Even though the Abarth 500 doesn’t go on sale in the UK until February 2009, it has just been voted Best Hot Hatch by Top Gear magazine.
The Top Gear judges described the 135bhp supermini as “frisky and fun” and “an irresistible piece of Italian tailoring” while praising it for its acceleration, grip and handling as well as its retro styling and sporty looks.
The eagerly anticipated hot hatch is already proving to be hugely popular in Fiat showrooms. Enquiries and deposits are flooding in, no doubt helped by the recent TV debut of the Abarth 500 on Top Gear, while 200 cars that were released for sale early on the internet were immediately snapped up by keen buyers.
