Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati Review

During our drive test, we showed the Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati to multiple girls and their reaction was the same. They all pointed at the car's cute little mouth and started giggling.

They were probably captivated by the combination between the Bi-xenon headlights and the retro halogen daytime running lights. Oh, who are we kidding here? They were drawn by the same cuteness that won us over.

Well ladies, things may be in miniature here, but they're all serious. Those air intakes on the sides serve twin intercoolers. There's two of them because this 1.4-liter engine's been pushed to 180 HP. That's 40 more than in the standard Abarth 500 and 20 more than what the US Abarth version offers.

And look at those rims. Their 17-inch size is used to display Maserati's Neptune design. Their shade of gray can also be found on other elements of the car, like the lower front fascia or the rear spoiler.

Speaking of the Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati's rear, we couldn't really decide what we liked the most. We were split between the hexagonal Maserati-style tailpipes and the way in which the aforementioned wheels are pushed towards the corners of the car.

Or perhaps our attention should go to that petite glass rear window and to the retro-styled boot lid underneath. By the way, they work together as a team – open the boot with the roof folded and the latter will move away to make room for access. Nice scorpion.

Nevertheless, lean a bit closer and you'll get to see that the real treats sit behind the wheels. First of all, the Abarth 500 Maserati Edition gets some meaty brakes. We're talking about a Brembo setup up front with perforated, self-ventilating 305 mm rotors and 264 mm perforated discs at the back.

The cool wheels also hide a set of Abarth-dedicated Koni dampers. These come with an entry-level version of the adaptive concept. They use FSD valves that vary the way in which the oil passes through the shock absorber according to the movement dictated by the road. In other words, they can tell the lean generated by a bump by that created due to bumps in the road.

We finished last chapter by telling you about the perfect finish of the Abarth 695 Maserati Edition. We kind of lied. Yes, the Pontevecchio Bordeaux hue is splendid, especially in the sun, but it's delicate. This seems to be that sort of color that's more easily damaged by stone chips than other hues.

However, the color stays irresistible, especially since it makes such an elegant mix with the gray hue of the canvas top.

OK, we admit it, we also liked the Maserati badges.