Abarth 595

The coolness quotient of the Abarth 595 is well-executed on the inside as well, as the cutesy-looking dashboard of the Fiat 500 has been tweaked on the lines of other Abarth cars. While this is not a tech-laden cabin, it looks very appealing with its cool-looking colour combinations and a decent amount of features.

The flat-bottom multi-functional steering wheel with square-rounded buttons and the Abarth logo on it feel good to hold and look at. The rounded single pod instrument console behind the steering wheel gets a circular full TFT display that readout speed and other info, with an analog tachometer surrounding it. There is another rounded digital display pod separate from the main instrument console, which reads out the drive mode info.

The dashboard looks distinctive with its dual-tone black and exterior body colour finish, with the centre console divided into two parts. The upper part houses the rounded rectangular 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with vertically laid AC vents adjacent to it. On the other hand, the lower centre console houses neat and chunky-looking buttons for automatic climate control. In the middle, there are three different rounded buttons. Other impressive bits of the cabin include aluminum inlays at places, sporty aluminium pedals, and sport seats.

The Abarth 595 is based on the fantastic-looking Fiat 500, which despite being a super-compact car in terms of dimensions, is one sheer attraction magnet. The Abarth treatment given to the car brings along a range of visual tweaks on the outside, which make it look much sportier in appearance.

At the front, the Abarth 595 carries the minimalist-looking face of the Fiat 500, with a small and sleek-looking open strip for the front grille and an equally sleek-looking strip of chrome with a large Abarth logo in the middle. There are rounded headlamps on the outer edges, which pack in LED projector bulbs within them. There are additional rounded lights just below the main headlamps, which serve as the auxiliary lamps and get segmented rounded daytime running LEDs around their circumference. What makes it look purposely different from the Fiat 500 is the much more aggressive-looking front bumper, with sporty air intakes and projector fog lamps.

The side profile of the Abarth 595 looks super sporty with its small wheelbase and 16-inch alloy wheels, which look large and sporty for a car of its size. The two-door look with door-mounted rounded rearview mirrors and sporty side skirts add to its sporty appeal, while the low ground clearance gives this car a planted feel. At the back, the Abarth 595 gets the same rakish design as the standard Fiat 500, with an angular windscreen and raked boot lid, with vertically laid LED tail lamps on the outer edges. Like the front, the rear profile too looks properly sporty with a rear diffuser chromed exhaust pipes, one on each corner.

The Abarth 595 gets a suspension combination of Macpherson struts at the front and torsion beam at the rear, which gets stiffened anti-roll bars. This suspensions setup is comparatively stiffer as compared to the Fiat 500, but it makes the Abarth 595 a hoot to drive.

Powering the Abarth 595 is a familiar 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which powers several vehicles from the Fiat Chrysler family all over the world. However, for the Abarth 595, the engine is in an entirely different state of tune, with a maximum power output of 145 bhp and a peak torque output of 206 Nm. The engine is paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox, which is a perfect match to suit the sporty character of the car. The car offers quick performance numbers, with a claimed 0-100 kmph in 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 210 kmph.

In terms of safety, the Abarth 595 packs in just the basics like front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control, electronic stability control, reverse parking sensors, and rear camera.

The Abarth 595 is a proper out-and-out driver’s car with a potent and nicely sounding engine, stiffer suspension setup to keep you planted, and perfectly weighted steering which makes it fun to drive the machine around the corners.