Fiat 124 Spider here this year

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia has confirmed it will release the new Fiat 124 Spider just in time for Christmas, in the fourth quarter of this year.

However, it won't comment on rumours the Mazda MX-5 based, Japanese-built roadster will be available here only in hotter Abarth form, which would obviously impact the model's position in relation to the MX-5, which is priced from just $31,490.

Based on discussions at the model's unveiling at the LA motor show last year, motoring.com.au originally expected the Fiat 124 Spider to go on sale here in April this year, but FCAA's director of communications, Lucy McLellan, says a later arrival is now anticipated.

"I can confirm you'll see the 124 Spider by the end of this year," McLellan said. "But we're staying tight-lipped about what version we'll release in the fourth quarter of the year."

FCA this week revealed the US-only 2017 Fiat 124 Spider Elaborazione Abarth limited-edition at the New York motor show, featuring sports suspension, a mechanical limited-slip differential, Sport Mode selector and a quad/chrome-tipped sports exhaust.

Available alongside the standard 124 Spider line-up from mid-year in North America, it features Brembo brakes, Recaro seats and manual and automatic transmissions, and is powered by the same 119kW 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine as the Abarth 124 Spider sold in Europe -- up from the Fiat-badged 124 Spider's 105kW.

Those figures are still a long way shy of the 177kW/350Nm 'Scorpion' derivative tipped for release in 2018, but well ahead of the Mazda MX-5's 95kW/150Nm 1.5-litre and 118kW/200Nm 2.0-litre offerings.

The Abarth-tuned 124 Spider is said to hit 100km/h in 6.8 seconds -- 0.7sec faster than the standard Fiat version. It boasts a top whack of 230km/h and, although heavier than the MX-5 on which it's based, will still maintain that model's prized 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution.

The 124 Spider will be offered with a choice of six-speed manual and 'Sequenziale Sportivo' (sequential sports) transmissions when it goes on sale locally. If we get the Abarth version, the specification list should also include a limited-slip (rear) differential, Bilstein dampers, stiffer anti-roll bars and a Brembo brake package with aluminium front callipers to keep unsprung mass as low as possible.

Cosmetically, as you can see from this image, the Abarth 124 Spider is styled with more aggressive bumpers, larger air intakes at the front, LED lights front and rear and 17-inch alloy wheels. The windscreen frame and rolls bars will be finished in Forgiato Grey while body colours extend to five. All Abarth 124 Spiders will feature matt-black treatments on the bonnet and boot lid.

In the cabin, the Abarth 124 Spider is dressed with a Racing Alcantara Kit and an individually numbered metal build plate. The Italian roadster is built in Hiroshima alongside the MX-5.

Equipment levels mirror those found in GT Roadster versions of the MX-5, and include a 7.0-inch infotainment screen, sat-nav, climate-control, Bluetooth connectivity, digital radio, cruise control and a reversing camera. It's understood the BOSE audio system offered in conjunction with Mazda's GT Roadster will be optional on the Abarth.