standard features

Standard features on the car include a sporty thick-rimmed flat-bottomed, leather steering wheel, electric front windows and door mirrors, air conditioning, a height adjustable driver’s seat and steering wheel and a radio/CD/MP3 player with steering wheel controls. Additionally, there's also the innovative Blue&Me hands-free communication system. 

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