Subtle facelift for Italian hot hatch ushers in new colours and rally-style upgrades.
The Fiat 500-based Abarth 595 hot hatch has been updated for 2021 with new personalisation options and technology upgrades, and is likely to land in Australian showroom Q3-4 2021.
The four available variants – 595, Turismo, Competizione and Esseesse – are all powered by an uprated version of Fiat’s turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine, producing between 107kW and 133kW.
Mechanical differences between each version are minimal, but the more focused Competizione and Esseesse cars are fitted with a larger turbocharger, a mechanical self-locking differential, uprated Koni shock absorbers and Brembo brakes with lightweight aluminium callipers.
As standard, the 595 is equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox, but an automatic option with paddle shifters is available.
Sport mode has been renamed Scorpio, in reference to the Italian brand’s scorpion emblem, and the 7.0-inch infotainment screen has been updated to show new start-up and shut-down displays.
The Turismo offers new colour choices for its bespoke leather seats, while the Competizione features an Alcantara-upholstered dashboard and can be painted in a new matte blue colour inspired by the 1970s Fiat 131 Abarth rally car.
A new optional set of 17-inch alloy wheels are modelled on those worn by the 1990s Lancia Delta Integrale.
Elsewhere, the top-rung Esseesse gains revised innards for its Akrapovič exhaust system for an enhanced sound, LED daytime running lights are now standard across the range and a flat-bottomed steering wheel is fitted to all cars.
Felix Page