Cute meets track performance…the exteriors
Externally, the Abarth retains the 500`s cute profile with some strong visual hits of the monster of an engine that lies under the hood. The Abarth logo of a shield with stylized Scorpion is displayed proudly on the front bumper, the steering wheel, the floor mats and many other places including the rear hatch. The “Rosso” Red that you see in the pictures does justice to the design along with all the sporty embellishments.
The front bumper has been revised with twin “nostrils” at either ends which have been carefully designed for maximum airflow through the twin intercoolers. The Abarth also gets a revised rear bumper with a diffuser design and twin concentric exhausts. It also gets a set of side skirts which enhance the sporty intent of the design. The entire design is completed with the massive 205/40 section Michelin`s Pilot Sport on R17 Abarth alloy wheels, which are simply superb!
Interiors…drive me hard
Like externally, the interiors of the Abarth have received lot of tweaks with sporty intent. The most striking change has to be the steering wheel. Gone is the retro looking white steering wheel, and is now replaced by a thick-rimmed leather wrapped flat bottomed unit. The Fiat logo has been rightfully replaced by the Abarth`s Scorpion. Like the original Cinquecento the speedometer console is concentric with rev counter on the inside with other tell tale lights.
The EVIC (electronic vehicle information centre) display as Fiat calls it sits in the centre consisting of the bar graph fuel and temperature gauges apart from a host of information. The power window switches remain unconventionally placed on the console next to the gear lever too which lends the door pads a clean look. The door pads themselves are barely equipped with map holders, no bottle holders in there.
Storage spaces and cubby holes are at a premium in this super premium hot hatch. 1 tiny cup holder swings open adjacent to the gear lever, and an open glove box on the passenger side. The seats have been replaced with new ones which lend the bucket seat feel. The seats themselves are fantastically built in leather with red stitching, that’s not all, and they also get “Racing Harness Passthroughs”! Well the racing bucket seats are built for a purpose and not meant for comfort and those on the Abarth are exactly that. The seat height adjuster is place on the left hand side of the driver seat and is centimeters apart from the handbrake lever – disaster in the waiting?
The attention grabber remains the turbo boost gauge cum shift indicator pod, similar to pseudo tachometer pod we see in a Suzuki Ritz. While not very practical, it does add extra oomph to the overall racy theme of the interiors. The rear seats are best reserved for the kids owing to the space on offer while the position of seat belts on the B is quite a stretch before one buckles up. The Abarth surprised us with its boot space which is almost on par with other hatchbacks, but does not come with a spare wheel. It just has a puncture repair kit.
Next page for drive experience – performance and handling>>>
This comment is about the anti-spin technology. Be it Torque Transfer Control (TTC) or Electronic Traction Control(ETC), both have their own drawbacks.
Let me start with TTC, since TTC uses braking to control the spin, the brake-pads are sure to wear-out soon if the person at wheel has a love for “revving”.
If its ETC , since it cuts off power, a major part of the initial-torque is going waste.
Well my thought is “ETC with KERS” (Kinetic Energy Recovery System).
ETC cuts off power and that power can be restored using KERS.
Ultimately there is no need for efficiency to be ‘compromised’.