Fiat relaunches Abarth

Fiat has relaunched its Abarth brand in Australia by releasing a trio of racy micro-cars based on the pint-size Fiat 500, priced $1490 lower than the Esse Esse model they replace.

The revised Abarth line-up comprises the 595 Turismo hatch and the 595 Competizione hatch and cabrio.

While the updated MY14 Series 3 Fiat 500 on which they're based is now at least $1000 more expensive than before, the Abarth range entry price is reduced from $34,990 to $33,500 plus-on road costs for the hatch-only Turismo.

The better-equipped Competizione is available in both hard-top (from $36,500) and convertible form, which at $39,000 plus ORCs costs around the same as the previous $38,990 Esse Esse soft-top.

All three models come with a five-speed manual transmission as standard or, for an extra $2000, Fiat's unconventional five-speed Dualogic single-clutch automated manual gearbox.

That means Australians miss out on the long-awaited conventional (torque converter-type) automatic transmission that's now available in the Mexican-made Abarth models sold in the US.

Fiat says there are no plans to fit our Abarth models, which come from Europe, with the new Aisin six-speed auto that, according to Fiat USA, in sport mode delivers "an even more engaged driving experience" thanks to more aggressive response, rev-matched and brake-assisted downshifts, fuel-cut upshifts and corner gear-holding.

As before, the Abarth models are powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder T-Jet petrol engine that produces 118kW at 5500rpm and 230Nm of torque at 3000rpm.

That's not as much as the 132kW/250Nm outputs delivered by the limited-edition 50th Anniversary Abarth 595, just 56 examples of which were released in May for $45,000.

But it is enough for all three "Italian pocket exotics" to accelerate to 100km/h in a claimed 7.4 seconds in manual form  and 7.6 seconds with the Dualogic auto (the 50th Anniversary special did it in less than seven seconds) and to reach more than 200km/h.

At the same time, official combined fuel consumption is just 5.4L/100km for the manual and 5.3L/100km for the Dualogic.

All three Abarths ride on lower and firmer MacPherson strut front and torsion-beam rear suspension from the mainstream Fiat 500, but gain automatically-adjustable Koni dampers and a rear anti-roll bar.

They also come with a racier version of the latest 500's clever new seven-inch TFT instrument cluster, which adds a digital G-force meter and turbo boost pressure gauge, while the Blue&Me Bluetooth multimedia connectivity system and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror are also standard.

The Abarth 595 Turismo rides on diamond-finish 10-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels with 205/40 R17 tyres, wrapped around cross-drilled and ventilated brake rotors measuring 284mm front and 240mm rear, and gripped by red callipers.

It also features bi-colour leather seat trim, leather floor mats with aluminium inserts, 'Alutex' gearshift and pedals, and a tinted rear window.

For an extra $3000 (hatch), the Abarth 595 Competizione hatch and cabrio come with a dual-mode 'Record Monza' exhaust that's considerably more vocal above 4000rpm, darker five-spoke 17-inch alloys, yellow callipers and matt-titanium grey stripes.

Inside, the top-shelf Abarth delivers fabric-trimmed 'Abarth Corsa by Sabelt' seats in Titanium Grey, a carbon-fibre kickplate, aluminium pedals, climate-control and tinted rear-side windows.