Fiat 124 Spider Abarth Version Goes to North America
The Fiat 124 Spider was based on the classic roadster the brand built between 1966 and 1982. The stylish and compact two-seater has a styling and powerplant founded on the Abarth 500’s.
Early this year, Fiat showcased the 124 Spider in the Abarth Version. It now has a sportier appearance and an even more powerful engine. The only problem is that the Abarth version has only been unveiled for the European market, so North America has to wait a while whether or not Fiat will bring this to their shores.
Fortunately, the company announced that the 124 Spider Elaborazione Abarth will arrive for the first time in North America at the 2016 New York Auto Show in Manhattan according to Top Speed.
Compared to the regular Spider, the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth version has numerous features to highlight its edgier and sportier outlook. At front, it has the same honeycomb mesh grille, air vents with black plastic surrounds, as well as larger, revised lower grille with foglamps and a matte black hood.
On the side, it has the 17-inch Gun Metal aluminum roller with Fiat badges, black mirror caps and black roll bard. The rear end remains unchanged except for the chrome exhaust tips.
There are five colors available—Bianco Gelato (White Clear Coat), Rosso Passione (Red Clear Coat), Nero Cinema (Jet Black Metallic), Grigio Argento (Gray Metallic) and tri-coat Bianco Perla (Crystal White Pearl).
Inside, the Elaborazione has red stitching on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, instrument cluster hood, lower instrument panel, and parking brake, as well as matte-black dashboard bezels.
It also has custom instrument cluster, aluminum-accented sport pedals, and a unique gear shift knob. As for the leather seats, customers can choose between black or black and red. The Elaborazione can have black leather and Alcantara Recaro seats.
The Elaborazione Abarth has the same 1.4-liter, four-cylinder engine, six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission as the 124 Spider, but with the additional Sport Mode drivetrain that can deliver a sportier and more responsive driving experience.
Fiat has yet to release pricing information, even for the standard version, but expect the Elaborazione to be at the $28,000 price range.