Road test review: Abarth 595C Competizione

Tuesday, 23 March 2021

The Abarth 595 Competizione is a belligerently angry sounding car. Hear it for yourself.

ABARTH 595C COMPETIZIONE
Base price: $45,490
Powertrain and economy: 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder, 132kW/250Nm, 5-speed automated single-clutch transmission, FWD, combined economy 5.8L/100km, CO2 133g/km (source: RightCar).

The 595C is pretty much identical to the 595 Hatchback aside from the sliding roof.

Vital statistics: 3657mm long, 1627mm wide, 1485mm high, 2300mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 185 litres, 17-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Absolutely bonkers to drive, exhaust noise never gets old.
We don't like: Harsh ride, terrible transmission and zero practicality all do get a bit old.

The seats aren’t horrifically uncomfortable but the steering wheel doesn’t adjust telescopically, so you’ll probably be sliding them forward more than you really want to.

We know the Abarth 595 Competizione is one of the most thrilling new cars to drive for less than $50k. It’s simply a fact. But what if the feral little hatchback didn’t have a roof? This highly scientific and necessary question needs to be answered, and promptly.

Are there any other differences at all?

Nope. Well, the name has a C in it (for convertible, probably) and the car itself weighs 40kg more (1085kg versus 1045kg). Both models have the same 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that hails from the 695 Tributo Ferrari, the same five-speed single clutch automated manual transmission, next to no real practicality and the same savage ride.

This is pretty much the whole interior of the car. There are rear seats but you can’t really use them with legs.

* Sunday Drive: Abarth 595 Competizione

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The four exhaust pipes hiding in the rear bumper do very little to actually muffle the noise from the engine. This thing sounds fantastic.

* Why the Abarth 124 Spider is our Top Convertible of 2017

A massive boost gauge with Sport in the middle should signify this isn’t just a cute little convertible.

Oh, the C has a sliding roof too, to befit the extra letter. Unfortunately, when you open it and drive above 60kmh, it can get a bit buffety and loud in the cabin.

What about the transmission? I’ve heard things…

Hefty front brakes work well to bring the one-tonne convertible to heel.

You can have the 595 with a manual transmission but the 595C here has the automated manual Dualogic transmission. I'll spare you some reading – it’s crap. Sorry, it just is. Changes are as jerky as a 15-year-old learning to drive a manual, and it sometimes shifts up earlier than you’re expecting, like right before you’re about to turn down a side road.

The best thing to do with it is to treat it like a manual. Lift off the throttle, change up, then get back on the gas to make it a bit more civilised. You get more exhaust theatrics this way too.

The Abarth 595 is just like a very angry puppy, but with more than enough bite to back up its raucous bark.

But if it were my money, I’d save the $2.5k and just have the manual. It’s cooler, and you’re basically shifting yourself anyway.

Wait, you said no practicality – doesn’t it have back seats?

Yes, which puts it above the Mazda MX-5 (although the 595’s rear seats are next door to unusable) but the MX-5 at least has a somewhat usable boot. And a riding position that isn't stupidly cramped.

The 595C also missed out on a telescopically adjustable steering wheel and, for whatever reason, Abarth basically put the wheel inside the dashboard. I’m around 185cm and that means I need to adopt a driving position that’s basically an upright lightning bolt. Cramped knees happen after about six minutes of driving.

The boot holds 185L, which is enough for two small shopping bags and little else, and there isn’t much storage in the cabin itself.

Speaking of the cabin, the C has the same sports seats as the Hatchback version and the same general adornments, including the brilliant turbo gauge perched atop the dash.

It still goes like a bat out of hell though, right?

Oh yeah. That 1.4-litre turbo isn't anything like the engine in your nan’s crossover. This thing is a proper little firecracker, straining at the leash like an excited dog.

It doesn't make huge power or torque numbers but when it's pushing a car weighing just over a tonne, that doesn’t matter.

Abarth reckons its tiny droptop will hit 100kmh in 6.9 seconds, but it feels faster. The Abarth-spec exhaust system seems to make no effort in nullifying the sounds coming through its pipes; this is a loud car. It’s worth driving through a tunnel a few times just to hear all the snarls and pops it creates.

Peak torque is mustered at 3000rpm which means there are a few seconds of lag as boost and revs build. This makes driving the 595C even more fun because you have to time your stabs of throttle to ensure the engine is up to speed.

It also means wheelspin and understeer are quirks of the car. If the weather is even considering a shower, don't bother trying for that small gap in traffic.

Should you begin to run wide while playing outside city limits, lifting off for a second allows that short wheelbase and Koni adaptive dampers to show their hands and bring everything back into line.

Just don’t go driving with fragiles in the cabin, because this thing is rock hard. You could drive over a paper clip and feel the wheels judder. That’s great for on-track buffonery but out on public roads it’s more frustrating than fun, not helped by the race-ready Pirelli rubber.

All that said, the 595C still has one big saving grace. No one who buys this is realistically going to be driving it on the daily. This is a second or third car, a toy for sunny Sundays.

And in that regard, it’s really, really tough to beat. Sure it has a relentless ride and breaks your knees, but who cares? Take this thing out on a road with no traffic and its obscene pace and terrier-like soul suddenly makes it all worthwhile. Just don’t take it to work on Monday.

Any other cars I should consider?

Ford’s awesome Fiesta ST is one, costing around the same and delivering around the same performance. Otherwise, you could consider the Volkswagen Polo GTI which is also very good.

If you want something that isn't explicitly a hot hatchback, could I tempt you with the time-tested go-to cheap sports car, the Mazda MX-5? The base model, rather confusingly called Limited, starts at $49,895, which is a bit more than the 595C but it has the 2.0-litre engine rather than the less powerful 1.5L. Plus it’s a rear-drive convertible sports car, and that’s always cool.

Or, y’know, the Abarth 595 Hatchback.