PRETORIA, South Africa – What claims to be the country’s hottest hatch has been refreshed, updated, and made more exciting with a special edition – the Abarth 595 – with new interiors, new colours, and new details for the 595 Turismo and Competizione hatch and cabriolet models.
There’s also a new Abarth Yamaha Monster special edition…
The Turismo and Competizione claim to underline the characteristics of the Abarth brand with new technology underlining the Scorpion brand’s style and performance.
The 595 has a flat-bottomed steering-wheel, updated instrument panel, and a pressure gauge now white-lit for easier legibility; poly-elliptical headlights and diode daytime lights on the Competizione.
REFRESHED CABIN
The Sport has been renamed Scorpion across the new range to align it with the Abarth logo and to honour the brand’s founder, Carlo Abarth. Peak torque, power-steering calibration, and engine respond to the accelerator pedal.
A button on the fascia, Abarth explains, provides sharper driver engagement and the 595 has high-performance brakes – 284mm front ventilated discs and 240mm rear discs.
The Abarth 595 Turismo brings a refreshed cabin that includes diamond-embossed leather upholstery in a range of colours – among them a new ‘heritage brown’.
A new body colour joins the Competizione palette: matte rally blue inspired by the Fiat 131 Abarth Rally of the 1970s. New 17” alloy wheel rims recall those of the 1990s Lancia Delta Rally Integrale and a body-colour kit is specific to the Competizione in combination with the new rally blue or black exterior paint.
SIX-SPEED MANUAL
In addition to the Scorpion mode-selector, a new fascia clad with Alcantara can be found, alongside leather upholstery and a carbon-fibre gear shifter.
And so to engines, transmissions, and mechanicals: the new 595 range has a 1.4 T-jet unit in two output levels: the 595 Turismo generates 121kW, the 595 Competizione 132kW – top performance for the range.
Each1.4 T-jet spins a six-speed manual transmission but can be fitted on request with an Abarth robotised sequential transmission with shift paddles but each drivetrain claims to comply with Euro 6B Final regulations.
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM
Every new 595 will have a Uconnect system with a 19cm, high-definition, touchscreen radio equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
ABARTH 595 Monster Energy Yamaha
THESE UNITS have been designed for younger buyers and motorsport fans by including ultra high-performance – but only 2000 of them worldwide – ”to celebrate the two brands’ six-year partnership”.
Aesthetically inspired by the livery of the 2020 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s YZR-M1, the exterior of the series has a blue/black livery bearing the “Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP” logo.
TRACK-BASED CENTRING STRIPE
The Monster has a 1.4 T-jet engine with Euro6B homologation and manual transmission but it can take an Abarth robotised sequential transmission with shift paddles on demand and capable of 117kW.
It includes a race-car inspired flat-bottom steering wheel and centring stripe on the top part of the steering wheel rim, particularly useful for sport driving. The “Sport” button controls max torque, power-steering calibration and throttle response.
The brakes, designed for Abarth – provides maximum safety with 284mm front/240mm rear ventilated discs. Also standard is a Koni rear suspension.
South Africa will receive the 595 Monster Energy Yamaha in limited numbers through 2021.
…AND SO TO THE PRICES
Abarth 595 Turismo 1.4L – R399 900
Abarth 595 Turismo Cab 1.4L – R439 900
Abarth 595 Competizione 1.4L – R479 900
Abarth 595 Competizione Cab 1.4L – R519 900
Abarth Yamaha Monster 1.4L – R469 900
Abarth Yamaha Monster Cabriolet 1.4L – R509 900
Each unit is front-wheels drive and with a 1.4-litre engine and six-speed manual transmission.
As it should be for such a car…
Carman's Corner 