Cinquecento. This exotic word rolls off the tongue and makes anyone sound Italian. In reality, it simply means 500. In Fiat language, 500 is its base car sold in America that comes in three models–Pop, Lounge and Abarth. While all the 500 versions are fun to drive, Fiat’s highest performance 500 Abarth even wears a Scorpion badge-offers a hot hatch with more horsepower and a revised sport suspension. But you had better move quick as Fiat has announced that 2019 is the last year the 500 will be imported to America. Che diamine!
Performance-Oriented
The 2019 Fiat 500c Abarth Cabrio comes with an intercooled, turbocharged 1.4-liter, four-cylinder engine with sequential multiport electronic fuel injection. Producing 160 horsepower and 170 pounds-feet of torque, the front wheels are driven through a five-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic with paddle shifters is also available.
Ready for a wild ride
The EPA fuel economy rating of 28 city/33 highway/30 combined can be looked at two ways. If driven conservatively, the Abarth can deliver even better numbers than its rating. Clean Fleet Report achieved 37.6 mpg over a 210-mile all-freeway run and an overall average over 571 miles of 32.5 mpg. However, when on a shorter run through the mountains, hitting corners hard and winding-out the engine to its
6,000-rpm redline, the fuel economy took a minor hit. So, you have the option of driving the 500 Abarth sedately or aggressively. Nice to have that choice.
Running on unleaded regular (though with 91 octane recommended for top performance), the 83-cubic-inch high-revving engine was smooth, responsive and quick: taking just under seven seconds for 0-to-60, a full three seconds less than the base, non-turbo engine in the 500. The optional automatic joins Ferrari and Lamborghini by going clutch-less. If shifting isn’t your thing, but having a sporty ride is, make sure to test drive both the manual and automatic.
Driving Experience: On the Road
Clean Fleet Report’s 500c Abarth Cabrio with the five-speed manual, weighed in 2,545 pounds. For comparison, the Mini Cooper S weighs in at 2,760 pounds. The light weight resulted in excellent handling; after spending a week in the Abarth, I found the cornering to be tight and nimble. In certain situations, the Abarth suspension was too stiff, which under heavy cornering acceleration caused the wheels to chatter. One surprising thing was the turning radius, which was wider than would be expected for such a small car.
The Abarth adds track-bred engine & suspensionupgrades
The 2019 Fiat 500 Abarth goes exactly where you want it to go with the electric power steering very subtle in its assist. The Abarth’s front MacPherson suspension was track-bred, with coil springs and Koni frequency-selective damping twin-tube struts in the front and
a stabilizer bar and performance-tuned shocks and springs and a solid stabilizer bar in the rear. The 205/40 Pirelli Cinturato P-Zero three-season performance tires mounted on 17-inch wheels, made this a fun, responsive little car. But the physics of a short wheelbase, performance tires and stiff suspension led to a rough ride on the freeway.
The turbocharged engine, mated with the five-speed manual provided all the power necessary to have spirited fun. The best performance is going up and then down in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears,
staying between 3,500 and 5,500 rpm. This sweet spot keeps the small turbocharged engine spinning to maximize the horsepower and torque. Fiat was wise to not overpower the Abarth, as a concern with front wheel drive cars is torque steer. I never felt anywhere close to losing control when putting the power down, which was a comforting feeling.
Not one good for sneaking away
With all these spirited driving attributes, I found one minor irritation…the exhaust note. At low
speeds, as in pulling out of my driveway at six in the morning, it made a terrible racket that announced loud and clear to my sleeping neighbors I was departing. When at freeway speeds, there was always an underlying drone that cranking up the stereo did not overcome.
However, where the Abarth’s tuned exhaust sounded great was going down through the gears. A true sports car feel comes over you when you can produce nice rumbling, popping and burbling sounds. Now we’re talking FUN!
Stopping was through semi-metallic, vented, single-piston front with single-piston solid rear rotor disc brakes that delivered steady pressure through four-wheel brake assist and the anti-lock brake system (ABS). Handling was enhanced with all-speed traction and electronic stability control.
Exterior Design: Going Retro
If the Fiat 500 line-up is all about Italian Retro design, then the 500 Abarth takes it a step further; Fiat calls
it aggressive styling, giving it an athletic profile. Clean Fleet Report was driving the Abarth painted Colosseo Gray with a black horizontal Abarth stripe on the driver and passenger doors. For fun, the calipers are painted in
red (Rosso) lacquer making them pop against the forged aluminum Hyper Black wheels.
Retro Italian design with some new touches
Up front, to differentiate the Abarth from its siblings, there is a large air intake slot just above the lower, slotted intercooler intakes on the fascia. The large, round, Bi-Halogen projector headlights sit above the round Halogen fog lamps. The 500 Abarth has an upright design, with a raked front windshield with sides that slope inward towards the roof. This leads to a fixed rear glass on the hatch, which has a sharp angle sloping forward. Chrome is only found on the door handles, rear eyebrow and front mustache strips. Scorpion badges appear in a few places, but never the word “Fiat.”
Interior Design: Going More Retro
The first thing you notice when getting into a Fiat 500 is how small it seems. But the smallness does not translate into being cramped, because at 5-foot,-9,I fit just fine, as did my friend at 6-foot, including ample headspace. The Abarth gets a sportier interior than the other models, starting with high-performance, heated cloth seats with large thigh bolsters. Our seats were black with red contrasting stitching, a color scheme carried through to the leather-wrapped steering wheel and dashboard that all worked nicely.
A tight, but comfortable space
Adding to the sporty look was a hefty-to-the-touch leather-wrapped shift knob, and aluminum foot pedals. The tilt steering wheel column along with the manually adjustable seats made finding a comfortable seating position easy, and that hefty gear shift lever
was positioned perfectly. However, the contortionist moves needed to reach the
shoulder belts, once seated upfront, are an indication of the smallness of the interior. Fiat says the 500 Abarth seats four, and technically it does. The best bet though is to lay the 50/50 split rear seats flat and enjoy zipping around with ample luggage space for two. You will create great memories of weekend trips, attacking twisties in your local mountains or forests.
Since we were driving the 2019 Fiat 500c Abarth Cabrio, it means we had a power-operated cloth top that can be opened to any of three positions at speeds up to 60 mph. Not a true convertible, the Abarth Cabrio’s folding top retracts at its fullest position to just before the rear fixed window. So, you get all the open air driving enjoyment without losing the rigidity of a sports coupe.
They call it a Cabrio, but it’s really just a sunroof
The 500c Abarth dash is clean and basic with everything well within reach and eyesight of the driver, including a turbo boost gauge. The integrated 5.0-inch color display housed an Alpine Premium audio system for AM/FM/CD/MP3 systems and SiriusXM, which comes with a one-year subscription. All of this can be managed by the controls on the Abarth performance-designed steering wheel or a media hub with USB, AUX and audio input jacks.
Convenience features include power windows with one-touch down, power door locks, automatic temperature control with cabin filtration, floor mats, remote keyless entry, 12V and USB power outlets, multiple cup holders, rear cargo shelf panel, security alarm and a tire service kit in lieu of a spare tire.
Safety Features
The Fiat center stack
The 2019 Fiat 500c Abarth Cabrio has not been tested by NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
It was tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway SafetyIIHS, where it received a poor crash rating. Safety features include seven airbags, security alarm, ParkView rear park camera with assist, engine immobilizer, tire pressure monitoring system, brake assist, hill start assist and cruise control.
Pricing and Warranties
Clean Fleet Report was driving a 2019 Fiat 500C Abarth Cabrio with a manual transmission. The base price of $21,990 had $3,425 in options added, for an MSRP of $25,415. All prices do not include the $1,495 destination charge.
All 2019 Fiat 500 models come with these warranties.
Basic – Four Years/50,000 miles
Powertrain – Four Years/50,000 miles
Corrosion Perforation – 12 Years/Unlimited miles
Roadside Assistance – Four Years/Unlimited distance
Observations: 2019 Fiat 500c Abarth Cabrio
A cool-looking Italian car with a turbocharged engine that looks like nothing else on the road makes for fun times behind the wheel. So, what’s not to like about this small car?
Riding into the sunset
Interior size is a consideration, if you are inviting more than one other person to go on a
trip longer than a few miles. The exhaust decibel level could be an issue for you as it was for me. This, of course, is a personal choice on this point.
If you like driving corners aggressively, and it is important that no one else is driving the same
car as you when showing up at a party, then the Fiat 500c Abarth Cabrio could be right for you.
You may even be heard signing That’s Amore, because you just may be in Love!
Whatever you end up buying, Happy Driving! Ciao!
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Disclosure:Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
John Faulkner is Road Test Editor at Clean Fleet Report. He has more than 30 years’ experience branding, launching and marketing automobiles. He has worked with General Motors (all Divisions), Chrysler (Dodge, Jeep, Eagle), Ford and Lincoln-Mercury, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota on consumer events and sales training programs. His interest in automobiles is broad and deep, beginning as a child riding in the back seat of his parent’s 1950 Studebaker. He is a journalist member of the Motor Press Guild and Western Automotive Journalists.
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