Abarth 595 2016 Review

Abarth 595
Road Test

Following the introduction of the sparky Abarth 595 model, which sits midway between the chic Fiat 500 and the fearsome Biposto, there’s now a bambino for everyone. Offering sporty performance from its small but almost perfectly balanced frame, the $28,000 (plus on-road costs) Abarth 595 is a hoot to drive. But does all that power in a diminutive package make as much sense as its larger small car rivals?

The feisty Abarth range has a new entry model in the form of the recently introduced Abarth 595, which is priced to bring entry into the niche sports-micro segment to $27,500 – or $31,500 for the “convertible” version.

Despite its small stature the Abarth 595 is a standout vehicle, styled with an overt sports design that screams performance before the key is even turned.

All the hot hatch must-haves are included as standard features, including a rear spoiler, matte charcoal alloy wheels, chromed twin exhausts and Abarth side stripe. But it’s the large disc brakes and painted red callipers on all four wheels that tell onlookers this tiny sports machine is not just playing grown-ups.

Featuring a gutsy 103kW 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with a standard five-speed manual transmission, the Abarth 595 musters 206Nm and can accelerate to 100km/h in less than eight seconds.

While those numbers are not huge compared with some larger hot hatches, they are matched well with the Abarth’s small frame and make for an entertaining drive.

Based on the iconic Fiat 500 body shape, the three-door hatch is lowered by 15mm and sits on larger 16-inch alloy wheels with wider tyres. In a back to back comparison with the entry bambino model, the dynamic change is remarkable. The 595 grips the road much better and delivers much more confidence than the Fiat 500 we tested recently.

The handling success is due to the 595’s sports-oriented suspension set up, which has been reworked both front and rear to deliver sharper handling with reduced body roll. Combine the chassis with nicely-weighted steering and a sprightly engine and transmission combination, and the Abarth 595 is a tidy package that rewards the driver with well-balanced performance.

Stiffer front spring rates assist noticeably in cornering, while selective damping helps to smooth out road bumps, ensuring ride quality – even on pitted tarmac – is not as harsh as might be anticipated.

On sharp twisting roads, the Abarth 595 excels. As a light car, it can carry a fair bit of speed into corners and its genius torque transfer control system works in conjunction with the car’s stability control to boost throttle performance on cornering, transferring power to the drive wheels to keep the car on the not-so-straight and narrow.

When needing to slow sharply or stop suddenly, the ventilated front discs and those aforementioned beefy callipers do the job admirably. They are a great match with the car’s accelerative performance.

Power delivery from a standing start is exhilarating. Gear changes while accelerating are smooth and quickly executed through the dash-mounted manual gear change. But while the manual shift in the Abarth is one of the best things about the 595, I did find myself reaching for a non-existent sixth forward cog on more than one occasion.

Not that the engine tone is unlikeable. In fact the Abarth sport exhaust is another highlight of the 595. It emits a ‘look-at-me’ growl on start-up which reverberates around the cabin once gaining speed and will have you buying into Fiat’s claim that the Abarth 595 is small but wicked.

The Abarth 595 includes two dynamic settings – Normal for city driving and Sport mode for everywhere else, yet it is hard to believe you’d ever want to opt for Normal over sport mode. It limits torque to first and second gears to give better fuel efficiency but in doing so feels like it is enforcing a restriction on the 595’s personality. It also loses its direct steering feel and becomes pedestrian in a tactile sense.

While the Sport driving dynamics are laudable, there are a few omissions from the things you expect to see for the price. The 595 doesn’t yet feature the new touchscreen-centred infotainment system that was recently added to the Fiat 500. Although that system has been confirmed for upcoming Abarth models, an ETA is yet to be announced for Australia.

It also misses out on satellite navigation and a reversing camera, and while it’s easy to make an argument that you don’t need a camera in a pint-sized car such as this, the fat C-pillars do restrict rear vision during parking manoeuvres. At least the included rear parking sensors sound an alert in tight spots.

The Abarth features the Blue&Me Bluetooth system which is hard to work out on initial use. Pairing a phone through the system for the first time was not an intuitive process and seemed to be harder than similar systems. Once paired, the audio quality for calls was good but I was unable to stream audio via Bluetooth and needed to connect my phone with USB cable to play back music.

Both I and my fellow reviewer were also bamboozled by the 595’s heating controls when driving in the dark. Dials on the centre console are not illuminated, leaving a selection of red icons scattered across the display and no clear way of working out what setting you are on, or how to change it. It’s a pretty dangerous situation as it draws your eye from the road to try and work it all out.

All that said, the Abarth 595 is a fine driver’s car and can play the role of fun weekend warrior or daily commuter vehicle. While its small size may rule it out for many buyers who need to carry passengers regularly, it is still a competent four seater with surprisingly spacious interior accommodation and a boot capacity that makes it more practical than it appears.

At $27,500 (plus $500 for the premium metallic paint) it is one of the most expensive light cars on the market. It is only beaten in price by its own siblings so it’s likely you’re going to compare it with cars that are a segment size larger.

The Ford Fiesta ST, Renault Clio RS and Volkswagen Polo GTI all offer comparable performance and larger dimensions for less money – but none of them offer the audaciousness of the Abarth 595.

If quirky, standout style is more important to you than carrying capacity, the Abarth 595 might be just the ticket.

2016 Abarth 595 pricing and specifications:
Price as tested: $28,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 103kW/206Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 6.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 139g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Ford Fiesta ST (from $25,990 plus ORCs)
>> Volkswagen Polo GTi (from $27,490 plus ORCs)
>> Renault Clio GT (from $26,500 plus ORCs)