The History of Abarth
Before we delve into the specifications and features of the vehicle, let's take a moment to discuss the history and story behind this remarkable car. In 1949, Carlo Abarth began modifying Fiat cars for racing, eventually establishing Abarth as a specialist in Fiat car modifications. After significant achievements in the world of motorsports, Abarth faced some financial challenges, leading Fiat to acquire the company in 1971. Abarth continued to modify Fiat cars for a decade until it was shut down in 1981.
Fortunately, under the management of the Fiat Group, the company resumed operations in 2007, reviving Abarth's sporting legacy with a modified version of the Fiat 500. Today, we present one of the latest releases, the 2018 Abarth 595 Competizione, which stands out as the most powerful variant of the 595 series with 180 horsepower. Let’s explore it further.
Exterior Design
The exterior of the car retains the fabulous design of the Fiat 500, combining a classic look with modern touches suitable for 2018. However, the Abarth 595 has distinctive elements that set it apart from its Fiat sibling, giving it a strong presence and character that immediately catches the eye on the road. It is one of the most frequently asked about cars when stopping at traffic signals.
Beginning with the front, the car features the Abarth logo – a scorpion on a yellow and red background. The choice of a scorpion as the logo might seem unusual, but it represents the founder Carlo Abarth's zodiac sign. The vehicle is equipped with circular fog lights and large cooling vents for the turbocharged engine at the front, detailed enough to read the Abarth name on the turbo grille below, along with effective openings for cooling the front brakes.
The car also features perforated brake discs with Brembo brakes, complementing its sporty performance, and is fitted with stunning 17-inch alloy wheels.
At the rear, the Abarth boasts a prominent spoiler atop the car and a rear diffuser below, along with four exhaust outlets branded as "Record Monza," a name that recalls the record acceleration achieved on the famous Monza circuit, which Carlo Abarth personally broke at the age of 57.
Interior Design
The Abarth features sporty leather seats with a metal opening at the top, a sporty steering wheel wrapped in leather, Alcantara, and carbon fiber, alongside metallic gas and brake pedals adorned with the scorpion logo. The interior amenities are straightforward yet sufficient, including a 7-inch touchscreen equipped with Fiat Chrysler's Uconnect system, navigation, Bluetooth connectivity for mobile phones, an efficient automatic climate control system, and a USB port for charging and connecting devices.
Additionally, the car features a display instead of a traditional dashboard, which changes its layout according to the driving mode, providing various information including navigation, radio, multimedia, and connectivity. A notable feature of the Abarth is the sunroof, enhancing the aesthetics and creating a spacious feel, especially in a compact car.
Driving Experience
Before discussing the driving experience of the Abarth, let’s first address the gearbox used in the car. Many driving experiences you may read or watch express dissatisfaction with this gearbox. However, I believe the issue lies not with the gearbox itself, but rather with a lack of understanding of its operation. The gearbox in our Abarth today features five speeds and is known as Automated Manual Transmission or in the Competizione version, it's referred to as Robotized Sequential Gearbox. To truly grasp this gearbox, one must consider it as a manual transmission, but instead of using a clutch and gas pedal, imagine someone else is performing the gear shifts for you. In a manual car, if you continue pressing the gas pedal during a gear shift, you will feel a noticeable jolt; the smoothest shifts occur by slightly lifting your foot off the gas during an upshift. To master the timing in the automatic mode, you need to be accustomed to the car after prolonged driving.
Once you adapt to this gearbox, the enjoyment you experience from the Abarth 595 is unmatched, even compared to cars priced three times higher, which currently starts at 110,000 AED in the UAE. The Abarth 595 is equipped with a turbocharger from Garrett, part of the Honeywell conglomerate. This turbo system allows the 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine to produce 180 horsepower and 250 Nm of torque, resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 5.8 kg per horsepower. For comparison, cars like the Golf GTI have a ratio of 6.5 kg per horsepower, while the Mini Cooper S has 7 kg per horsepower, and a similarly priced car, the Renault Megane GT, has a ratio of 7.4 kg per horsepower.
What do these numbers signify? The Abarth can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 225 km/h, all while providing excellent control. It also features a stiff suspension utilizing shock-absorbing systems from Koni, enhancing steering responsiveness, especially in sport mode. Coupled with the "Record Monza" exhaust system, you will enjoy a thrilling driving experience at every turn on the road.
However, with such cars, there are inevitably some aspects that may be bothersome during everyday driving. Here are a few:
- The suspension, which provides excellent stability, makes you feel every bump and pothole, no matter how small.
- The driver's seat lacks adjustability for a comfortable long drive, being too high for a compact car, with adjustments limited to up and down only, missing an armrest.
- The placement of some buttons feels odd; for instance, the window controls are located in the center near the gearbox, requiring time to adjust instead of being by the windows. Additionally, the controls for the dashboard settings are positioned behind the steering wheel, making them hard to reach while driving.
- In the UAE and Gulf countries, it’s common to fill gas without turning off the engine or giving the key to the attendant, but with the Abarth, you must turn off the car and hand over the key, enduring the heat while refueling due to shutting off the AC.
- Finally, the rear seats, if we can call them that, pose challenges for taller individuals due to limited legroom and the proximity of the spare tire to the back seat passengers.
Conclusion
You may consider many larger and better-equipped cars close to the Abarth 595's price of 110,000 AED, but undoubtedly, you won't find another vehicle with such unique character, road presence, and driving enjoyment as the Abarth 595.
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