Fiat 124 Spider adds machismo

The Fiat 124 Spider will be officially revealed at November's Los Angeles motor show, with an Australian launch not long after in early 2016.

We've seen countless spy pics and a handful of blurry brochure shots (pictured) of the rear-drive convertible that is based on the same platform and built in the same Japanese factory as the Mazda MX-5.

But the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia (FCAA) says the Fiat 124 Spider will be a more masculine vehicle than its Mazda donor car, particularly in the high-performance Abarth state of tune.

"The 124 is a great image vehicle," said Pat Dougherty in a wide-ranged interview at the Jeep Renegade national launch in Queensland this week.

"The variant we're going to lead with is looking far different than its sister vehicle coming out of the same plant," he said in reference to the Mazda MX-5, which is built at the Ujina plant in Hiroshima alongside the 124.

"It looks more aggressive, meaner," said Dougherty, who confirmed that the Australian timeline and launch dates of the vehicle have been confirmed internally, with an announcement expected to be made in the near future, potentially at the LA show next month.

"It would have as many male buyers as female buyers," the FCAA boss continued, "whereas that segment can be skewed to female buyers."

As one of the leaked images shows, however, the interior appears to be almost identical to the MX-5's, complete with identical infotainment and climate controls. It also shows an automatic transmission, though manual gearboxes will be offered too.

As Fiat talks up the masculine design qualities of the new model, there's a strong chance the new model will out-muscle the MX-5 in the performance department too, with a number of engine tunes being marketed under the Fiat (entry-level) and Abarth (performance) brands.

Fiat has a number of engines to draw from and although it's still not known what engines will be offered, a version of the Italian brand's 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, perhaps with the same 103kW/230Nm output as the new Jeep Renegade, could be offered.

There has been speculation the Abarth-badged models will be offered with the Alfa Romeo 4C's 1.7-litre 177kW engine.

Lucy McLellan, FCAA's director of corporate communications, said after the vehicle's global premiere in Los Angeles the international launch phase will begin and insisted local 124 specifications are still being ironed out.

"We haven't announced timing for Australia or confirmed whether we're taking Fiat engines and Abarth engines. What that mix will look like it's not known yet," she said.

Before the 124 Spider arrives locally, Fiat will launch the 500X compact crossover -- a vehicle the FCAA chief is even more interested in.

Sharing its architecture with the just-released Jeep Renegade, the 500X "is the most important" new model for the brand, says Dougherty.

"It plays in a volume segment we don't have today for that part of our dealer network," he said, where it has the potential to significantly boost Fiat sales in Australia.