2013 Fiat 500 Turbo previewed

Fiat recently announced a new addition to its 500 family, the 500 Turbo, at the Concorso Italiano in Monterrey, California. Positioned between the standard 500 and the more aggressively styled, powerful and expensive Abarth model, the new model amplifies the Cinquecento’s power, performance and personalisation levels while keeping intact the character of the iconic 500.  

The 500 Turbo sports several changes to the design but the most significant update lies under the hood. It packs a 1.4-litre MultiAir turbocharged engine that develops 137PS and 203Nm of torque – 34PS more than the standard 500 and just 25PS lower than the high-performance Abarth. 

Styling wise, the 500 Turbo now looks a lot less aggressive than the Abarth. The front fascia is more pronounced with larger air intakes, Gloss Black headlamps and parking lamp bezels. The bezel treatment is also carried on to the taillamps. Related: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth photos

Other details on the rear include a new spoiler for improved aerodynamics and black-accented rear diffuser. On the sides, the car gets bolder side skirts and16-inch aluminium wheels with black painted pockets. A new sport-tuned exhaust ensures that the 500 Turbo will have a reasonably throaty growl; just don’t expect it to ape the Abarth’s exhaust note though – that one is sheer music to the ears, talking of which brings us to the 500 Turbo’s new Beats by Dr. Dre audio system, which is exclusive to the segment and introduced for the first time in a small car. Other noteworthy interior features include sport-styled seating, sport-designed leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel accented with Argento (silver) stitching, and a gray/black seating and interior environment. Heated leather seating in black or red/black is available only as an option. 

The Fiat 500 Turbo will hit US showrooms this autumn at a price of $19,500 (Rs 10.80 lakh), which is about $3,000 (Rs 1.66 lakh) cheaper than the Abarth.