Rating: Fiat Fastback Abarth in 1,200 km in Tiradentes, MG

The Fiat Fastback Abarth is Brazil’s most beautiful sports car. Longer than the Pulse Fastback and more powerful than the Volkswagen Polo GTS, it wins in terms of charm, performance and boot volume (516 litres) over its rare national rivals.

He demonstrated his qualities on a 1,200 km journey between the tourist towns of Guarujá, SP, and Tiradentes, MG, crossing various types of roads, from good ones with a smooth surface to terrible ones, full of potholes, up to cobbled sections . .

On this trip we shared the guide several times, in the spirit of the “He Drives, She Drives” section. It is a popular section among readers because it features the different opinions of a man (in this case an automotive journalist) and a woman (in this case a travel agent).

The look of the Abarth Fastback is the first bait that this Fiat – which has no Fiat logo – throws at anyone who approaches the car. At a petrol stop in Tiradentes, a petrol station attendant said: “What a beautiful car, what brand is this Abarth?”

“It’s a Fiat, man, Abarth is Fiat’s sports brand,” we said. It was a big surprise for the citizen, accustomed to other types of Fiat: Uno, Palio, Argo, Siena, Cronos, Mobi, Strada and Toro, mainly.

Fiat has gold in their hands with this car. In other words, Fiat was able to turn the Fastback into gold. The car is exciting not only in design, but also in the interior. The seats are sporty and comfortable. It was a 16 hour journey and the front seats (the only ones used) did not cause any pain or fatigue.

The driving position is excellent and, when changing drivers, it was enough to raise the seat in two stages (she drives) or lower it in two stages (he steers). The steering wheel has excellent grip and the red “Poison” button (which shortens the gear) was used sporadically.

The large butterfly also allowed easy and precise manual anticipation, when it was necessary to downshift one or two gears to make quicker and safer overtaking. Approximately 400 km of the route was driven on narrow, winding single-lane roads.

These roads are SP-052, MG-158, MG-460, MG-383, BR-354, BR-494 and the infamous BR-265. On the way back, in addition to once again facing the potholes and dangers of the BR-265, we traveled most of the time on the Rodovia Fernão Dias (BR-381).

It is worth mentioning that the Fiat Fastback Abarth combines the 1.3 Turbo 200 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission. This makes a big difference, compared to many boring CVT transmissions found in today’s cars.

The power of 185 hp (we almost always use with ethanol) or 180 hp (with petrol) is a guarantee of good starts (from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds) and good final speed when overtaking (maximum 220 km/h h). .

But the greatest advantage is the turbocharger which delivers 200 Nm of torque at very low speeds (from 1,750 rpm). So we could almost always drive with the tachometer needle at around 2,500 rpm, which made the car pleasant and even economical.

We can’t help but mention the pleasant low rumble during slower driving. Also worthy of praise is the very rapid response of the accelerator pedal; Even every request with the car above 1,750 rpm thickens the roar and guarantees good acceleration.

The traction of the Fastback Abarth is frontal and a slight tendency to oversteer appears only if the corners are taken more sharply at very high speeds (less than the Pulse Abarth, however). The suspension is well adjusted. In some rare moments we even turned at 165 km/h without problems.

Body roll is almost imperceptible when driving fast without overdoing it. Of course, in the town of Tiradentes, paved with uneven stones, the stiff suspension and low-profile tires required patience. You cannot go faster than 15 km/h.

But it was notable, on all types of roads and surfaces, the good adjustment of the steering (very direct), the suspensions and the brakes (we didn’t miss the disc at the rear, which turned in two and with the trunk full, but away from the maximum weight which is 400 kg).

In the mountains the braking system also proved reliable and the good combination of steering and suspension provided driving pleasure. Adas security systems are efficient and can have the level of assistance configured on three levels.

Another positive point was life on board. The Fiat Fastback Abarth has excellent multimedia connectivity, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an easy-to-read instrument panel, finishes consistent with the car’s intended purpose and three air-conditioned storage compartments: glove compartment, center console and induction charger .

The storage space in the doors, however, is terrible. Even a simple pet water bottle needs to be squeezed to fit. Our Stanley bottles? There is no way. Fiat should do like BYD and put a net on the doors to better accommodate objects.

In some places “far from civilization” we lack a GPS navigator. In others, like the fearsome BR-265, in the Minas Gerais stretch between Lavras and Tiradentes, it would be better to have tires with a higher profile than the 215/45 R18 that equip the Abarth Fastbacks. There are so many potholes on the track that even though we drove carefully, we had some problems, like colliding head-on with a truck on a curve and having a crater in front of us.

Perhaps the Fiat Fastback Abarth is not very suitable for daily driving in the city, especially if it is a place with uneven pavement. But for traveling it is a perfect car. And the best thing: it’s not even that expensive, compared to what’s available on the market. It is worth paying R $ 160,990 for the Abarth Fastback.

CONCLUSION

Quinta’s opinion: “I appreciated the throttle response and the roar of the engine at low revs, as well as the firmness of the suspension and the steering adjustment, which was very direct. I would buy”.

Chris’s opinion: “The seats are very comfortable and you don’t even realize you’re in a sports car. In fact, you notice it when you ask for performance and he responds promptly, allowing you to overtake in complete safety.”