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Home | Fiat | Review 2012 FIAT 500 Abarth February 20, 2012

Review 2012 FIAT 500 Abarth

Apart from the Abarth, all Fiat 500s are powered by a 1.4-liter four-cylinder that produces 101 hp and 98 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the Pop and the Sport. A six-speed automatic is standard on the Lounge and optional on the other trims.

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In Edmunds performance testing, a manual-equipped Fiat 500 Sport went from zero to 60 mph in 10.8 seconds with the manual transmission  about 2 seconds slower than a base Mini. An automatic-equipped 500C hit 60 mph in a similarly slow 12.4 seconds. EPA-estimated fuel economy stands at an excellent 30 mpg city/38 mpg highway and 33 mpg combined with the manual transmission. This drops to 27 mpg city/34 mpg highway with the automatic, which is still thrifty, but worse than almost every competitor.

The 500 Abarth is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four that makes 160 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual is the sole transmission offered.

The 2012 Fiat 500 comes standard with stability and traction control, antilock disc brakes, a driver knee airbag, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. In Edmunds brake testing, a 500 Sport came to a stop from 60 mph in a short 119 feet. A 500C Lounge stopped in a still solid 124 feet.

In government crash tests, the 500 received three (out of five) stars for overall crash protection, with four stars for overall frontal protection and a disappointing two stars for overall side protection. However, it should be noted that side protection for the driver was five stars — it was the rear side rating of two stars that dragged down the overall score.

While the Fiat 500′s retro styling screams “Mini fighter,” its interior raises the decibels even further. It doesn’t possess as many customization options and accessories as its British archrival, but the 500 does offer snazzy two-tone color schemes and plenty of neat little design cues. It also has a more straightforward control layout than the form-over-function Mini. However, the available “Blue & Me” voice-activated iPod control is practically unusable, leaving you to use the standard auxiliary jack.

As for interior quality, the Fiat is not quite up to the Mini’s level. There are more hard surfaces, but compared to other cars in its modest price range, they are pleasingly textured and generally higher in quality.

Other than the Smart Fortwo, the Fiat 500 is the smallest car sold in the United States. Nonetheless, the high-mounted front seats allow for an impressive amount of legroom even for tall drivers. Sadly, however, those same tall drivers will find their heads grazing the headliner should they get a car with the available sunroof. Headroom is always tight in the backseat, as is legroom. Unlike most other convertibles, the 500C does not suffer diminished interior space. Rearward visibility with the top fully retracted is poor, however.

Behind the hatchback’s backseat you’ll find 9.5 cubic feet of luggage space, considerably more than what’s offered by the Mini. Lower the backseat in the hatchback and although the load floor isn’t completely flat, you’ll have 30.2 cubic feet of space available, or about 25 percent more than you’ll get in a Cooper hatchback.

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