Abarth 500C

The Abarth 500C at a glance

From the scorpion badge to the 500C

Carlo Abarth founded his tuning company in 1949 and made his name with fast versions of small Fiats, including the original 500 and 600. Fiat bought the business in 1971, and in early 2008 it relaunched Abarth as a separate performance brand with its own dealers. The Abarth 500 hatchback was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2008 and went on sale that July.

The Fiat 500C, with its large folding roof, had arrived in 2009, and the Abarth version followed in 2010. Compared with the regular Fiat 500, it has a deeper front bumper with extra cooling intakes, side skirts, a rear diffuser with twin exhaust outlets, lowered sports suspension and the scorpion badge. More about the parent brand is in the history of Fiat.

T-Jet turbo outputs from 500C to 695C

The 1.4 T-Jet is a 1,368 cc four-cylinder with a single turbocharger. For the early 500C, evo's data sheet gave 99 kW at 5,000 rpm and 206 Nm (152 lb-ft) from 2,000 rpm. Abarth quoted 0–60 mph in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 204 km/h (127 mph). The strongest 595C Competizione has 33 kW more than the original 500C, an increase of a third.

Buyers could choose a five-speed manual gearbox or an automated five-speed manual with paddles on the steering wheel. The automated gearbox shifts slowly and with a jerk in its sport setting unless the driver lifts off the throttle, so most enthusiasts prefer the manual. The Competizione could also be ordered with a limited-slip differential.

The folding fabric roof, cabin and 185-litre boot

The roof is a fabric panel that runs from the windscreen to the rear window and folds electrically in stages onto the boot lid. Because the side frames and pillars stay, the body keeps most of the hatchback's stiffness, but the folded roof blocks much of the view through the rear window. At speed, a partly open roof causes buffeting, so the car is quietest either fully open or fully closed.

Inside, the 500C keeps the retro dashboard of the Fiat 500 with sports seats, a small leather-trimmed steering wheel and aluminium pedals. Later cars got a 5-inch or 7-inch Uconnect touchscreen. The rear seats suit children or short trips. The boot holds 185 litres, rising to 550 litres with the rear seats folded, and the opening is narrow with a high lip.

What a 595C costs to run

The 595C with a manual gearbox was rated at 6.0 l/100 km (39 mpg US) and 139 g/km of CO2, and the automated version at 5.8 l/100 km and 134 g/km. Real-world use is higher, especially when the turbo is used hard. The 1cars fuel cost calculator turns these figures into a yearly cost.

Insurance and tyres cost more than for a regular 500, and the firm suspension wears bushes and top mounts on poor roads. The Fiat 500 has a weak reliability record in owner surveys, ranking 65th of 75 cars in one UK survey of 2018, so a full service history is important.

Euro NCAP stars and airbags

The Fiat 500 scored five stars in its 2009 Euro NCAP test, the first car in its class to reach the top rating, but only three stars in a 2017 re-test under stricter rules. The Abarth 500C shares the structure and has seven airbags, ABS and stability control as standard. Its active safety equipment is basic by the standards of newer superminis.

Mini, DS3 and Fiat 500C: rivals compared

The Mini is the closest rival and the better all-rounder, with a more polished ride and a real convertible roof. The Abarth wins on character, sound and its compact size. The Mini Cooper hub covers the hatchback on which the convertible is based, and the comparison tool lines up the two in detail. For a sense of scale, the size comparison tool shows how small the 500C is next to other cars.