Abarth 500C Esseesse 2014 Overview
We look at the Abarth 500 Esseesse and ask important questions, including the most important one - would you buy it?
What it is?
Tiny Fiat 500 "bambino" with an Abarth badge and a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine under the hood, i.e. the front hood (that's where they keep it these days). This is a convertible with a drop top/sunroof.
How many?
Deep breath. This baby will set you back $38,990 or $34,990 non-convertible version about the same price as a mini convertible. That's a lot of doshas for a small car.
What are competitors?
The aforementioned Mini plus Golf, Citroen DS3 or Renault Megane convertibles, maybe even a Smart fortwo convertible.
What's under the hood?
The 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine develops 118 kW of power and 201 Nm of torque at 2750 rpm (or 230 Nm of torque in sport mode). The engine is paired with a robotized five-speed manual transmission with paddle shifters so it can be operated in manual mode. There is no gear selector here, only a set of buttons from which you can select forward, reverse, neutral or manual / automatic mode.
How are you?
Like a pissed off cat. Appearances can be deceiving, and this will make many think. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 7.4 seconds and top speed is 211 km/h. Sitting on 17-inch alloy wheels with 205/40 rubber, the convertible gets signature Koni dampers as standard with red brake calipers.
Is it economical?
Claimed fuel economy is 6.5 liters per 100 km, it consumes 95 RON of premium unleaded gasoline and has a tiny 35-liter fuel tank, which arguably matches its role as a main city car (we got a 7).
Is it green?
The light weight, small engine, automatic transmission all add up to a 4.5-star rating from the government's Green Vehicle Guide (the Prius gets five).
How safe is it?
Got a full five stars in crash tests, although I wouldn't want to put that to the test. Comes with seven airbags plus a full suite of driver assistance systems, sadly no reversing camera or parking sensors. There is also no steering wheel reach adjustment.
It's comfortable?
No. It is small and cramped inside. The seat is very upright and you sit on the tiny seats instead of them, making it very difficult to relax. I can't imagine what it's like on a long trip? On the other hand, it still doesn't have a boot for the big holiday.
What is it like to drive a car?
Interesting. More like a kart than a car. Unless you're in sport mode, shifting can be harsh due to the clutch setting, which is said to be cheaper to manufacture but not particularly desirable.
Is this value for money?
He packs in a lot. Leather and climate control come standard, as well as plenty of nice looking things like a dash-mounted turbo gauge, but it's reserved exclusively for Fiat aficionados or those who want something completely different.
Would we buy one?
Nope. I could think of a better way to spend my money.
Fiat Abarth 500C Esseesse
Price: from $38,990 (Auto)
ENGINES: 1.4L turbo 118kW/201Nm (sport mode 230Nm)
Transmission: five-speed automatic, FWD
Thirst: 6.5 l / 100 thousand
