Fiat Stilo Abarth
Not many countries do small sports cars as well as Italy. So it's curious that the nation's biggest manufacturer, Fiat, has failed to set the world alight with its Abarth-badged Stilo hot hatch.
The manual Stilo Abarth is a welcome and much needed addition. Its cabin doesn't have the hallmarks of a true hot hatch, but the exhaust sound certainly does. On the road it isn't as thrilling as many rivals, but it is fun and agile. The 170bhp engine has enough power to keep enthusiastic drivers happy, as does the competitive price tag of £14,245.
Not many countries do small sports cars as well as Italy. So it's curious that the nation's biggest manufacturer, Fiat, has failed to set the world alight with its Abarth-badged Stilo hot hatch.
One of the reasons may be that, since the model's launch in 2001, the flagship has been offered only with the firm's Selespeed semi-automatic transmission. But now, after three years, Fiat has decided to change that by making a manual version available.
And it doesn't come soon enough. The styling of the three-door-only Abarth is far sharper than the five-door Stilo's, even after the latter's facelift. The hot hatch version carries an altogether more aggressive look, while the roof spoiler and sculpted side-skirts simply add to the sporty flavour.
In addition to the equipment fitted to the Stilo's luxury Dynamic range-topper, the Abarth boasts bespoke interior trim and dashboard, ESP stability control, a Dual Zone climate-control system and low-profile tyres.
Despite this, the cabin styling remains a little plain. Overall practicality is excellent, but the driving position isn't - everyone who tried our test car commented on how uncomfortable the bizarrely shaped seat was.
Pedigree
While the interior might not be especially exciting, as soon as you turn over the engine, the car's sporting pedigree becomes much more apparent. The 2.4-litre five-cylinder 20v motor has an unusually raucous exhaust note.
Surprisingly for a large-capacity unit, it produces a modest 170bhp. But with most of the power coming in at the lower end of the rev range, the responsive engine offers instant acceleration. This makes overtaking manoeuvres straightforward and delivers a 0-60mph sprint time of 8.5 seconds. That is still 0.3 seconds slower than a Ford Focus ST170, though.
Top speed for the Fiat is 136mph, so it's just as well the brakes have plenty of stopping power despite lacking in pedal feel. The handling is fine, too. While the steering is bettered by that of many rivals, the car turns sharply into corners with assured ease.
The Stilo Abarth faces some very well established hot hatch rivals, and fitting the smooth-shifting manual box - thus giving keen drivers more control over gearchanges - turns it into a much-improved contender.
However, as a package, it's not up to the standards of the Focus ST170 or a Honda Civic Type R, but then it does cost less. With the manual box, the Fiat is £14,245, making it £1,850 less than the Selespeed version. It may not be a class leader, but for those looking for something a bit different, it's worth considering.
