Abarth 124 Spider revealed in Geneva

Fiat has unveiled a performance version of its two-seat roadster in the form of the Abarth 124 Spider.

The 124 has been developed in association with the Abarth Racing Team and gets more aggressive styling with a matte black bonnet and boot lid, and also comes with a limited-slip differential.

It’s powered by a tweaked version of parent brand Fiat’s four-cylinder 1.4-litre MultiAir II engine, punching out 170bhp and 25.43kgm of torque, paired to a six-speed short-throw manual or six-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters, and includes a 'Sport' driving mode.

Abarth claims a 0-100kph time of 6.8sec and a top speed of 230kph, and the 'Record Monza' exhaust system comes equipped as standard.

The car will be a rival to the Mazda MX-5 and, as per quoted performance figures, the Abarth beats those of the 158bhp MX-5, which has a 0-100kph time of 7.3sec and a top speed of 214kph.

The two-seat, rear-wheel-drive Abarth 124 Spider weighs 1060kg and has a 50/50 weight distribution, according to the manufacturer, who also says it has a class-leading power-to-weight ratio.

Suspension and damping has been tweaked from the Fiat 124, with the Abarth version getting double-wishbone front suspension and five-link setup for the rear, which the Italian manufacturer says has been tuned to offer greater braking and cornering stability. It also gets front aluminium calipers.

The interior is clad in Alcantara. Standard equipment includes climate control and cruise control, while there's also a 7-inch infotainment system with radio, sat-nav, Bluetooth and reversing camera.

Abarth also unveiled a prototype rally version of the 124 Spider at Geneva, with 300bhp at 6500rpm, which is set to make its debut in the 2017 rally season.

Fiat launched the Abarth performance brand in India in August last year with the introduction of the iconic Fiat 500-based Abarth 595 Competizione. The performance brand currently offers three models in the country in the form of the Abarth 595, the Abarth Punto Evo and the Avventura ‘Powered by Abarth’.