FCA’s made some changes, that may see Abarth get more accessible.
Patient. That’s the best way to describe Australian fans of the facelifted Abarth 595 hot-hatch range, who have been waiting for over a year to see revised, updated Abarth models in local showrooms. It seems that the reason for the delay wasn’t anything worth worrying over, just some realignment and adjustment in manufacturing processes in order to get cars Down Under in a more direct fashion.
Glenn Butler, corporate communications director at Fiat-Chrysler Australia, spoke to our friends at CarAdvice and explained the situation. “The reason for the delay is we changed the production process to allow direct shipping from the factory in Poland to Australia,” he said. “They no longer need to go via Italy for special bits.”
Streamlining the production process could lead to savings; there are entire firms dedicated to finding ways to simplify and expedite production lines and processes. This could result in the 595 lineup being even cheaper than the $27,500 entry point the performance brand currently offers. It’s just speculation at this point though, but we’re allowed to be hopeful.
The updated 595 gets all the best upgrades from the updated Fiat 500. That will see the inclusion of new bumpers on either end, funky LED daytime running lights, equally-funky taillights, and either a 5.0-inch or 7.0-inch infotainment screen running FCA’s uConnect software, with smartphone mirroring available in the latter model. Power also sees an upgrade too, with entry-level 595s and Turismo models getting uptuned to 108kW and 123kW respectively, though twist remains identical at 206Nm.
The top-spec 595 Competitzione continues unchanged from a mechanical standpoint, with 132kW & 250Nm remaining the headlining figures. However, other markets get the option of a mechanical limited-slip differential, which could make it to our shores following the update.
For more information on Abarth, check out our Showroom.
