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MotorTrend
  • 10/5/2023
We take the new Abarth to the track to see how it performs.
Transcript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:04 The Fiat 500 Abarth may be small--
00:07 one foot shorter than a Mini Cooper, in fact--
00:09 but it packs a big punch.
00:11 This is the car that enthusiastic Fiat fans have
00:14 been waiting for, and it certainly looks the part.
00:16 Especially our tester turned out in Rosso paint and the
00:19 optional gunmetal-colored 17-inch wheels with the red
00:23 brake calipers peeking out from behind the spokes.
00:26 The rear valance has been improved by adding a new
00:28 air-cooled air-damping system.
00:30 The rear valance has the racy vents to match the restyled
00:33 front air-dam, with inlet and exit ducts for the twin
00:36 intercoolers mounted just forward of the front wheels.
00:39 The interior gets a restyled shift knob and a chunky, flat
00:42 bottom steering wheel.
00:44 With a curb weight of about 2,500 pounds, the 500 Abarth
00:47 isn't pound heavy, it's heritage heavy.
00:50 Open the hood, and you're greeted with a red plastic
00:53 engine cover that isn't quite long enough to hide the most
00:56 powerful 1.4-liter multi-air engine, a small Garrett
01:00 turbocharger that puts 160 horsepower and 170 pound-feet
01:04 of torque on tap.
01:06 Take it to the track, and we find the Abarth performing
01:08 rather well for a car of its size.
01:10 At the drag strip, we recorded a 0 to 60 time of 6.8
01:14 seconds, three seconds faster than the 500 Sport, and a 15.3
01:19 second quarter-mile run with a trap speed of 90 miles per
01:22 hour.
01:23 The Abarth's 60 to 0 braking test measured in at a ho-hum
01:27 117 feet.
01:29 On our figure eight course, the Abarth seemed intent on
01:32 understeering, all the while completing the circuit in 26.9
01:36 seconds, just over a second faster than the 500 Sport.
01:40 With the new suspension setup, the grip of the 500 Abarth is
01:42 impressive, and the car stays much flatter, though the
01:45 chassis seems a little less playful than before.
01:48 It's unquestionably more capable than the 500 Sport,
01:51 but we can't wholeheartedly say it was more fun to throw
01:54 into a turn.
01:55 As a complete package, the Abarth is a solid choice for
01:58 those who want a hot hatch that stands out from the
02:00 Coopers and GTIs of the world.
02:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]