Fiat Abarth 595 Competizione review, test drive

The 595 will be offered in India with a five-speed automated manual or AMT, and this is perhaps its weakest link. At city speeds, in Auto mode, the gearbox shifts up early and leaves you wanting for response, put your foot down to pass a car and there’s a nervous pause as it swaps cogs. Thankfully, this can be overcome by using the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. There’s a pause during upshifts too, and that is largely to blame for the Abarth trailing the Mini Cooper S in the 0-120kph run by over four seconds. Rolling acceleration figures are similarly unimpressive. The suspension setup too, despite its sporting ambition, isn’t punishing. There is a low-speed stiffness that lets you feel rumble strips and it does feel a bit too bumpy at higher speeds on the highway, but it manages to soak up larger bumps with surprising generosity. However, some care is required over rough patches as the low ground clearance could cause damage to the body work. From behind the wheel, there’s no dismissing the Abarth’s dynamic ability. The 595 has tremendous grip and excellent body control, which makes it incredibly chuckable. Fiat’s Torque Transfer Control, activated by a switch on the dashboard, transfers torque from a spinning wheel by braking it. It also makes the traction control a bit more lenient, allowing for more wheel spin. However, changing directions at high speeds requires some getting used to as the rear suspension feels a touch soft and makes the rear feel a bit slower to follow through. However, what the Abarth lacks sorely is a talkative and frisky steering. The electric steering’s 2.5 turns, lock to lock is hefty in Sport mode and feedback could be better.

Should I buy one?

The Abarth 595 Competizione comes incredibly close to hitting its target. Although no longer nuovo, it is still refreshingly good looking, especially so in this sporty guise. It handles well, is reasonably quick and won’t be tedious to live with either. However, we would have liked to have a lot more fizz and more toy-like joy a car like this promises especially if the asking price is likley to be between Rs 27-30 lakh.