Photo: X-Tomi Design
Even though it's quite expensive to buy and not very practical, the Abarth version of the Fiat 500 is hugely popular. It could be because of the badge or the Dolce Vita attitude that has helped the Italians secure one of the only hot models in the A segment. Now, a report based on insider statements suggests something BIG is on the way, the 500X Abarth.
Australian magazine CarAdvice spoke to Fiat's head of European design Roberto Giolito at the Paris Motor Show last week, right after the official debut of the 500X. The official made it clear that a hot crossover is not only possible, but also highly likely to enter production by the end of 2015.
"The Abarth vision is not only based on 500s. So there’s more to come. The 500X is a good body for Abarth,” said Giolito on the sidelines of the Paris Motor Show. “I can say today this is a good item. It’s absolutely perfect in terms of drivability, control. The driving seat is perfectly measured to control the car. So the Abarth would be perfect.”
The official stated that the 500X Abarth “would be more visible because the car has more potential to be changed," which likely means even more aggressive changes are possible, since the body of the crossover leaves designers plenty of room to maneuver.
The official would not, however, reveal what sort of engine we can expect from the steroid-infused car. Normally, Abarth 500 and Puntos use a 1.4-liter turbo engine, but that's already been made available on the regular 500X model and would simply not have the necessary output to deliver hot hatch performance.
In one of our previous reports, we suggested at Fiat could instead plant the 1.75-liter TBi turbo it uses on the Alfa Rome Giulietta QV. Currently, this puts down 235 horsepower and 340 Nm of torque, being capable of accelerating the Golf GTI rival from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.8 seconds.
The 500X Abarth's biggest rival would be Nissan's Juke Nismo, powered by a 1.6-liter turbo producing 215 horsepower and available with a six-speed manual or a CVT. Renault is also pondering a Captur RS 200 EDC model, though we've heard nothing to confirm its development.
"The Abarth vision is not only based on 500s. So there’s more to come. The 500X is a good body for Abarth,” said Giolito on the sidelines of the Paris Motor Show. “I can say today this is a good item. It’s absolutely perfect in terms of drivability, control. The driving seat is perfectly measured to control the car. So the Abarth would be perfect.”
The official stated that the 500X Abarth “would be more visible because the car has more potential to be changed," which likely means even more aggressive changes are possible, since the body of the crossover leaves designers plenty of room to maneuver.
The official would not, however, reveal what sort of engine we can expect from the steroid-infused car. Normally, Abarth 500 and Puntos use a 1.4-liter turbo engine, but that's already been made available on the regular 500X model and would simply not have the necessary output to deliver hot hatch performance.
In one of our previous reports, we suggested at Fiat could instead plant the 1.75-liter TBi turbo it uses on the Alfa Rome Giulietta QV. Currently, this puts down 235 horsepower and 340 Nm of torque, being capable of accelerating the Golf GTI rival from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.8 seconds.
The 500X Abarth's biggest rival would be Nissan's Juke Nismo, powered by a 1.6-liter turbo producing 215 horsepower and available with a six-speed manual or a CVT. Renault is also pondering a Captur RS 200 EDC model, though we've heard nothing to confirm its development.
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