Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati Review

An important part of what helped the Fiat 500 motorize Italy after the War was its smart packaging. This is exactly what defines the modern-day car, despite the actual layouts having nothing in common. What’s more, the new car is also good at absorbing impact energy, with this having a five-star Euro NCAP rating.

We don't think we can name too many cars like the Abarth 500C on which the Edizione Maserati is based. In between the ultra-compact dimensions of this thing, there seems to be more room than in a Porsche 911.

We're not kidding, here you can accommodate four adults on long trips, as well as considerably more luggage than in the German sports car – the boot holds between 182 and 520 liters (6.4 to 18.4 cubic feet), almost the same as in the Abarth 500 “Coupe”. You can even place two extra-large child seats in the back of the Abarth using the Isofix mounts.

We went to open the boot of our test car and we found it... loaded. You get all sorts of Abarth toys, such as a car cover, a car care kit and an emergency pack, in a leather case, of course.

The comparison with the 911 may appear like a very, very far stretch, but considering that the Abarth also packs enough engine to make it feel sporty, the battle actually seems legit.

As for the interior Maserati Edition-specific bits, they're all over the place, just like those outside the car.

When you step inside, the seats, which proved to be pretty comfortable but not very supportive, greet you with their Poltona Frau leather finish. This is a real treat and we're starting to see where Abarth was going with that GT talk.

Nevertheless, the driving position seems a bit odd at first. You sit rather high and the steering wheel doesn't adjust in terms of depth. You'll have to set this Abarth in motion in order to notice that the car somehow magically overcomes this. Once you're on the move, you'll feel that the connection between you two is just right.

As a driver, you can't help but feel spoiled when you're treated with so many little gifts, all well integrated. The instrument panel, which looks like some sort of musical box, comes from Jaeger. Together with the turbo boost gauge that's placed to your right, these instruments look at you and whisper "turn me to the very end, whip this thing!" There's also a 400 W JBL audio system and its nine speakers are enough to provide a pleasant experience.

The steering wheel has Italy's colors on the rim to keep you straight and true. And the paddles around it may be made of plastic, but they're a delight to use.

It's the same story with the center console. The base still comes from the Fiat 500. That's not quite cool, since it leaves you with a high-mounted shifter such as that of an utilitarian vehicle. However, the Maserati Edition comes with a robotized manual gearbox. Thus, instead of a shifter you get Ferrari-style buttons for this Lambo-like transmission.

In keeping with the GT theme, the whole padding around the cabin is very generous, better than in many premium German sedans. Speaking of this, it's not your fault if all you want to do in this car is pull handbrake tricks all day. The soft and generous handle of the handbrake lever is the explanation.

Abarth drivers should also be excused for driving with the hazard lights on all the time. You just can't help but push that red button because it's nothing short of eye candy.

And people who drive Abarths don't lack turning skills. It just looks this way, but this is all the car's fault. This things has an exaggerated turning circle. A bit frustrating. And speaking of turning, there's a Tom Tom navigation, a detachable unit. This proved to be very handy during our drive. However, we'd prefer a fixed unit, since you'll have to remove this every time you park the car in a questionable neighborhood.

Looking around the cabin, your eyes will also be drawn by the dry carbon trim of this special edition. A nice treat, unlike a few of the interior plastics, which don't raise up to the expectations.

A strong contrast is brought by the floor mats. These also feature sand-colored leather and, with their metallic details, could very well serve as a luxury store decoration. Since we mentioned decorations, the Abarth 695 Maserati Edition has some of its own, such as a numbered plaque at the base of the center console.