Abarth 695 (2012-2024) review – why we’ll miss Italy’s Mini Cooper S rival
The Abarth 695 (and all Abarth 500s in fact) have a sense of humour the hot hatch segment will sorely miss
It felt like Abarth’s Fiat 500-based hot hatch had been around forever (because it had – the first Abarth 500 arrived in 2008), but production has now finally come to a close. Climbing into one now feels like stepping into the not-so-distant past. To put things into context, the first Abarth 500 went up against the Mk1 Suzuki Swift Sport at launch, and we’ve been through three generations of Swift since then. Yes, three.
So as the 595 and 695 are put to rest and focus shifts towards their EV successor, the 500e, is the petrol Abarth the ultimate refresher of what a small hot hatch should be, or does it feel hopelessly out of date? A go in the last of the line limited-run 695 75 Anniversario edition, as well as long-term testing an Abarth 695C provided some clues.
> Abarth 600e review – electric hot hatch with surprising character
Abarth 695 in detail
All the way back in 2015, perhaps the most special Abarth 500 derivative, the 695 Biposto, was introduced. This 190bhp track attack special featured the options of Sabelt carbon-backed seats and an exposed-linkage Bacci Romano dog-ring gearbox – a rare one unsurprisingly, given it added £8000 to the price and had a very short service life… Some of the most famous 695 derivatives were the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari and Maserati Editions (499 made) of 2009 and 2012. The Tributo Ferrari followed a 200-car run of Ferrari dealer edition Abarth 500s, which were famously sent to Ferrari’s retailers as fleet vehicles.
The name 695 was fully deployed as a flagship model for 2016, with cosmetic tweaks and a parpier exhaust for the facelifted 178bhp flagship. The 695C was also available, with a roll-back fabric top allowing it to split the difference between hatch and full-on convertible. There was also the Rivale, a more luxurious take on the little Abarth. Versions like the Esseesse came with a 12-way adjustable rear wing, that could be angled at up to 60 degrees for up to 42kg of downforce at 124mph.
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The 75 Anniversario edition was the 2024 niche special edition to quite literally end all (the many) Abarth 500, 595 and 695 niche special editions. Just 1368 were made (referencing the capacity of the engine and marking it out as a farewell to internal combustion, too.) It followed 2021’s Essesse Collector’s Edition (1390 made) and 2022’s Tributo 131 Rally (695 made) and 2017’s XSR Yamaha (1390 made) to name just a few. Indeed, Fiat has been known to chuck these out based on tenuous links, but Abarth’s 75th anniversary was an occasion worth commemorating.
The Anniversario is standard 695 in terms of its mechanical makeup, but it did combine Abarth’s Record Monza exhaust and a bold black-and-gold colour scheme, including a giant gold scorpion on the roof, with the standard 695 recipe.
Power in the 695 75 Anniversario comes courtesy of the standard 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine, boosted by a Garrett turbo to 178bhp and 184lb ft, sent to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission (though an automated manual was an option on other 695s). You can’t actually turn the traction control off in the 695, nor does it come standard with a limited-slip diff. That’s the preserve of wild old Abarth Biposto, the Performance Pack-equipped 595 Competizione and confusingly, a handful of other limited-run 695 variants.
As consolation, the Abarth gets a TTC (Torque Transfer Control) system which brakes the inside wheel to control wheelspin, rather than just cutting the power. Braking is by Brembo four-piston callipers clamping 305mm discs at the front.
Driving the Abarth 695
Even the most cynical observer would have to admit that the Abarth is a charming thing to look at, full of attitude. The interior feels cheap in places but pretty racy, too. When was the last time you saw a supermini with carbon-backed buckets? There’s Alcantara covering the dash and flashes of carbon on the wheel too. The ergonomics are a struggle, though – you’ll search for a seat height adjuster in vain, and there’s no reach adjustment on the wheel. The pedal box is awkwardly close and on a long drive you’ll lose feeling in your left leg after a while. That’s if the choppy ride hasn’t got to you first.
The 695 is firm. Really firm. On bumpy surfaces it hops and skips along on its Koni Frequency Selective Dampers, following every contour of the road. If you’re in the mood it’s tolerable and can suit the lively nature of the car, but it lacks fluidity and never fully settles.
That’s not to say there isn’t any fun to be had in pinging the Anniversario along the road. Its size and four-square stance give it a sense of agility and plenty of room to play with in your lane, and the engine is a constant source of torque, parping, whooshing noises that you can summon with the throttle. This isn’t a lag-free turbo motor but one that builds to a rush in the mid range, and you need to anticipate your throttle inputs to hit boost at the right moment out of corners. Further up the tacho it starts to sound breathy before butting into a soft limiter at just over 6000rpm, a little earlier than you naturally expect.
The shift action of the five-speed ’box isn’t the sweetest, but the light throw means you can flick it quickly around the gate to keep the motor in its sweet zone. Do so and the 695 is a genuinely fast little car, punching up the road with the wheel tugging at your hands. It feels livelier again if you press the Sport button, which sharpens the engine response considerably and seems to condense the throttle curve to the first half of the pedal’s travel. There’s more progression in normal mode, making it easier to modulate around the boost and work against the traction control.
If you drive to the limits of the front end you can feel the TTC system working subtly as you apply the power mid-corner, holding the car a little tighter through to the exit. Be more aggressive and the Abarth defaults to a nose-led balance, and an aggressive lift or trailing brake does nothing to change that. Given how energetic the rest of the car feels, it’s a shame that there isn’t the ability to influence the balance through a corner.
Instead, the Abarth responds best to a calmer driving style. With more measured inputs the traction control intervenes more subtly and you focus on carrying momentum and smoothly bleeding on and off the brakes (that have solid feel and progression). Even when you relax in this way the infectious energy remains, and the Abarth still puts a smile on your face.
Living with the Abarth 695C
‘Rich, stop it. You’re driving like a knob.’ It was a harsh but fair assessment, wearily delivered from the passenger seat of the Abarth 695 by Mrs M after yet another journey characterised by what I’d describe as juvenile exuberance. Yes, at over 50 years of age I probably should know better, but as we’ve been together for almost 30 of them, she really should be used to it by now. Besides, the Abarth is one of those cars you can’t help but bomb around in.
Sport mode tends to be the mood enhancer, thanks to the sharper throttle response, weightier steering and endlessly amusing paarrp! from the exhaust. And if you happen to build just the right amount of turbo boost and then back off abruptly, the PAARRP! is even more amusing.
It’s not compulsory to engage Sport mode, but I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t become as much of a reflex as fastening my seatbelt. Without it the Abarth isn’t exactly limp, but it doesn’t have nearly as much oomph low in the rev range. I’ll concede there are times when it would be preferable to decouple Sport and Paarrp modes, but on balance I’m prepared to live with the occasional ticking-off.
The 695C takes me back to my souped-up Mini days, when I had disposable income and spent it all on making it go faster. The Abarth could do with some of the Mini’s throttle adjustability as it’s too nose-led – even a big lift-and-bung does little to unsettle it – but still the general vibe is very similar to the Mini’s because you just can’t help but sling it into corners wearing a goonish grin on your face.
I’d like to be able to tell you what the 695C is like with the lid peeled back, but it simply will not stop raining here in the UK. Tell a lie, it did stop for a day but snowed instead. Not enough for find-a-big-car-park-and-skid-around-until-someone-in-a-dayglo-jacket-throws-you-out tomfoolery, but just enough to completely balls-up a carefully organised track test of precious old Porsche 911s. Maybe the sun will appear soon…
I’ve long nurtured the theory that you notice more examples of a particular car when you’re driving one yourself, but I see umpteen Abarths wherever I go. Looking back at the sales figures it’s clear the UK has long been one of the marque’s biggest markets. For a while it was the biggest, even outstripping Italy. No wonder there’s a lot about. Production of the petrol 595/695 ended at the end of 2023 as the range switched to EV. It’s a big play for Fiat/Abarth considering they sold them in their tens of thousands.
If my Abarth encounters happen to be on a late-night run back from, say, Heathrow, those I spot always seem to be on a mission, or loitering near roundabouts with intent. Despite what Mrs M might say, I’m a bit old for that malarkey – the heart is willing, but the mind is full of too many cautionary ‘what ifs’ – but it always makes me smile when I see someone clearly enjoying themselves in their car while everyone else is tucked up in bed.
Previously unbeknown to me there’s a big Abarth tuning scene, so I’ve now disappeared down the rabbit hole on Instagram, where cars with twice the 695’s 178bhp are relatively commonplace. Quite how that works I have no idea, but I’d like to find out. So imagine my delight when by complete coincidence we received an email from Balance Motorsport offering to take RE23 TGX up to 270bhp. Sadly, I don’t think Abarth UK will sanction that. It would’ve been a hoot. Or rather a PAARRP! – evo issue 321, Richard Meaden
Abarth 695 values and buying guide
The 75 Anniversario’s £32,930 starting price when new meant the petrol-powered Abarth hot hatch departed as an expensive little car. Mind you, it was one of the last holdouts, following in the tyre tracks of the already-departed Ford Fiesta ST and Hyundai i20 N. Happily, used prices are much more palatable – early 695s start from less than £10,000. On the other end of the scale, the ultra-special two-seat Bipostos have held money well, commanding no less than £20,000.
You’re going to want to make sure your chosen Abarth, whether a 695, 595 or 500, has good service and MOT history. Cambelt and water pump change intervals should have been studiously adhered to. Listen for squeaks and clunks from the suspension – the dampers and bushings of stiff-riding Abarths live a particularly hard life. Look out for corrosion on the rear torsion beam, too.
Specs
| Engine | In-line 4-cyl, 1368cc, turbo |
|---|---|
| Power | 178bhp @ 5500 |
| Torque | 184lb ft @ 3000 |
| Weight | 1035kg |
| Power-to-weight | 172bhp/ton |
| 0-62mph | 6.7sec |
| Top speed | 140mph |
