HERE’S a cheeky little tearaway that should need very little introduction. Its well behaved and popular sibling, the Fiat 500, has been charming car buyers across the globe since it appeared in 2008.
It’s not hard to see why: the looks, inspired by the original car, are hard to resist, while underneath the cutesy exterior lies a solid and capable small car which manages to be fun while still retaining sufficient practicality – just like the original 500.
Those of you with a long enough memory will also remember that, back in the day, a talented and distinctly bonkers man by the name of Carlos Abarth spent many hours tuning the 500, among other Fiat products, and went racing.
It takes a particularly twisted kind of genius to tune a 594cc engine, but it worked, and now the new 500 has been given a similar sting in its tail – and it wears the Abarth scorpion badge as a reminder.
It’s hard not to get excited just by looking at the 500 Abarth. Where the standard car is unquestionably cute and endearing, the Abarth appears to have taken some self-defence lessons, been down the gym and picked up an in-your-face attitude along the way.
It looks pumped up and ready for action thanks to the chunky alloys and body kit, but there’s still plenty of choice for customisation, as with the standard car. Graphics, a choice of alloy wheels and roof decals are all available – though, if you ask me, the side stripes are essential.
There’s just as much fun to be had on the inside as the Abarth 500 has the same dashes of colour and attractive styling as the regular car, but with a few welcome additions.
Firstly, there’s a pair of chunky sports seats, and the steering wheel has a flattened bottom and is wrapped in leather, – and there’s a smart roof lining and privacy glass at the back, too. It’s still a small car, of course, and those front seats do rob a little bit of room, but even those in the back will be too busy having fun.
The Abarth 500 is far from all show and no go. Under the cutest bonnet in motordom lies the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol unit you’ll also find in the Grande Punto Abarth.
Here, it pumps out 135bhp and 152lb/ft of torque – only in Sport mode, though, but more of that later.
It’s that torque figure that makes the difference, and the unit’s turbocharged characteristics perfectly suit the Abarth’s fiery nature. The grunt starts to make its presence felt from low down in the revs, but keep the throttle pinned and it scoots round to the rev limiter with impressive vigour and a keen rasp from the exhaust.
That’s only half the story, though. Fiat is keen to push the fact that the Abarth 500 has not abandoned its frugal heritage in the transformation to baby hot hatch.
The key is the Sport button, fitted as standard and located on the dash. In the Normal default mode, the engine delivers only 132lb/ft of torque and the pod-mounted rev counter flashes at you when you reach the optimal gear-change point for economy.
All that helps it to achieve 43.4mpg on the combined cycle and a not-unreasonable 155g/km of CO. But punch that button and you get the full corral of horses, the steering is heavier and the throttle responds more clearly. The rev counter now flashes at you when you reach the red line instead, which you will do quite often while exploiting the performance.
The chassis is there to back it up, too. The expected stiffer springs and dampers are present and correct, and while the occasional bump reminds you of just how stiff it is, it’s far from intolerable and the Abarth is still fine to use every day.
It also pays off when you head off piste. The lack of mass and firm set-up mean the Abarth dives into corners with glee. The steering is much weightier in Sport mode, too, and some clever technology in the form of Torque Transfer Control helps the Abarth scoot out of the bends with minimum loss of traction.
That’s not the end of the story, either. An extra £2,500 on top of the standard price will secure you the esseesse pack – a tuning kit fitted by the dealer at any time in the first 12 months after purchase which pushes the engine output to 160bhp and adds 17in alloys with high-spec Pirelli tyres, better brakes, stiffer suspension and tyre-pressure monitoring.
It’s a worthwhile addition, turning the Abarth into a real rocket – plus it comes in its own branded crate, which is worth it for the geek factor alone.
The Abarth 500 is more than capable of attracting the modest numbers that Fiat expects to sell. It has a couple of obvious rivals, the Mini Cooper being one of them, but given that the Abarth is the new kid on the block, has the style and the performance as well as the cache of that historical badge, it may just be at the top of the most wanted list.
Model: Fiat 500 Abarth, £13,600 on the road. 500 from £8,100
Engine: 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol unit developing 135bhp and 152lb/ft of torque
Transmission: Five-speed manual transmission, driving the front wheels
Performance: Maximum speed 128mph; 0-62mph 7.9 seconds
CO emissions: 155g/km
Economy: 43.4mpg