An Interesting Week with the 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth.

I don’t believe a test of the 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth need much introduction. We all recognize it as a restyled Miata with a turbocharged Fiat engine—Japanese fun with an Italian twist.

The 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth Experience: Good, but not what I expected.

It’s been a long time since I’ve test driven a 124 Spyder, so when my top-of-the-line 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth came, I immediately took it to my favorite twisting road in Malibu, California. I was quickly startled to discover that I didn’t appreciate it as much as I had hoped—it was eager to understeer and wasn’t as balanced as I had imagined. I recalled thinking that the 124 wasn’t as fun to drive as Mazda’s tough MX-5 Club, while the Club can be a bit more difficult to live with on a daily basis.

But where did I like testing the 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth? Everywhere else. Like many of us, I’ve been working from home, particularly creating historical fiction while keeping near to my workstation and bookcases. With the 124 Spider Abarth outside, I felt like I was 17 again, clutching my newly issued driver’s license and seeking for any reason to take a drive. When my wife sent me to the shop, I really contemplated purchasing the incorrect items and returning them.

Here’s what I like most about the 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth: The exhaust. Top-of-the-line Abarth cars had louder pipes, and every time I started the engine, it sounded like I was driving a ’70s-era Fiat 124 with the muffler already rusting away. I expected the farty trumpeting to become old after a few days, but it never did. I could hear that music all day, every day.

Everything else is my second favorite thing. I’ve always thought the 124’s look was a little weird compared to the Miata’s, but I’ve come to appreciate it, if only because it’s different. Inside, the 124 is pure Mazda, but other from shifting the volume knob to the dashboard where it belongs and perhaps adding a little digital speedometer (the analog one is difficult to see), I wouldn’t alter anything.

2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth: Exploring Fiat’s MultiAir Engine.

The Mazda and Fiat vary mostly in terms of their engines. While the Miata has a 181-horsepower, 2.0-liter normally aspirated four, the 124 Spider has a home-built turbocharged 1.4 with 160 horsepower. That value climbs to 164 in the Abarth; torque is 184 lb-ft, although the Abarth peaks at 3,200 rpm rather than 2,500 rpm like the other 124s.

Take a test drive of the 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, and you’ll know it’s a small-displacement turbo engine the moment the rpm dip below 2,000, as it loafs until the turbo is fully operational. Avoid creeping away from a light in second gear. Even when the engine is boosted, power is mild, and the 6,250-rpm rev restriction is low and difficult to see on the Abarth’s red-faced tach.

And you know what? It is exactly these characteristics that make the engine appealing. When driving the 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, keep track of what gear you’re in and how quickly your engine is rotating, and make the most of the rpm range. This is driving, amigos!

Part of my delight stems from nerdy roots: This engine employs Fiat’s MultiAir electrohydraulic variable valve-timing technology, which provides such fine control that the engine lacks a throttle plate; instead, when you step on the accelerator, the intake valves determine how much air enters the engine. That’s wonderful. That is bizarre. That is awesome.

Ride and handling? I remarked that the curvy-road driving did not meet my expectations for a Miata (moderate grip, so I don’t have to drive too fast to slide about, and a beautiful balanced balance with modest oversteer when desired). But for the remainder of my driving, it was ideal—firm enough to keep me connected yet soft enough that I didn’t regret driving it. The steering is light, accurate, and delightful; thank you, Mazda.

Fiat 124 Spider: Tall Drivers Need Not Apply

At 5-feet, 6-inches tall, I’m among the few who can appreciate the 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth’s compact proportions; it’s not often that I drive a vehicle that seems like it was designed for my height. Taller individuals may find it too confining, and with the middle-age pounds I’ve gained, getting in and out was, to be honest, not as elegant as it would have been 20 years ago when I was young, muscular, and handsome. However, once inside, I felt really comfortable.

Could this convertible top be any better? Pull on the clasp and give the ceiling a firm push upward, and it will fold itself. Then, press down in the middle to fasten it. When you reach to your destination, grab the release between the seats, pull the top closed over your shoulder, and snap the latch shut. Even easier than a power top, there’s no need to drive the 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth with the roof closed unless it’s a rain. I did that for precisely three minutes in the spirit of journalistic test-drive integrity before deciding that because the sun was shining, journalistic integrity could go jump in a lake. Anyone who wants to know how the 124 Spider performs with the top up can take their own damn test drive.

As I drove, a single sentence kept repeating in my thoughts (along with that great exhaust note): “This is a car I would buy.” Would I purchase a 2020 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth over a Miata? I guess I would. Perhaps the Fiat is defective in certain aspects, but that is what makes a vehicle intriguing. A Mazda MX-5 Miata Club might be more fun in the bends, but I believe the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth would be far more enjoyable everywhere else. And that is what truly matters.

Fiat 124 Spider: What’s New for 2020:

Abarth models now feature the “Scorpion Sting” decal kit.
The powertrain, chassis, and body are carried over from 2019. The model selection comprises Classica, Lusso, and Abarth. The little turbo engine distinguishes it from the Mazda Miata.