Fiat 500X set for 200bhp Abarth makeover - AutoExpress
Fiat’s performance arm Abarth has been relatively quiet of late, but it’s set to turn up the heat with an all-new car – and an unusual one at that. “Besides the 124 and 500 , we are thinking about an all-new addition to the line-up,” Alfredo Altavilla, Fiat Chrysler Group chief operating officer, told us. “The 500X is one of the options being considered. Should an Abarth 500X get the green light for production, it would allow Abarth, and therefore Fiat, to not only grab a larger slice of the massively profitable crossover class, but also get a strong foothold in the underdeveloped performance... The Fiat 500X’s high-riding stance will be lowered, with chunkier bumpers, deeper side skirts and larger wheels all helping to make the hot model look meaner. Under the bonnet, the Abarth 500X could use the same 1. 75-litre turbo Alfa Romeo 4C engine that’s set for the Abarth 124 Spider. The 500X could follow the Countryman JCW’s lead in being all-wheel drive, too, although considering that the only Fiat 500X with four-wheel drive is a 2. 0-litre diesel with a nine-speed automatic box, a cheaper and lighter front-wheel-drive... Source: www.autoexpress.co.uk
