http://www.evo.co. uk 127
Above left: 59 5’sAkrapovicexhaust previouslyonly
available onthe Abarth 695 range.Left:17-inch wheels
the only sizechoice; mattblack isan option,though.
Top:carbonfi bre dashpanel isan option,too
get swept asidebysubjective silliness.
So in the interestsof being thorough: The ride
quality is unyieldinglyfi rm, despite the bestefforts of
Koni and its frequency-selective dampers. If the 500’s
roofwasn’tso tall you’d brainyourself thefi rst time
you hit a speedbump, and with a short wheelbase
andtorsion beamrear, every bump, dip andexpansion
joint affects the wholecar. Thesteering is unlikelyto
please many people, being light andremote in normal
mode andfeeling like thoseold SegaRally arcade
machines in Sport, with chunky weighting andstrong
self-centring but no additionalfeedback.Road
and wind noise is significant. It’seasytocatch the
engine off-boost. And front-end grip is limitedbythe
physics of a narrowtrack andrelativelytall body.
Here’s what’sgood: theEsseesseis a bundle of
low-effort, high-reward fun. It’s theAmerican Pieor
The Hangoverofcars, perfectfor whenyou’re not in
the moodfor morecerebral entertainment.
So don’toverthink it. Brake late. Drop agear as
you blip thewell-spacedthrottle.Point thesteering
vaguely whereyou want thecar togoand give it
a niceearly boot. You’ll slither around andwash
wide and possibly pogo off the odd bump, but
thecar is narrowenough thatyou can takea few
liberties with its dynamics. Theset-up is on the
safeside, with little chance of therear endrotating
if you havetoback off or brake mid-turn, but this
just encouragesyou todriveeven harder. Certain
UKroadswould probably be the 59 5’s undoing, but
some ofTurin’s areevenworse, and while the ride
israrelycomfortable, thestructureseems upto
absorbing sustained punishment. Thesticker shock
is hardertoabsorb: £25,295 is optioned-up FiestaST
money, soyou’d havetoreally buy into the Abarth’s
character tosendyour money Italy’s way.
Subtleevolution means it’s defi nitely a bettercar
than the Abarth 500 launched a decade ago,but as
the industry around it has become more po-faced,
the 59 5’s brand of noisy, in-your-face thrillsfeels like
a breath of fresh air. If you buy one, just make sure
you drive it as the Italians intended...
AntonyIngram(@evoAntony)
EngineIn-line 4-cyl, 1368cc, turbochargedPower178bhp @ 5500rpmTorque184lb ft @ 3000rpmWeight1044kg (173bhp/ton)0-62mph6.7secTop speed140mphBasic price£25,295+A bundle of fun if you’re in the moodfor it
- Dynamically dated, expensive
evorating