Test driving the FIAT Abarth 595 Competizione

Beauty brains and brawn seldom come together in the same package The FIAT Abarth 595 Competizione mdash the Italian companys latest offering for India mdash is fortunately an exceptionIt is essentially the FIAT 500 and therefore looks just as cute but its a rather special 500 Abarth FIATs performance division have worked its magic on this vehicle and put a 14litre turbo petrol engine with 160 PS and 230 Nm in it The result is phenomenalIndeed this feisty little FIAT scores very high on the grin factor born out of the cars funtodrive nature and emotional quotient a result of superb Italian flairThe cabin is matched by its performanceoriented persona A black theme with a generous dose of red trimmings gives it a racy appearance Not to mention the flatbottom steering wheel a huge digital instrument console and the turbo boost gaugeThe turbocharged1368 cc TJet petrol engine is a delight on the track thanks to its delicious mid and topend grunt The Abarth 595 Competizione is also a clever little thing with power and torque being transmitted to the front wheels via a Robotised Manual Gearbox which is FIATs way of describing what we know as an automated manual transmissionThere is quite a bit of lag and the 14 TJet motor comes alive and becomes peppy after 3000 rpm when the massive 230 Nm of torque arrives in one head rush The peak power comes in at 5500 rpm but the magic happens between 3000 and 5500 rpmIt uses a fivespeed Robotised Manual GearboxThis is the sweet spot and you can have truckloads of fun by keeping the engine spinning in that rev range What adds to the aura is the intoxicating sound from the FIATs Record Monza ExhaustAcceleration is fierce and soon enough we find ourselves barrelling towards turn one Past turn one and the long sweeping uphill left hander that is T2 we approach the super slow but tricky T3 The little FIATs dynamic abilities come to the fore here as you brake late turn in for the apex and then get back on the gas to power outThe Abarth 595 Competizione never strays away from the line Powering ahead on the long back straight the little thing picks up speed quite rapidly mdash 150 160 170hellip 172 kmh And then slam goes your foot on the brake to shed speed for T4FIATs Abarth division was started in 1949 by Carlo Abarth It is known for churning out crazy performance cars Pics CourtesyFIATThe fourpot callipers bite those massive crossdrilled rotors with ferocity helping the car shed speed rapidly Those anchors are really good and provide superb feel All the while the ultracommunicative steering keeps me informed about what exactly the front end was doing giving me the confidence to push harderThe super stiff suspension keeps bodyroll to a minimum and handles sudden directional changes with utmost efficiency making this little Abarth a beautiful handlerOverall I found that this little performance car has the punch to make you feel like boy racer This car will set you back by R2985 lakh exDelhi and is expensive But I am sure there are plenty of superrich youngsters who wouldnt mind showing off in a hot little Italian hatch