NF500 / auto express

According to reports which originate back to Auto Express, the Fiat 500 Abarth, due to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show later this October will not be taking a bow in Japan after all. The official public début has reportedly been put back to the Geneva Motor Show, which will be held in March 2008.

The reason being cited is the incredible sales figures Fiat have experienced for the new 500, the demands of which they are struggling to meet, which has left bosses feeling they could not cope, nor do they require, any further clamour for orders for the hot Abarth versions of the vehicle at this stage in the products life cycle.

British purveyors of motoring fiction, Auto Express, have added a Fiat 500 “group test” video to their website Today, which you may consider worthy of a few moments of your time.  The video features a short but pleasant driving sequence of old and new 500s together on their test track.

We put group test in quotes because although they show a line-up of small cars at the start of the piece, they only actually draw any parallels in the review with the new MINI, to which they compare the new 500 rather unfavourably, especially in terms of handling and driver engagement.

However, despite saying the Fiat wallows and rolls and isn’t as engaging to drive as its looks could lead you to believe, the conclusion is that you should indeed pop down to your local friendly dealer and put your money on a new 500.  Why?  Because it will be “the car to be seen in” when it arrives in January*.

So not exactly a group test, and not really very in depth, but you can judge for yourself on the Auto Express website.

*Despite for some time Fiat saying the new Fiat 500 is on sale in the UK from February 2008

Auto Express are at it again with their crystal ball gazing, predicting the complete line up which they claim will form the Fiat 500 family.

From our experience, future predictions in Auto Express are to be taken with a fairly large chunk of salt, but none the less as one of the UKs leading publications it’s taken quite seriously by a fair few readers.

This week they’re carrying an article claiming an exclusive on the Fiat 500 family.  Nothing new in the text for 500 watchers, but they have had photoshop artist Poblete, who has a good reputation for the quality of his guesstimations, to have a stab at visualising the Convertible, Wagon and Abarth version of the Fiat 500.

You can read the full article and see the pictures on the Auto Express website.

Auto Express are rather sensationally claiming to have the inside line on the forthcoming Fiat 500 Abarth.  Or rather Fiat 500 Abarths.

For they claim not only are Fiat working on 135 hp 500 Abarth and 150 hp 500 Abarth S versions of their new baby, they’re also planning on unleashing a genuinely hot 200 bhp Super Sport version, relaunching the traditional 595 SS moniker.

According to the publication, Fiat are also promising to match the output of the hot new 500 range with a sports chassis, wider wheels and track.

We’ve no idea how much weight to lend to this story, but if Fiat did ever launch a 200 hp Abarth it would certainly take the car to a whole new level, and put the power and performance up their with many bigger “hot hatch” rivals.