Abarth 500 Esseesse (321)
Specifications
Overview
| Country of origin | IT |
|---|---|
| Fuel type | Petrol |
| Drivetrain | FWD |
| Production years | 2008-2015 |
| Chassis code | 312 |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual / automated manual |
| Insurance group | 29E |
Performance
| Power | 160 PS |
|---|---|
| Torque | 230 Nm |
| Kerb weight | 1035 kg |
| Power-to-weight | 152.7 bhp/tonne |
| 0-62 mph | 7.4 sec |
| Top speed | 131 mph |
Powertrain
| Engine | 1.4-litre inline-four |
|---|---|
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Induction type | Turbocharged |
Running Costs
| Combined MPG | 43 mpg |
|---|---|
| CO2 | 155 g/km |
The Abarth 500 Esseesse was what you got when Abarth had turned the wick up properly on the Fiat 500. In most markets, the Esseesse was not a separate clean-sheet model so much as a factory-backed but dealer-fit “SS” conversion for the Abarth 500.
The headline change was the 1.4-litre turbo T-Jet being lifted to about 160 hp / 118 kW and 230 Nm, with the package also bringing uprated brakes, 17-inch wheels, Eibach springs, performance tyres, a BMC air filter and ECU remap.
What made it special was not raw speed alone, but character. The Esseesse had the feel of a proper pocket rocket: tiny footprint, turbo shove, upright driving position, cartoonish styling, a short wheelbase, and an eagerness that made ordinary speeds feel exciting. It was a car with a lot of theatre for the money: scorpion badges, boost gauge, chunky body addenda, and enough stiffness to make even a quick trip to the shops feel like a stage of the Targa Florio.
Its rivals were cars like the Mini Cooper S, Renault Twingo Renaultsport 133, Citroën DS3 Racing, Suzuki Swift Sport, and later the Ford Fiesta ST. Against the Mini, Evo found the Abarth smaller, lighter, grippier and more fiery, although the Mini still had broader polish and torque. Against the Twingo Renaultsport, Top Gear framed the Abarth as the more emotional and characterful choice: the Renault was cheaper and rode better, but the Abarth’s turbo engine, sound, details and sense of occasion made it feel more special.
The trade-off was that the Esseesse could be a bit much. The ride was famously firm, and several period reviews made the same point: it gripped hard and felt agile, but it could skip and bounce over rough roads rather than flow with real finesse. Auto Express called it tenacious and likeable, but also tiring away from smooth surfaces. That is really the car in miniature: not the most sophisticated hot hatch, not the most refined, and not the most spacious, but absolutely bursting with energy.
Reliability is not usually terrifying, but buying one now is about condition. PistonHeads’ used guide says the manual and MTA gearboxes are generally strong, but recommends more frequent oil changes than the official interval to protect the engine and turbo, and flags cambelt replacement at five years or 75,000 miles, worn droplinks, rusty strut tops, loose door handles, washer-jet faults, tailgate wiring chafing and inner-edge front tyre wear. What Car? also notes that loose door handles, washer-jet failure, squeaks, rattles and some electrical issues can crop up, while Auto Express lists recalls across the long-running Abarth 500/595 family, including steering, airbag, wiring, door-panel, seatbelt, lighting and automatic-gearbox issues.
Overall, the Abarth 500 Esseesse was not a perfectly rounded hot hatch in the Golf GTI sense. It was too small, too firm and too eccentric for that. But as a charismatic little Italian performance car, it hit the mark beautifully: fast enough to be fun, flawed enough to have personality, and theatrical enough to feel special every time you saw the scorpion badge on the key.