REPORT: Fiat 500 to launch in the U.S. with Abarth performance model
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/fiat/" rel="tag">Fiat</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/fiat-500-abarth-esseesse/#7"><em><strong><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/weblead-fiat_abarth500_essesse.jp g" alt="" /></strong></em></a><em><strong><br />
<small>Fiat 500 Abarth EsseEsse - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
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With every passing week comes another report of how Fiat and Chrysler will be sharing products. If it's not <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/12/rumormill-lancia-delta-coming-to-america-with-a-chrysler-badge/">Chrysler-badged Lancias</a> then it's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/28/report-fiat-may-use-next-chrysler-300-platform-for-lancia-mase/">Lancia-badged Chryslers</a> or an <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/04/rendered-speculation-2011-jeep-grand-cherokee-to-underpin-new-a/">Alfa-badged Jeep</a>. As for the Fiat division itself, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/26/report-alfa-romeo-to-lead-american-charge-fiat-500-to-go-it-al/">emerging strategy</a> appears to be to <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/17/fiat-to-assemble-500-in-mexico-build-engines-in-michigan/">bring the 500 retro-mini over</a> and set it up as something of a brand of its own, with sights set squarely on BMW's Mini and forgoing the rest of the Fiat line-up.<br />
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<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-four-versions-of-fiat-500-in-the-u-s-by-2011-including/">Earlier reports</a> indicated that we'd be getting four versions of the 500 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/01/fiat-confirms-it-will-sell-500-at-chrysler-dealerships-in-about/">Stateside</a>, including basic hatch, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/26/pics-aplenty-video-fiat-500-cabrio-introduced-at-global-sales/">cabrio</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/13/fiat-preparing-500-giardiniera-suv/">upcoming wagon</a> in addition to the Abarth performance model. But rather than start with the basics and work its way up, or launch the entire range simultaneously, the latest news suggests that Fiat is preparing to hit U.S. soil running by starting off with the 500 Abarth. According to <em>WardsAuto</em>, the Fiat 500 Abarth - complete with 133-horsepower turbocharged four, upgraded suspension and all the sporty touches that make an Abarth an Abarth - will arrive at Chrysler dealers in 2011 with an $18,000-$19,000 price tag. Fiat reportedly targets selling 20,000-25,000 units of the 500 Abarth in the first year. <br />
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By the time the 500 Abarth arrives, we'll likely be looking at an<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/11/spy-shots-abarth-hatching-plans-for-new-hot-hatches/"> updated version</a> with even more oomph. With the standard hatch, the open-top 500C and the upcoming Gardiniera wagon expected to follow, there's no telling if the initial model will be the only Abarth on offer, or whether Fiat will follow up with the even hotter <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/03/paris-2008-fiat-500-abarth-esseesse/">EsseEsse</a> version (pictured above), racing models like the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/05/paris-2008-fiat-500-abarth-assetto-corse/">Assetto Corse</a> or <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/fiat-unveils-rally-spec-abarth-500-r3t-in-san-remo/">R3T</a>, an <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/24/topless-hotness-fiat-reportedly-planning-500c-abarth-cabrio/">Abarth convertible</a> or specials like the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/09/officially-official-fiat-confirms-abarth-695-tributo-ferrari/">695 Tributo Ferrari</a> or an <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/07/abarth-releases-limited-edition-500-opening-edition/">Opening Edition</a> of our own.<br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-abarth/low/">Fiat 500 Abarth</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-abarth/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/img_1402abarth500_thumbna il.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-abarth/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/01_500_abarth_live_thumbn ail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-abarth/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/02_500_abarth_live_thumbn ail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-abarth/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/03_500_abarth_live_thumbn ail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/fiat-500-abarth/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/04_500_abarth_live_thumbn ail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://wardsauto.com/home/fiat_500_abarth_091026/">WardsAuto.com</a>]<p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/28/report-fiat-500-to-launch-in-the-u-s-with-abarth-performance-m/">REPORT: Fiat 500 to launch in the U.S. with Abarth performance model</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:29:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://wardsauto.com/home/fiat_500_abarth_091026/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/28/report-fiat-500-to-launch-in-the-u-s-with-abarth-performance-m/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19212859/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/28/report-fiat-500-to-launch-in-the-u-s-with-abarth-performance-m/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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