- Enthusiastic engine has aural appeal
- Excellent dynamics
- Direct steering
- Semi-automatic transmission can hesitate and provide jerky gearshifts
- Suspension lacks compliance
Overview
Released in Australia in May 2014, the Abarth 595 was a light, three door hatchback. The Abarth 595 was initially available in Australia as a 50th Anniversary edition hatchback with local deliveries limited to 56 examples. In August 2014, however, the Abarth 595 was introduced as a regular, on-going model in Turismo and Competizione variants.
Manufactured in Tychy, Poland, the front-wheel drive Abarth 595 was powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine that was mated to either a five-speed manual or five-speed semi-automatic transmission (with steering wheel gearshift paddles).
Engine
The 1.4-litre ‘T-Jet’ four cylinder petrol engine had a cast iron block, an aluminium cylinder head, a fixed geometry Garrett 1446 (GT1446) turbocharger, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 9.8:1. While the 595 50th Anniversary edition was solely available with a five-speed ‘Abarth Competizione’ semi-automatic transmission which provided faster gearshifts, the driver could also activate a ‘Sport’ mode that engaged the turbocharger’s overboost function and temporarily increased peak outputs to 132 kW and 250 Nm.
Dimensions and suspension
The Abarth 595 was 3657 mm long, 1627 mm wide, 1485 mm tall and had a 2300 mm long wheelbase. Furthermore, the Abarth 595 had ‘DualDrive’ electric power steering, MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear suspension. Both the front and rear suspension included Koni shock absorbers with Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) that enabled the shock absorber to respond differently to low-frequency movement (such as cornering, braking and accelerating) and high frequency movement (such as driving on uneven roads).
| Body | Variant | Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatch | Turismo | 1.4-litre turbo petrol I4 | 5sp man., 5sp semi-auto |
118 kW at 5500 rpm | 230 Nm at 3000 rpm |
| Hatch, Convertible |
Competizione | ||||
| Hatch | 50th Anniversary | 1.4-litre turbo petrol I4 | 5sp semi-auto | 132 kW at 5500 rpm | 250 Nm at 3000 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Abarth 595 included dual front airbags, driver’s knee airbag, front-side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, front seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters, and anti-submarining front seats.
Brakes
The Abarth 595 had 284 mm by 22 mm cross-drilled and self-ventilating front brake discs with 240 mm by 11 mm cross-drilled rear brake discs. The Abarth 595 50th Anniversary, however, had 305 mm by 28 mm cross-drilled and self-ventilating front disc brakes supplied by Brembo.
Features: Abarth 595 Turismo and 595 Competizione
Standard features for the Abarth 595 Turismo included 17-inch ten-spoke diamond finish alloy wheels with 205/40 R17 tyres, a six speaker sound system with a CD player, MP3-compatibility, auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB) and Blue&Me system with Bluetooth connectivity, Abarth leather seats and floormats, air conditioning, front fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, a height adjustable steering wheel, electrochromatic rear-view mirror, ‘Alutex’ gearshift and pedals, trip computer and an immobiliser. Inside, the 595 also featured a seven-inch TFT digital instrument display which could display information such as g-forces and a digital boost gauge.
The Abarth 595 Competizione was distinguished by its 17-inch five-spoke diamond-finish alloy wheels with anthracite background, Fabric Abarth Corsa by Sabelt bucket seats in Titanium Grey, climate control air conditioning, carbon fibre kickplate, aluminium pedals and matt titanium grey stripes. The 595 Competizione was also fitted with ‘Record Monza’ variable back pressure dual-mode exhaust which opened at 4000 rpm for greater exhaust noise.
Features: 595 50th Anniversary
Compared to the 595 Competizione, the Abarth 595 50th Anniversary was distinguished by its 17-inch ‘695 Magnesio Grey’ alloy wheels with 205/40 ZR17 Pirelli P-Zero tyres, red leather sports seats with white inserts and red stitching, climate xenon headlights, rear parking sensors, sunroof, tyre pressure sensors and tinted windows. The 595 50th Anniversary, however, omitted the digital instrument display which was standard for the Turismo and Competizione variants.
Visually, the Abarth 595 50th Anniversary edition could be identified by its three-layer white paint finish, ‘Abarth 595’ graphics and scorpion logo on its bonnet. The Abarth 595 was also supplied with a ‘595’ vintage car cover, ‘595 50th Anniversario’ Italian Independent sunglasses and ‘595 50th Anniversario’ dedicated Tramontaro luggage set as standard.
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