The Italians from Fiat announced that the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth it’s priced from $22,000 in the United States, which is around $6,000 more than the base Fiat 500. The Italian model is powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged unit able to deliver 160 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 230 Nm of torque (170 lb-ft) from 2,500 rpm.
The power is transferred to the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox that features a TTC (Torque Transfer Control) system developed by Abarth.
“The Fiat 500 Abarth feels like a double shot of espresso straight to your veins. With its wicked attitude, it will reward adrenaline fans who no longer need to pay six figures to feel the rush of true Italian performance,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Fiat Brand for North America.
Even the company has not published the performance figures for the U.S. version of the Fiat 500 Abarth, we cannot get over the pretty big price tag.
We are sure that such a small model which benefits from a 1.4-liter offering 160 horses can provide excellent performance figures but the starting price is a weak point mainly considering other models in the market with a similar price.
