Over the weekend at
Concorso Italiano – one of the largest gatherings of
Italian vehicles in North America – Fiat USA has
launched a new turbocharged performance variant of the
500 that slots in between the existing 500 Sport and 500
Abarth versions with a pricetag of US$20,200.The
new Fiat 500 Turbo gets some of the attributes of the
Toluca, Mexico-built 500 Abarth model, such as the front
clip, but with a detuned version of the 1.4 litre
Multiair engine, now with 135 hp, while the suspension
is drawn from the 500 Sport. The 500 Turbo also
gets an improved interior and carries over the front
clip from the 500 Abarth to allow the turbo unit to be
squeezed in.
“We
listened to our customers,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of
the Fiat brand in North America. “The new Fiat 500 Turbo
is the answer to all the fans that loved the style of
our Cinquecento but wanted more power and performance
for their daily drive. With 135 horsepower and 150 lb ft
of torque, the Fiat 500 Turbo hits the sweet spot
between the regular Cinquecento and the high-performance
Fiat 500 Abarth. The Fiat 500 Turbo balances and blends
the best Italian flavours that our portfolio has to
offer, becoming the perfect canvas for customisation.”
Behind the aggressive front bumper, the new 500 Turbo
features a single turbocharger, twin intercoolers and a
more restrictive exhaust that the Abarth to give it 34
percent more power (135 versus 101 horsepower) and 53
percent more torque (150 vs. 98 lb ft) compared to the
Fiat 500’s naturally aspirated 1.4-liter MultiAir
engine. It offers up 25 horsepower less than the 500 Abarth’s 160 hp.
The
500 Turbo remains paired to the 500 Abarth's C510
five-speed manual transmission with a 3.35 final-drive
gear ratio for quick acceleration and faster top speed,
while achieving up to a claimed 34 mpg highway. In
addition, more Abarth parts are carried over, the
powertrain features an intermediate shaft with
equal-length halfshafts – some 23 percent larger than in
the basic 500 (28.1 mm vs. 22.8 mm diameter) – to
mitigate torque steer. In addition, to handle the
increased power and torque of the 1.4-litre MultiAir
Turbo engine, larger constant velocity (CV) joints with
53 percent greater torsional strength (2600 Nm vs 1700
Nm) deliver added durability and refinement.
The 500 Turbo gets the front clip from the Abarth to
accommodate the new 1.4-litre MultiAir Turbo engine.
Below, larger openings provide greater engine cooling,
while twin ‘nostrils’ are positioned on both sides of
the front fascia to maximise airflow in and out of the
two intercoolers. Finishing off the front are new gloss
black headlamps and parking lamp bezels.
The
500 Turbo features bolder side skirts to create a more
vertical bodyside profile, while also enhancing its
shape. Behind the unique 16-inch alloy wheels with
black-painted pockets, the 500 Turbo features a
high-performance brake system with semi-metallic brake
linings at all four corners, larger 11.1-inch ventilated
front rotors for greater stopping power (up from
10.1-inch), and brake calipers lacquered in red paint.
To
ensure this latest 'Cinquecento' version handles as reasonably as
possible with its more powerful than standard engine, the
new 500 Turbo, Fiat says, features a unique lower
control arm, as well as choosing the 500 Sport
model’s sport-tuned spring rates, shock tuning and
steering calibration rather than the Abarth units.
At
the rear, a tailgate-mounted spoiler extends the
roofline of the Fiat 500 Turbo and improves the
hatchback’s aerodynamic behaviour. New tail lamps with
gloss black bezels replace chromed units. Below, the
two-piece rear fascia accentuates the road-holding
stance of the Fiat 500 Turbo, with a black-accented rear
diffuser designed to improve airflow.
Exterior colors for the 500 Turbo include Argento
(silver), Bianco (white), Grigio (gray), Nero (black),
Rame (copper), Rosso (red) and all-new Verde Azzurro
(green & blue).
Inside, the new Fiat 500 Turbo version features sport-styled
seating, sport-designed leather-wrapped shift knob and
steering wheel accented with Argento (silver) stitching,
and a Grigio/Nero (gray/black) seating and interior
environment. For an even more upscale look, heated
leather seating in Nero/Nero (black/black) or vivid
Rosso/Nero (red/black) is available. The new 500 Turbo arrives in the
U.S. showrooms during the third quarter with a
price of US$20,200.
ItaliaspeedTV:
Head of Fiat
U.S., Tim Kuniskis, unveils the Fiat 500 Turbo 135 HP at
Concorso Italiano
