Performance Version of Fiat 500 Micro Car to be Unveiled Nov. 16 | Upcoming Car | Mini Car

The 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth will roar into the U.S. next year with an estimated 160 horsepower. That’s about 60 more than the already spunky Fiat 500 micro car introduced in the U.S. by Chrysler earlier this year. “I can’t wait,” said Aaron Bragman, automotive analyst for HIS Automotive. “160 horsepower in a car that small is a recipe for fun.”

Abarth was founded in 1949 by Karl Abarth, an Austrian famous for motorcycle racing and performance exhaust systems. In the 1960s, Abarth designed racing versions of the original Fiat 500. The 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth will be equipped with a 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine, a performance-tuned suspension and brake systems.




Photos released Monday show a black 2012 Fiat Abarth with a bright red stripe along the side, other red accents and Abarth’s scorpion badge. Fiat, the majority owner of Chrysler, will unveil the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth at the L.A. Auto Show on Nov. 16 and will introduce it in the U.S. by next June.

Pricing details were not disclosed. The base model of the Fiat 500 starts at about $15,500. While the Abarth isn’t expected to be a high-volume seller, Bragman said automakers are increasingly aiming for niche audiences with performance versions of small cars. Ford will introduce its high-performance Focus ST next year in the U.S.

Customers have been asking about the Abarth ever since Fiat of Lakeside opened earlier this year, said Carl Galeana, owner of the dealership. “It generates a little bit of a different customer base than the Fiat 500 because it is a sporty rocketship of a car,” Galeana said.

The 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth will be the third version of the Fiat 500 in the U.S. Fiat returned to the U.S. after a 28-year absence in March with the Fiat 500 and introduced a convertible by late spring. An electric Fiat 500 is expected by the end of 2012.

Still, Fiat has dealt with growing pains. Laura Soave, head of the Fiat brand in the U.S., said in August that Chrysler probably will fall short of its initial goal of 50,000 Fiat 500s in North America this year. The Fiat 500 is produced at Chrysler’s plant in Toluca, Mexico.

Through September, 13,861 Fiat 500s were sold in the U.S., according to Autodata. Sales of the Fiat 500 were held back by a slower than expected opening of Fiat dealerships in the U.S. and the delayed rollout of a national marketing campaign. Fiat now has 124 U.S. dealers and began national advertising in August.

Fiat dealers also are eager for the return of the Alfa Romeo, which has been pushed off to 2013. Until then, it will be difficult for Fiat dealers to sell enough cars to cover expenses, Galeana said. “We are built for the future,” Galeana said. “When we got in business, we got in business for one thing, and that was to sell a variety of models.”