“Blame the European performance car enthusiasts for the delay in the Abarth 500 arriving in Australia,” says Andrei Zaitzev, General Manager for Abarth in Australia. “Ever since it was launched Abarth has been unable to meet demand for the Abarth 500, thanks to the combination of the irresistible charm and character of the Fiat 500 combined with the outrageous performance delivered by the changes brought about by the engineers at Abarth, Fiat’s high performance division. The delay, though, has provided one major advantage – we will launch in March with the Abarth 500 esseesse, the top version which can rocket to 100 kmh in just 7.4 seconds, making it the ultimate giant killer!”

Compared to the normal Abarth 500, the esseesse version destined for Australia has a power boost from 99 kW to 117 kW, while the maximum Torque lifts from 206 to 230 Nm. To cope with the power and torque lift, the Abarth 500 Esseesse has, over the normal Abarth 500, extra lowered suspension, up-rated springs and suspension, cross drilled brake discs and 7x17 inch alloy wheels in a style unique to the Esseesse. Top speed is 211 kmh and the 100 kmh dash is achieved in just 7.4 seconds, yet fuel consumption is just 6.5 litres on the combined cycle.

“The Abarth 500 has been a remarkable success in Europe and it has become ‘the’ small car to be seen in right across Europe,” says Mr Zaitzev. “We know that this success is about to be duplicated in Australia because we have had people banging on our door wanting to buy an Abarth 500 since it was launched in Europe. This demand will be further compounded by the keen pricing and specification which will be announced in March. So anyone who wants to get behind the wheel of an Abarth 500 esseesse had better get to their Abarth dealer as quickly as an ..... Abarth 500!”