2015 Fiat 500 Pop Hatchback on 2040-cars

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Fiat 500X takes the blue pill

The Fiat 500 keeps getting bigger. Ron Arad aptly pointed out that much with his special-edition hatchback, but even in its modern incarnation, it just keeps growing: from the three-door hatch to the five-seat 500L, the ruggedized 500L Trekking, the seven-seat 500L Living and now the long-awaited 500X. Sure, it may be smaller than most crossovers, but it's positively huge by Cinquecento standards - a good third larger than the original whose spirit it embodies.
So how did Fiat make it grow? We'll give you a hint, Morpheus: it didn't take the red pill. As if it doesn't itself know, Fiat puts forward this possible explanation that's worth a watch... if you can make it through the first borderline-NSFW scene without puking. All we'll say is that the sexual suggestiveness of the 500 Abarth ad with Catrinel Menghia was a bit more palatable.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider First Drive

If you've been following the protracted birth of this car, you probably know the basics: The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider is a Mazda MX-5 in an Italian-designed suit. It's built in Japan, and it was engineered by Mazda but sports a Fiat engine – shared bones, different philosophies. A quick Miata aside: When we found out the latest MX-5 had less power than the NC-generation car that came before it, what got shouted down was the fact that it's significantly lighter, and it's also a damn riot to drive. It doesn't need more power, and we reaffirm this belief every time we get in one. I did just that, driving one to the airport to catch a flight to San Diego this week. With the MX-5's charms freshly in mind, I drove the 124 Spider in both basic Classica and posh Lusso trims on-road, ­and briefly sampled the sportier Abarth version at a long autocross-style cone course. What I really wanted to know is how much Fiat character found its way into the latest evolution of the Japanese interpretation of the classic European roadster. Whereas the MX-5 is stretched drum-tight over its hardpoints, the 124 Spider has an extended nose and tail; since the wheelbase is unchanged, this manifests in larger overhangs. To be generous, this body stretch increases the trunk space slightly and improves cooling to the turbocharged engine, which faces more significant heat-management challenges than Mazda's 2.0-liter. It also gave Fiat's designers some room to incorporate scallops for the LED-equipped headlights that recall the sealed beams on the original Fiat 124 Spider from 1966, those iconic twin power bulges on the hood, and an angular grille. Whether you consider the 124 to be attractive on its own, in comparison to the MX-5, or an appropriate homage to the original car is entirely subjective, but I'll weigh in with mixed feelings. Sharing a platform has its challenges, and recall that Fiat came into this development process late. This was supposed to be an Alfa Romeo, remember? How that affected the design process isn't clear, and no one would cop to it, but it seems that the Fiat-ization of the MX-5 didn't happen at a leisurely pace, nor on Fiat's terms. I think it's less handsome than the MX-5 in general, but in certain colors (and in the Abarth trim) it's a looker. The front end is especially handsome, and the character line that kicks up at the door handle adds some real interest to the profile.

2019 Fiat 500 Abarth Final Drive | Farewell to the Hellmouse

The market for tiny hot hatchbacks hatchbacks was always small in the United States, but it's getting even smaller. The Ford Fiesta ST has joined the dearly departed and soon to join it is the Fiat 500 Abarth, which Fiat has announced will go away along with its less caffeinated 500 siblings. Before it does, though, we got one more romp in the little monster and learned that, even with its age and rough edges, it’s still one of the most fun and charismatic machines you can get for the money. You're reminded of it the second you twist the switchblade key. The little turbo 1.4-liter four-cylinder has a gnarly burble at idle that wouldnÂ’t seem out of place in a muscle car. It only gets better when you start cruising around. The burble becomes a raging howl, and shifting right at redline results in a whiplike crack. ItÂ’s intoxicating. The 500 Abarth is boisterous, but itÂ’s not exactly fast. At 160 horsepower and 183 pound-feet of torque, most of its competition, such as the Veloster Turbo and Civic Si, feature at least 200 horsepower. The turbo isnÂ’t especially fast to spool up, and the engine isnÂ’t quick to rev either. But itÂ’s peppy enough, and the slowly building boost comes on very smoothly. As such, itÂ’s easy to manipulate what power the Abarth has. And the exhaustÂ’s placebo effect is omnipresent. But make sure the car is in Sport mode. If it isnÂ’t, the amount of boost is restricted, making the Abarth feel more like the normal 135-horsepower 500, and no amount of noise will distract you from that. The tiny turbo engine can be paired with either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The manual is a pretty average unit. The shifter is well-placed, but the throws are long and ropey. The pedal position is excellent, making rev-matched downshifts easy. Only having five gears to choose from seems strange in this day and age, but the long-ish ratios work nicely with the slow, low-revving engine. And you donÂ’t have to mess with the wriggly shifter too much. The automaticÂ’s six ratios feel like a good number, and each ratio is closely spaced, which helps keep the car in the power band. It shifts quite smoothly and fairly quickly, too, whether youÂ’re in automatic or manual mode. The automatic even makes smart downshifts when slowing for corners. ItÂ’s a good unit that doesnÂ’t detract from the experience. Curiously, the automatic model makes more torque at 183 pound-feet to the manualÂ’s 170.