Abarth 500 2016–2022 car dimensions: 3660 mm long, 1627 mm wide and 1485 mm high. Unladen weight is 1,035 kg. Braked towing is 800 kg.
The cabin has a Uconnect touchscreen radio as standard, starting at 5 inches and later upgraded to 7 inches with DAB, Bluetooth and USB. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come on many later or higher grades. Manual climate control is fitted across the range, with automatic climate available on Turismo and above. Rear parking sensors appear as standard on convertibles and higher trims or via packs, but not always on base hatchbacks. There is no cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane keep assist or reversing camera.
Boot space measures 185 litres with the rear seats up. Folding the 50/50 split rear seats increases capacity to 610 litres.
Braked towing capacity is 800 kg and unbraked is 400 kg. Payload is listed around 315 kg depending on version. Sport suspension with Koni FSD dampers is standard on Turismo and Competizione grades.
The cabin has high-backed sports seats in fabric as standard or leather on Turismo grades, with Sabelt racing seats offering strong side support on Competizione. Driver seat height adjusts and passenger has memory on many versions. Manual climate control is base with automatic available higher up. Leather or Alcantara-trimmed flat-bottom steering wheel and 7-inch TFT instruments create a focused sporty feel in the compact four-seat space.
Premium unleaded petrol required
Service interval 15 000 km or 12 months
Euro NCAP 3 stars (Fiat 500 base 2017)
Seven airbags standard including knee
ABS EBD ESC ASR HBA Hill Holder TPMS TTC standard
The 1.4 T-Jet petrol engine needs premium unleaded fuel. Official combined figures sit near 6.0 l/100 km on many versions with a 35-litre tank.
Scheduled servicing follows a 15 000 km or annual plan covering oil, filters, checks and fluids. Timing belt and major items come later in the schedule.
Safety kit includes dual-stage front airbags, side and curtain airbags, driver knee airbag, plus ABS with EBD, ESC, traction control, brake assist, hill holder and tyre pressure monitoring. The related Fiat 500 scored three Euro NCAP stars in 2017.
Live-with points centre on the firm sport suspension and small cabin. Rear space and boot are limited but the car is easy to place in town. Higher trims add parking sensors and rain/light sensors.
Length 3660 mm, Width 1627 mm, Height 1485 mm, Wheelbase 2300 mm (500 2016–2022)
Sources: manufacturer data, Abarth New Abarth 595 technical specifications, 7 June 2016, The Abarth 595 brochure, The August 2018 Italian brochure.