ROAD TEST EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: Now this is a Fiat
I can get behind. It’s a 500 with guts, and would I be wrong to say this turbocharged 1.4-liter has a really cool exhaust note? It crackles and pops when you back off the throttle and just makes you chuckle.
So what turns the regular 500 from fashion accessory into this 500 Abarth, which is a respectable performance flyweight? The aforementioned force-induced engine brings 160 hp to the party, up from 101 hp in a base car. Oh, and there’s 170 lb-ft of torque there.
To improve handling, toll stiffness is up 40 percent with the help of Koni shocks, ride height is lowered, there’s 0.9-degree more front-end negative camber and an antiroll bar out back, when the normal 500 doesn’t have one. The car rides on 17-inch Pirelli P Zero Nero tires, which provide more than respectable grip. Extra points, too, for the white wheel wells, which reminded me of the Championship white Acura Integra Type R in 1997 and 1998.
Visually, you got a number of scorpion Abarth badges outside and a flat rear wing. Inside, there are heavily bolstered seats and a flat-bottom steering wheel.
After spending a couple of days with this Abarth, I can say I wouldn’t mind spending a few more days with it. That’s something I wouldn’t say about a base 500. This car would be a wonderful autocross vehicle and good for the occasional track day. There’s the slightest lull low in the rev range, but once the engine gets wound up, the Abarth gets moving. Throttle response is decent for matching revs for downshifts, and the five-speed shifter works OK; though, I would like crisper gear engagement and a shorter stroke.
For a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the rear rotates around well when you toss the Abarth in there. Again, this supports my theory that this would be quite good in a tight autocross. There’s still some lean detectable, but once you get the car loaded, it will shoot through bends with plenty of stick available. Of course, push it too hard, and the front end will push. It’s worth noting that ride quality isn’t half bad and is suitable for daily driving.
Steering is responsive to inputs with plenty of feedback felt through the wheel. The brakes are touchy and easily stop the little Abarth when called on.
For the base price of $22,700, the Fiat 500 Abarth is an enticing vehicle if you don’t carry many people or much cargo. It’s an exciting vehicle, and I certainly wouldn’t blame anyone for throwing down for it. My problem is when you add a few options, the price creeps up into the $25,000 range. For that kind of money, you can have a Mazda Mazdaspeed 3, a Volkswagen GTI or a Ford Focus ST.
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR CHERYL L. BLAHNIK: Now this is a real competitor to the Mini Cooper S with respectable power from the turbocharged four-cylinder. This 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth is downright fun to drive. It’s got a mean little growl, and with the white wheels, dual exhaust and graphics on the side, it looks fast without even moving. It’s nice to see companies making small cars with good fuel-economy numbers that are actually exciting to drive and not just a simple Point A to Point B.
The interior is neat with the red leather seats and white dash inserts. I was a little worried about the Abarth not being able to handle my Costco purchases, but with the back seats folded, I was able to stuff a couple of large boxes into it without problem.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: Fun, fun and fun are my three words to describe the Fiat 500 Abarth. I love this juiced-up hatchback.
The experience starts with the ignition. The little Fiat fires up with a blat, blat, before settling into a low burble.
Scratch that, it actually starts when you eye the car in the parking lot. It looks low, bright and sporty, even in a dark parking lot. The Abarth trim details look cool, and the white wheels look great with the white body.
Inside you’re treated to a great new-car smell from the red leather seats. They’re comfy but wouldn’t lower as much as I’d like them to, and the steering wheel wouldn’t come forward to meet me. I found a decent driving position, but I still felt like I was sitting on top of the car and not in it. The shifter is thick; holding it is like holding a stitched baseball. The steering wheel is also thick, but it almost feels forced. I like the flat bottom, but a car this small shouldn’t have a chunky BMW-like wheel.
Now back to the street. This car sounds awesome under hard acceleration. During idle, it sounds a bit like the coffee cans people buy at Pep Boys, but that goes away quickly. It revs eagerly to redline in each gear, and like the Honda Civic Si, makes fantastic sounds when changing gears. Power is rated at 160 hp but, boy, it feels more like 200 in the little car. And that was before I hit sport button!
That little button opens up a baffle in the exhaust, and it gets even louder. The muffler report mixed with a little turbo whistle make you feel like you’re in a little race car. It’s great for annoying the neighbors and especially good for cruising by an outdoor patio restaurant, in first, at 40 mph.
The suspension is sharp as a tack, and somehow Fiat or Abarth has managed to make it so you don’t break your fillings on normal roads. Unlike the Mini Cooper S coupe and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR, you don’t have to have your kidneys replaced every time you get out of the car.
The drawbacks of the Fiat are obvious and evident early. The shifter isn’t very precise, especially fifth gear, which got hung up more than once. There’s no telescoping of the steering wheel, which I think is more important in a small car than in a large one. Finally, the size is a problem because the 500 Abarth would have to be the second car in a family with more than two. I am a bit surprised that Cheryl was able to fit her Costco buys, but regardless, there’s no room for a road trip.
The price puts it just less than the Golf GTI and Mazdaspeed 3, which offer the same amount of fun. They also offer more space and a car you could live with for 10 years. That being said, this car is too much fun to pass up. I hope there are some retired folks with no kids at home or some college kid with some inexplicable surplus income that will buy it. Otherwise, we won’t see these cars here anymore. And that would be a tragedy.
EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth is a fun little buzz bomb full of flair that looks good with its slightly lowered stance and subtle body kit and badges. The power increase is most appreciated, and I love the pop sounds from the little turbo four. The thick leather steering wheel feels just right to my hands, and I seriously dig these seats.
Depending on your point of view, the Abarth is quite a bit more fun to drive than our 500C long-termer, at least in terms of outright performance. That you can’t put the Abarth’s top down might make our long-termer more fun to some--different strokes and all that. Abarth torque steer is minimal, and the engine’s a hoot especially if the revs are kept up beyond 3,000 rpm.
It understeers, and there was more body roll than I would have guessed there’d be, but for the most part the car is still a whole lot of fun to bomb around town in.
I notice comparisons to the Mini. I suppose they’re inevitable. I’ll say this: To get this kind of performance in a Mini, you’ll spend a little more and get a lot less charisma.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: What a hoot of a little scooter--if this isn’t the most fun on four wheels for this money. I’d driven the Abarth edition in Italy a few years back, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the level of performance this little rig spits out--especially compared with our much more mundane long-term Fiat 500C Pop model. Although the long-termer is a fun enough in its own open-top way, adding 59 hp and 72 lb-ft of torque does way more than any ragtop to bring a smile to a driver’s face. Mine was pretty much plastered from ear to ear for the entire length of my test drive.
This is the kind of car that really rewards running hard, driving in sport mode at the top of the rev range in third and fourth and letting the engine wind up and down while the exhaust crackles and pops in accompaniment. Even at lower speeds--say motoring through a parking lot--the exhaust report is a fun attention-getter. In this Abarth trim, it’s more Alfa Romeo than mere Fiat.
Then there’s the inevitable Mini compare--and in this guise the 500 stacks up well. I’d argue this powertrain, even with one fewer gear, is more fun to rev and run than the raspier Mini turbo four. At the same time, the Mini’s suspension makes it far more responsive and intuitive, though this Abarth is darn close to that mark. The Fiat’s steering isn’t as communicative, and its softer suspension might not be quite as roadholding. But the car also won’t beat you up as much as a Mini, so there’s a benefit especially for those who drive their little runabouts every day. And as noted by others, getting a Mini Cooper S equipped like this Abarth isn’t going to come for this money.
2012 Fiat 500 Abarth
Base Price: $22,700
As-Tested Price: $25,450
Drivetrain: 1.4-liter turbocharged I4; FWD, five-speed manual
Output: 160 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 170 lb-ft @ 2,500-4,000 rpm
Curb Weight: 2,512 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 31/25.5 mpg
Options: Black/red performance leather trimmed high-back bucket seats ($1,000); 17-inch by 7-inch forged-aluminum gloss white wheels ($1,000); TomTom navigation with Blue&Me; ($400); mirror caps (red) with body-side stripes ($350)
For more information: Check out the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth at shopautoweek.com
