Fiat  Abarth Action

Fiat 500 Abarth Esseesse Review: Cheeky Firebreather

The drive experience…

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To complete the experience, sadly the Abarth does not come with the `engine start/stop` button. Twist the key and the MultiAir fires to life. Knowing that this is a proper turbocharged petrol engine, Fast and Furious fans expecting the whooshes and whistles should look elsewhere. What we are treated with is a raspy exhaust note. The Abarth looks tiny for a hatchback and weighs well over 1 tonne with all those performance enhancements, still manages thrilling acceleration thanks to its power to weight ratio.

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Slot into 1st, dump the clutch and it gets you ready to lay black streaks of rubber on the tarmac. The acceleration is quite fierce and considering its small volume, it feels even faster. The Abarth can manage a 0-100 in the region of 7.5 seconds which is fantastic! Even in the small closed facility of Fiat, we managed to run a riot and have loads of fun with the Abarth`s scintillating performance. The Abarth begs you to bury its sporty throttle pedal into the carpet and enjoy the burst of acceleration that no other car as small as this can give us.

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The light action short throw gear box and weighted electronic power steering are good team players in the tournament of endless fun. We would have loved some more directness or faster steering in Sport mode, however the only fly in the ointment remains the turbo lag. The boost comes in strong after 2500 rpm and that’s when you can see the tachometer needle swing eagerly right past 6500 rpm. Trying to assess the engine revs and the speed at the same time on the console is a futile attempt as the car hurtles around with road runner performance.

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We did not get to test the cars handling abilities, but with the short time spent with it, its stiff ride quality was more than evident. With those wheel well filling wheels, lowered ride height and stiffened suspension we are sure that this car will be a hoot to drive on smooth winding roads or a track. The TTC works intelligently and endows the Esseesse with fantastic grip levels devoid of understeer which front wheel drives can only dream of.

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So we hear, this time the firebreathing version of the Fiat 500 could cost in the region of INR 30 lac (Thanks to our duty regulations) and will be a coveted and prized piece of modern history for those who can own one. Originally launched at a cheap, practical city car in 1957 it has gone to be an expensively quick track day car. If we had the money, the Abarth 500 Esseesse would definitely find itself in our collection, `nuff said!

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2 thoughts on “Fiat 500 Abarth Esseesse Review: Cheeky Firebreather”

  1. 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’.

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