Fiat launches Abarth 595 Turismo & Abarth 595 Competizione

Fiat has re-jigged the Abarth 500 range in the UK with the launch of the Abarth 595 Turismo & Abarth 595 Competizione.

Fiat really does make something of a pickle of its Abarth models and their names.

Take the Abarth 500, for example. In the US, the Abarth 500 is actually the Fiat Abarth 500 so the natives realise it’s actually a Fiat (and that’s a plus?) and it comes with the same level of power as the Abarth 500 EsseEsse gets in the UK.

To address that, Fiat looks set to drop a Fiat 500 GT in the States which will be the same car we get as the Abarth 500, but with a Fiat 500T badge. With us so far?

Now, as they’re already in a mess with the Abarth 500 lineup, Fiat has decided to do what Italians do when things are in a mess – make it worse.

So instead of renaming the range and starting from scratch with something that makes sense, Fiat has gone the opposite route.

They’re keeping the Abarth 500 for the UK, but adding a bit more kit and cutting the price to £13,975. They’re also adding two new models – the Abarth 595 Turismo and Abarth 595 Competizione – that get the 160bhp engine from the EsseEsse. But, just to confuse things more, you can still have the EsseEsse package on the Abarth 500.

The Abarth 595 Turismo will get leather seats and sports pedals, Climate and Xenons and 17″ alloys and cost from £17,725. The 595 Competizione adds Sabelt Sports Seats and a Monzo Sports Exhaust and costs a £1k more than the Tursimo. You can have all three Abarths as a coupe or cabriolet, with a manual box or Fiat’s automated manual.

So, all as clear as mud then?