While it's based on Fiat's iconic 500 hatch, the Abarth 595 is a different beast entirely, featuring more aggressive styling, and a spicy little powerplant that will leave you grinning ear to ear.
Just recently, the Italian brand revealed the 595 that has been updated for 2021, and you'll be pleased to hear that this new hatch has just as much personality as the last one.
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Available in both hatchback and convertible body styles, the 595 Competizione is still powered by a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine that pumps out a familiar 132kW.
As the range-topping model, the Competizione gets the Garrett GT1446 turbo, a mechanical limited-slip differential, Koni FSD shocks on all corners, and Brembo brakes with fixed aluminum calipers.
Just like the out-going model, the two transmission options available include a five-speed manual, and a robotized sequential transmission that includes shifter paddles on the steering wheel.
Not too much has change in the aesthetics department, apart from the Competizione getting a new shade of Rally Blue and 17-inch alloy wheels. To spice things up on the inside, 'Sport' mode has now been changed to 'Scorpion' mode.
Luca Napolitano, Head of EMEA Fiat, Lancia & Abarth Brands, sounded over the moon with Abarth's new hatch, saying: “Today we present the new 595 range, completely refreshed, which makes the 595 even more current and distinctive. For our customers, both those more attentive to style and those who cannot do without performance, I’m sure they will appreciate the new solutions we’ve adopted, for all those details that make an Abarth a collector’s gem.”
New Zealand pricing and availability for this new model is yet to be announced, but we can imagine that it will be coming down here within the year.
