Fiat 500 Abarth hot hatch gets local update and slashed price

It may be a bit long in the tooth, but there’s little doubt that the Fiat 500 Abarth is still one of the most raucous and fun entries in the hot hatch genre. And now it’s been given a new lick of paint and a hefty price cut. 

The updated Abarth range comes in three core flavours; the entry-level Abarth 595, the go-faster 595 Competizione, and the drop-top 595 Competizione Cabriolet.

For the first time the model’s pricing will dip below $30,000, with the base manual 595 priced at $29,990 and the automatic following at $34,490. This places the 500 firmly in Suzuki Swift Sport and Ford Fiesta ST territory for the first time. 

The 595 Competizione, meanwhile, starts at $41,990 for the manual hard-top. The auto equivalent is priced at $44,490, and the cabriolet models are priced at $44,990 (manual) and $47,490 (automatic), respectively. 

The catch in opting for the cheapest Abarth is that you get the less powerful version of Fiat’s snorting, rorty turbocharged 1.4-litre ‘T-Jet’ four. In 595 form, it produces 107kW of power and 206Nm of torque. Competizione versions, meanwhile, make 132kW/250Nm. 

The base 595 still gets a decent level of equipment, including 16-inch wheels, a 7-inch Uconnect touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, reverse parking sensors, and adaptive front suspension. 

On top of the more powerful donk, the Competizione throws in larger 17-inch wheels, leather upholstery, front and rear adaptive suspension and Koni’s dual-action dampers, Brembo brakes up front, and (perhaps most crucially) that sweet sports exhaust package that makes the diminutive Abarth sound like thunder. 

Tangible updates relative to the last 595 are limited to the additional models, new colour palette (Rally Blue, a throwback to Fiat’s 131 Abarth rally heritage, is one of the 11 hues), a new 17-inch wheel design, and a few other minor tweaks. 

The new Abarth line-up has already landed in local dealerships, and is on sale now.