The New 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo is Finally Here!

The highly anticipated 2013 Fiat 500T will be making its debut today during the Concorso Italiano automobile show held in Monterey, California. Called the Fiat 500 Turbo, the new car is based on the Fiat 500 Sport but uses a turbocharged version of the Sport's 1.4L MultiAir engine and a beefed up driveline, first seen on the Fiat 500 Abarth.

The Facts
The twin intercooled 1.4-liter MultiAir® Turbo engine puts out 135 horsepower and 150 lb.-ft. of torque, up from the 101 horsepower and 98 lb.-ft of torque the regular 500’s naturally aspirated 1.4-liter MultiAir engine produced. This 34 percent gain of power and 53 percent gain in torque go through an upgraded driveline utilizing the heavy duty C510 5 speed transmission and features equal length driveshafts. To eliminate torque steer, the driveshaft's diameter were increased 23 percent (28.1 mm vs. 22.8 mm) compared with Fiat 500 half shafts. An interesting fact is the 1972 Lancia Beta pioneered the use equal length driveshafts in a transverse engined, front wheel drive application and it was latter adapted for use on the 1978 Fiat Ritmo / Strada.

To cope with the substantial increase in power, larger constant velocity (CV) joints are also used and offer 53 percent greater torsional strength than the standard Fiat 500's (2600 N•m vs. 1700 N•m in the Fiat 500).

Fuel economy is said to be 34 MPG on the highway.

A dual ringed , single exhaust tip highlights a performance tuned exhaust, specifically engineered for the 500 Turbo. It differs from the 500 Sport's and the unmuffled 500 Abarth's.

Brakes in the Fiat 500 Turbo are the same as the 500 Abarth's and are upgraded to 11.1 inch front discs, up 1 inch over the 500 Sport's.

The Fiat 500 Turbo inherits the uprated suspension calibrations used in the Fiat 500 Sport, meaning the springs and dampers are more aggressive than in the 500 Pop and Lounge models, but still offer a comfortable ride. This is in keeping with the 500 Turbo's role of being a daily driver but with a healthy dose of attitude.

Tim Kuniskis, Head of Fiat Brand North America says:
“We listened to our customers. The new Fiat 500 Turbo is the answer to all the fans that loved the style of our Cinquecento but wanted more power and performance for their daily drive. With 135 horsepower and 150 lb.-ft. of torque, the Fiat 500 Turbo hits the sweet spot between the regular Cinquecento and the high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth. The Fiat 500 Turbo balances and blends the best Italian flavors that our portfolio has to offer, becoming the perfect canvas for customization.”

Exterior
The front fascia from the Fiat 500 Abarth will be recognized, but with the Fiat logo added. The rear fascia is also reminiscent of the 500 Abarth's, but with a single exhaust outlet and  different diffuser styling.  Headlights, turn signals and taillights with  black bezels replace chromed units from the normal  Fiat 500.  Look to see them available as an accessory later this year.

Bold sideskirts are also borrowed from the 500 Abarth and replace the smaller ones that are standard on the 500 Sport. Wheels are 16x6.5 aluminum alloys with black painted pockets and wear  195/45R16XL low profile tires.

Exterior colors for the 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo include Argento (silver), Bianco (white), Grigio (gray), Nero (black), Rame (copper), Rosso (red) and all-new Verde Azzurro (green & blue.)

Interior
Inside, the new Fiat 500 Turbo features sport-styled seating, sport-designed leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel accented with Argento (silver) stitching, and a Grigio/Nero (gray/black)seating and interior environment. For an even more upscale look, heated leather seating in Nero/Nero (black/black) or vivid Rosso/Nero (red/black) is available.

New Beats by Dr. Dre audio system
New for 2013, the segment-exclusive – and first-time-ever in a small car and FIAT automobile – Beats by Dr. Dre audio system offers passengers of the Fiat 500 Turbo a high-definition music experience the way the artist intended. The available Beats Audio studio-quality sound system includes six premium speakers, an 8-inch dual-voice coil (DVC) subwoofer with trunk-mounted enclosure and eight-channel 368-watt amplifier with Beats Audio digital sound processing (DSP) algorithm.

The 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo arrives to FIAT Studios this fall with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $19,500 excluding $700 destination charge.


Join the discussion on the Fiat 500 USA Forum. Get the answers to your questions about the new Fiat 500 Turbo.

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- Friday, August 17, 2012