The insurance groups for the new Abarth Punto Evo and Abarth 500C have been revealed.

The industry has moved to a new 50-group system as a replacement for the previous 1-20 groups. To make comparison easier, I’ve included the Abarth 500 and Grande Punto in the table below:

Given its fabric roof, the Abarth 500C compares well with its tin-top brothers, while the Punto Evo comes in at about where we’d expect, given its power and price increases.

Source: Abarthisti Forum (Abarth 500C insurance, Abarth Punto Evo insurance)

We’ve established the factory options and UK prices for the new Abarth 500C.

As we revealed earlier, the Abarth 500C will be available next month priced from £17,500 on-the-road.

Standard specification includes:-

• Dark tinted windows
• Xenon headlights
• ‘Abarth Competizione’ 5-speed MTA transmission
• Steering wheel-mounted paddles
• Blue&Me
• Reverse parking sensors
• Smoking kit

The factory options are as below:-

Available colours are listed as Gara White (£400), Officina Red (£400), the new Record Grey metallic (£400), plus the two Bicolour options of Scorpion Black/Gara White (£900) and Pista Grey/Campovolo Grey (£900). Campovolo Grey is now the no-cost option.

There’s an incredibly complex array of choices of colours for hood colour (Black or Titanium Grey), rear spoiler colour (Matt Black, Titanium Grey, or body-coloured), and interior trims (Black Sports Cloth, or leather in Black, Grey, or Tan).  Most choices are only available with certain paint colours (Pista/Campovolo Grey Bi-colour cars can only have Titanium Grey hoods and spoilers, for instance), and these are best discussed with your dealer.

The new Abarth 500C

Source: Abarthisti Forum

We’ve heard from sources currently in Italy that UK pricing for the three eagerly-anticipated new Abarth models has been set as follows:-

Abarth 500C: £17,500.
Abarth Punto Evo: £16,500.
Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari: €35,500.

The source also says that the 500C will feature the automated manual (“flappy paddle”) gearbox as standard, along with xenon headlights and rear parking sensors.

Sales of the 695 are being handled by Abarth Italy, and as such all monies are apparently to be paid to them direct, cutting Abarth UK out of the equation.

We’re pleasantly surprised at the price of the Abarth Punto Evo – £16,500 compares very favourably with the £15,295 of the Fiat Punto Evo Sporting.

More details when we have them.

The Italian pricing for the new Abarth 500C has been revealed today.

The Abarth 500C will be priced from €21,000 – an up-lift of around €2,200 over the tin-top Abarth 500.

The ‘Bicolore’ two-tone version shown at Geneva is priced a little higher – at €22,700.

The only option currently listed is Climate Control at €140.

This largely confirms our previous estimation that, given the Fiat 500C’s £3,000 uplift over the standard Fiat 500 in the UK, the Abarth 500C is likely to land here in July wearing a £17,500 starting price tag.

We’ll hopefully know more later this week after the dealer conference in Italy.

The new Abarth 500C

The brand new Abarth 500C is the result of developments in both style and performance. This is not the first time that Abarth has undertaken the performance tuning of a convertible and the company has used all its past experience to improve both stylistic and technical factors.

The new Abarth 500C

While the eye is inevitably drawn to the new body finish, based on elegant two-tone colour schemes, the extended, dynamic-looking spoiler instantly reminds you that the Abarth 500C is first and foremost a high class sportster. In addition to enhancing the aggressive appearance of the 500C, the spoiler effectively boosts CZ loading and creates a smoother air flow.

The looks of the Abarth 500C have also benefited from the new design 17” diamond finished alloy wheels, including the sought-after diamond finished 5 petal white wheels.

Another strong point of the Abarth 500C is its exceptional interior climate and acoustic comfort. Thorough aerodynamic research has minimised turbulence with the roof open, allowing the sound of the road and engine to be enjoyed to the full. The new car therefore delivers a more complete sport driving experience and enhanced enjoyment. In an Abarth 500C, you can experience all the thrills of a real sports car. With the roof up, performance is on a par with a hard top. When the roof down, the range of sensations and emotions is dramatically extended, and includes all the pleasures of feeling the wind in your hair and the sound of the twin tail pipes.

Abarth 500C interior

The roof is electrically operated and slides along guides in the car’s sides to let you enjoy your Abarth 500C all year round. A true object of design, the Abarth 500C’s roof stands out for its elegant, electrically controlled movement and its impressively finished and carefully administered technical features, including a glass rear window and third brake light built into the spoiler. The soft top comes in a choice of two colours (black or titanium grey), to suit the classic Abarth colours as well as the 2 two-tone colour schemes created specially for the car: one overtly sporting (black and race white) and the other in two elegant shades of grey. Finally, a coloured graphic runs around the two-tone body, simultaneously dividing and uniting the two souls of the car: below, all the performance of a true sportster, above, all the elegance of a convertible.

The new Abarth 500C

Performance: Abarth tuning

The 500C is a true Abarth, as its 140 HP 1.4 Turbo T-Jet engine clearly shows. Performance is impressive: 0-100 km/h in only 8.1 seconds and a peak torque of 206 at 2000 rpm. An engine that not only delivers thrilling performance but also makes the Abarth 500C extremely pleasant to drive day in, day out.

The engine is a 4 cylinder, 16 valve, unit of 1,368 cc, fitted with an IHI RHF3-P fixed geometry turbocharger. The unit delivers exciting performance, pushing the car to a top speed of 205 km/h and accelerating it from 0 to 100 km/h in just 8.1 seconds. These exceptional figures are also the result of an overboost function engaged by pressing the “Sport” button, which modifies engine control unit mapping, turbo pressure, and steering wheel loading. Yet despite its true Abarth spirit, the 500C still only consumes 6.5 l/100 km in the combined cycle.

The car’s sporting yet flexible engine is also environmentally friendly and already conforms to the strict Euro 5 standards soon to be introduced.

On top of its superb engine, the Abarth 500C boasts all the technical content of the model from which it is derived, including TTC (Torque Transfer Control) The most obvious innovation, of course, is the race-derived “ABARTH Competizione” gearbox, fitted as standard.

Abarth 500C interior

It was 1949 and Karl Abarth officially began marketing the first product, a race-derived gearbox with steering wheel control for the Fiat Topolino, capable of delivering quick gear changes in sporty driving conditions. With the same philosophy, more than 60 years later, the “ABARTH Competizione” is offered as standard on the Abarth 500C. This electro-hydraulically actuated, 6-speed gearbox is operated by steering wheel paddles and controlled by a system that maximises economy and performance when driven hard.

The innovative MTA-derived (Manual Transmission Automated) system is based on a conventional mechanical gearbox on which the traditional gear lever has been replaced with an actuator electronically controlled by the TCU (Transmission Control Unit) to optimise gear changes and mechanical efficiency. The gearbox can be used in two modes: auto for maximum comfort, and manual for maximum performance. “Sport” mode can be engaged in both gearbox modes and reduces gear shift times.

The new “ABARTH Competizione” gearbox makes driving even more fun thanks to race-derived functions like steering wheel paddle-shifting, just like on a real super-car.

Further confirmation that the 500C is a genuine Abarth comes from the fact that a specific “SS” tuning kit is currently being developed specially for it, offering an even higher level of performance.

The Abarth 500C is aimed at customers seeking everything the scorpion brand represents in terms of performance and innovation, plus the ultimate in style and versatility.

The new Abarth 500C

Safety

The Abarth 500C incorporates all the safety systems already installed on the Abarth 500.

Designed to conform to the strictest standards, the Abarth 500C is one of the safest vehicles in its class. Stable and effective braking, exhilarating acceleration from a 140 HP engine, and ultra-reliable handling mean that the Abarth 500C will get you through even the tightest scrapes without you batting an eyelid. The 500C is equipped as standard with 7 airbags (two front, two window and two side airbags plus one driver knee airbag): a record for this class of vehicle. The new version is also equipped with sophisticated technical solutions to maximise active safety and control: these include ABS with EBD (Electronic Braking Distribution), a sophisticated ESP system (Electronic Stability Program), ASR (Anti Slip Regulation) traction control, Hill Holder to facilitate starting off on slopes, and HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assistance) to help with emergency braking.

The Abarth 500C also features two advanced control systems: “TTC” (Torque Transfer Control) and “GSI” (Gear Shift Indicator). TTC improves the transfer of torque from the engine to the wheels and in particular gives excellent handling on bends, making sports driving safer and more fun than ever. GSI (Gear Shift Indicator) provides a signal on the instrument panel (a LED that flashes five times) to tell you when to change gear. In Normal mode, GSI tells you that changing up will help reduce fuel consumption. In Sport mode, the signal means that changing gear will give you better performance.

Finally, the Abarth 500C is fitted with dynamic systems and comfort-enhancing equipment to ensure that occupants enjoy luxury as well as safety on all types of journey. Take the suspension system for example. The front suspension is based on independent McPherson struts, while the rear suspension is semi-independent, with an inter-connecting torsion bar. Specially developed by Magneti Marelli, both suspension schemes have been optimised specifically for the Abarth 500C to ensure superb handling and the highest possible level of comfort.

The new Abarth 500C

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

ABARTH 500C – 140 HP 1.4 16v Turbo T-Jet

Engine
• 4 cylinders in line, 4 valves per cylinder, 1368 cc
• Maximum power 140 HP (103 kW) at 5000 rpm
• Peak torque 206 Nm at 2000 rpm in Sport mode
• IHI RHF3-P fixed geometry turbocharger

Transmission
• “Abarth Competizione” 5-speed gearbox
• MTA shift system with electrical actuation of mechanical gearbox and steering wheel paddles

Suspension
• McPherson strut independent front suspension
• Torsion bar rear suspension with special calibration and anti-roll bar

Steering system
• Dualdrive electric power steering with Sport mode
• Sport/overboost button (modifies effect of Dualdrive electric power steering and boosts engine torque from 180 Nm to 206 Nm)

Brakes
• ZPH 4.1.2 floating front caliper with 54-mm ø piston
• Self-ventilating front discs, diameter 284 x 22 mm
• CII 34 floating rear caliper with 34-mm ø piston
• 240 mm x 11 mm ø rear discs
• Electronic Stability Program
• TTC (Torque Transfer Control)

Wheels
• Standard: 6.5×16” aluminium alloy wheels with 195/45 R16” tyres
• Optional: 7×17” aluminium alloy wheels with 205/40 R17” tyres

Ecology
• Complies with Euro5 EEC-f5 standards

CO2 emissions
• 155 g/km

Performance
• Top speed 205 km/h
• Acceleration 0-100 km/h in 8.1 secs

Consumption
• 6.5 l/100 km in the combined cycle –
• 5.4 l/100 km in the extra-urban cycle –
• 8.5 l/100 km in the urban cycle

Roof
• Roof open/close switch
• Glass rear window

Updated 10/5/2010 with interior photos.

Autocar claims to have received insider knowledge to indicate that Abarth are likely to introduce a hot version of the recently launched Fiat 500C convertible.

Abarth 500C © NetCarShow.com

Body rigidity should remain high, as the 500C isn’t a true convertible, instead retaining its roof rails and pillars.

Engine choices are, of course, likely to remain as the 1.4-litre turbo in 135 bhp guise with the option of the ‘esseesse’ kit to bring that to just shy of 160 bhp.

The Fiat 500C is roughly £3,000 more than an equivalent Fiat 500, and that would seem to indicate a £16,500 starting price for an Abarth 500C, rising to £19,250 for the esseesse version.

Link to Autocar story: Fiat 500C Abarth planned.