Look familiar? It really, really is. But we’ve been keen to have a final go in the Abarth 695 Competitzione for a while: definitely, absolutely the last-ever petrol-powered Abarth. Well, probably; bear with us.
Abarth is a very petroley performance brand: one of Carlo Abarth’s big things back in the 1950s was making aftermarket exhausts and his legendary pumped-up Fiat 500 models (the first was in 1958) were reknowned for their rorty soundtracks.
The future for Abarth is electric; in fact, it’s already here. You can buy the next-generation Abarth 500e (a totally new and different car to this one) in New Zealand and in Europe, and parent company Stellantis has also just revealed the larger 600e, which is the most powerful Abarth ever.
Production of the petrol Abarth ended in March, and while there is now talk of a mild hybrid petrol version of the new-gen Fiat 500 (currently electric-only), there’s no suggestion of an Abarth iteration. Never say never, though. Italian car brands can be unpredictable.
Just to get things straight, the Abarth 500e is a vastly superior vehicle in every measurable respect to the petrol one. But few would argue that the petrol version is the far more authentic Abarth experience. And don’t forget, for the price of the electric version you could have the 695 and a standard 500 and still have a lot of change for pizza and espresso.
The 695 does 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds. Abarth 500s are faster than normal 500s… but not actually fast.
So let’s go, in the Abarth 695 Competizione. A last blast. This shape 500 (which is, confusingly, the base for the 695) has been with us since 2016 and to be honest, it’s not a whole different from the new 500 that was launched way back in 2007. But you could argue it’s now a modern classic, because the rebooted 500 was also one of the key vehicles for Abarth to be revived as a road-car brand under Fiat ownership (although a couple of hot Puntos came first).
ABARTH 695 COMPETIZIONE: Engine 1.4-litre turbo-petrol 4-cylinder Power 132kW/250Nm Gearbox 5-speed automated single-clutch, FWD 0-100km/h 6.9sec Consumption 6.7l/100km (3P-WLTP) Price $43,990. Photos / David Linklater, supplied
The 695 is not hugely different to the 595 Competizione we drove a couple of years ago, but it has a few detail upgrades such as fancier wheels over yellow Brembo brake calipers, quad exhausts that are now stacked vertically (they are awesome, by the way) and launch control.
The pushbutton Sport mode allows you to make the most of the Dual Mode Record Monza exhaust. By which we mean, make the most noise.
It’s still a hoot. The Competizione has the 132kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbo engine that was first seen in the very exclusive 695 Tributo Ferrari model from 2011; if that doesn’t sound like a lot, it’s not. This one, with the Dualogic automated single-clutch gearbox option (only five gears though!) does 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds. Abarth 500s are much faster than normal 500s… but not fast.
But they are delightfully silly and loud. The pushbutton Sport mode allows you to make the most of the Dual Mode Record Monza exhaust. By which we mean make the most noise. The grumpy idle sounds a bit like a Ferrari and the volume is totally out of step with the size of the car; at full throttle, manual-paddle upshifts are delivered with a huge bark and a slap in the back for driver and passenger. You feel like you’re going 200km/h (you're not).
The 695 Competizione makes very little sense. It’s also ludicrously loveable and packed full of heritage.
There’s some proper performance hardware lurking underneath the 695: Koni shock absorbers with adaptive Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) and Brembo brakes (note the yellow calipers). That’s spec that gives the little Abarth real credibility, although the on-road result is not so much dynamic sophistication as simply a rock-hard small car.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking this can serve as a comfortable city hatch when you’re not entertaining the neighbours with the soundtrack. It doesn’t have to be super-loud all the time, but it does always feel busy, with nervous steering and a fussy ride thanks to that sports suspension and a very short wheelbase.
The 7in infotainment screen is ludicrously small, although the Beats audio system (another upgrade for the 695) is pretty good. There’s no reversing camera, although you could argue it doesn’t need one: swivel your head and you’ve basically got your nose up against the back window. And you do still get rear parking radar.
The age of this model means no camera-based driver-assist/safety systems (adaptive cruise, collision alert, lane-assist). Safer is better of course, but as a sidebar to a constant stream of increasingly comprehensive safety technology in test cars, the Abarth did feel like a bit of a tech-detox for the DRIVEN team. Sounding our age perhaps, but then so does the little Abarth.
The 695 Competizione makes very little sense. It’s tiny but hard work in the city, loud but really not that quick. It’s also ludicrously loveable and packed full of heritage, which makes this car potentially very collectible in the future. Unless they make another one.
What are the key statistics for the Abarth 695 Competizione?
It's powered by the 132kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbo engine that was first offered in the $80k Tributo Ferrari model back in 2011. You can have a conventional manual, but our test car has the single-clutch automated 5-speed option (same price).
Is the Abarth 695 Competizione efficient?
Not for a car this size, but then it's not about fuel economy. The official figure is 6.7l/100km and that's entirely achievable in gentle driving, but if you're driving gently you've probably purchased the wrong car.
Is the Abarth 695 Competizione good to drive?
Not in any conventional sense, but it will still make you laugh out loud. It's hilariously noisy, quite grippy but also bumpy and pretty busy on a winding road.
Is the Abarth 695 Competizione practical?
Not bad for a car this size. Up front the cabin is tall and quite spacious, with good visibility. The rear seats are strictly occasional (and it wouldn't be a fun occasion), but the 185-litre boot isn't terrible given the tiny exterior dimensions of the car.
What do we like about the Abarth 695 Competizione?
It doesn't take itself too seriously, it's very clearly a spiritual successor to those crazy 500s from the 1950s and it's pretty good value next to the new pure-electric version. It's little but it's loud... and cute as a button.
What don’t we like about the Abarth 695 Competizione?
It's clearly a car from another time, it's not as rewarding to drive as the mechanical specification might suggest and the Dualogic gearbox can be downright jerky when you're not driving flat-out. So drive flat-out.
What kind of person would the Abarth 695 Competizione suit?
Somebody who understands the heritage and the perverse performance credentials of an Abarth 500. Someone who "gets it", in other words.