Fiat Abarth 595: Little devil

The new Fiat Abarth 595 dazzles with its touch and feel but is let down by poor features

With a 1.4 L petrol motor, the Fiat Abarth 595 Competizione model is a little devil when it comes to speed. This is the Abarth version of the Fiat 500, and Abarth is the performance division of Fiat that has been symbolised for ages by the scorpion. Like a scorpion, the 595 Competizione is also small and extremely vicious. The motor may have a cubic capacity of 1.4 litres but it is a turbo T-Jet, inline, four-cylinder engine that puts out a 160 horses at 5,000rpm , and 230Nm of torque at 3,000rpm when in sport mode. So essentially the engine propels this car to a top speed of 209 kmph and is capable of reaching 100 kmph from standstill in just 7.4 seconds.

The car does not have too great a turning radius, which stands at 5.4 meters. In terms of fuel efficiency as well this car returns a decent 14.9km to the litre, making it reasonable to drive around in the city. But where the Abarth 595 Competizione really excels is performance. The engine has been mated to a 5-speed auto box. The shifts aren't exactly butter smooth but get the job done fairly well. One also has the option of throwing the car into sport mode with the simple push of a button. The suspension set up comes with frequency selective dampers that adapt to frequency of movement and adjust the damping force levels accordingly.

  The steering is well-weighted and responsive, while braking is facilitated by self ventilated perforated oversized discs in the front and rear. The touch and feel, quality, fit and finish all is rather appealing but the interior design and features front is a letdown. The Abarth 595 Competizione comes with manual climate control, electronically adjustable but manually folding ORVMs, 7-inch TFT colour display instrument panel, reverse parking sensors, bluetooth and USB integration and steering mounted controls. The minimalistic infotainment system does feel out of place in the 595.

FIAT ABARTH 595 COMPETIZIONE

Engine: 1368cc, Turbo T Jet Engine, Petrol
Transmission: 5-Speed Automatic Sequential FWD
Power: 160bhp@5,500rpm
Torque: 230Nm@3,000rpm
Fuel Tank Capacity: 45 Litres
Price: Rs 29.8 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi)

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Reports: Motown India; www. motownindia.com