The latest Fiat to cross the ocean raises a raft of questions. For example, can a Fiat assembled by Mazda in Japan (the ocean in question being the Pacific, not the Atlantic) repair the shaky reputation that formerly turned the acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino into Fix It Again Tony?
Also, how many Canadians will make an emotional connection with this reincarnation of a classic Fiat from almost 30 years ago? After all, it’s a Fiat, not an MG.
And then there’s the biggie: given the almost universal consensus that the latest Mazda MX-5 is the essence of “perfect little sports car” (it was 2016 World Car of the Year), how can Fiat possibly build its own version of this joint-venture architecture without messing with perfection?
The first two questions will take time to be answered, but now that we’ve driven the born-again 124 Spider we might just have to say that Fiat – with the aid, incidentally, of an American FCA engineer named Leia Horton – might just have aced question three. We’re not going to base that assertion on how the Fiat looks, because the eye for style is deeply personal. If you prefer the look of the MX-5, you certainly can’t go wrong by choosing it.
You might also want to stick with the Mazda if you use your sports car for actual motorsports, particularly Solo2. The Fiat is longer than the Mazda, about 50 kilograms heavier and a tad more nose-heavy – all factors that might favour the Mazda for deking the pylons of a tight and twisty auto-slalom.
But by any measure other than a stopwatch, the Fiat is just as much fun. The 124 Abarths we drove on an informal autocross track – some spec’ed out with various aftermarket performance parts – were an absolute hose. The handling is the definition of “tossable” – throw it around, kick the tail out, feel like a hero.
The Fiat’s extra five horsepower and 26 lb-ft of turbocharged torque should outpace the MX-5 in a straight line at the track, though that may not always translate onto the road. There’s more turbo lag than we’re used to, with the real kick arriving at a tardy 3,000 rpm or so. The Mazda also revs more freely – it red-lines at 6,800 rpm, the Fiat at 6,250.
That said, it’s not hard to drive around the turbo lag, and the 1.4-litre engine sings just the right zippy-little-roadster song. You also might find yourself enjoying the Fiat’s brand of fun more often. Its larger dimensions enable a bigger trunk while a particular focus of the Spider-ization process was an enhanced noise-insulation package. In short, you might contemplate weekend-away touring expeditions in the Fiat rather than just Sunday-morning breakfast runs.
Pricing starts at $33,495 for the Classica, which is well equipped. An extra $3,000 gets you the Lusso, which adds a 7-inch colour radio display plus a bunch of other cosmetic and convenience frills. For maximum thrills, $37,995 gets you the Abarth which adds a Sport mode selector that boosts maximum torque, plus limited slip differential, strut-tower brace and Bilstein sport suspension. You can also up the Abarth ante with a Brembo brake option, plus assorted Mopar chassis-stiffening or exhaust-loudening performance parts.
Mazda MX-5 MSRPs range from $31,900 to $39,200 and there’s no extra charge for automatic. The automatic is a $1,495 option on all models of the Fiat – all the more reason to stick with the stick.
You’ll like this car if ... You just love to drive – really drive.
TECH SPECS
Base price: $33,495
Engine: 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder
Drive/Transmission: Rear-wheel/Six-speed manual or automatic
Fuel economy (litres/100 km): Manual: 9.0 city, 6.7 highway; Automatic: 9.3 city, 6.5 highway
Alternatives: Mini Convertible, Mazda MX-5, VW Beetle Convertible
RATINGS
Looks: It’s not drop-dead gorgeous but the styling appealingly honours the original 124 Spider – and therefore by definition is also completely distinct from the MX-5. A 140-mm longer body than the MX-5’s adds about 50 kilograms, but enables a larger trunk.
Interior: There’s not much at-the-wheel adjustability – the steering tilts but doesn’t telescope, and officially there’s only four-way seat adjustment. But Fiat got the basics just right, and there is a thigh-angle adjuster not mentioned in the specs. Large-body drivers may find the seats confining, though. The cockpit architecture and amenities are basically Mazda, but Fiat put its own stamp on trim materials and the sculpting of the dash-top.
Performance: The first rear-drive application of the 1.4 Turbo from the 500 Abarth suits a roadster better than the Miata’s engine, which is optimized for low-end torque. There’s noticeable turbo lag in the Fiat below 2,500 rpm, but the mid-range is strong and when the 6,250-rpm rev limiter intrudes, it seems way too soon. The shifter is a delight; we found no California road bumps that could unsettle the ride or the structure; and the agile, tossable handling is exactly as ordered. After multiple hot laps on the autocross, however, “my” Abarth experienced significant brake fade.
Technology: The 7-inch free-standing screen and its centre-console controller on Lusso and Abarth look pure Mazda, but the infotainment system is FCA’s own Fiat-Connect 7.0. The base Classica’s AM/FM has Bluetooth but only a 3-inch dot-matrix display. Standard or available driver/safety aids are limited to a backup camera, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Wanting more would be a failure to grasp the concept.
Cargo: The best that can be said of the tiny 140-litre trunk is that it’s 10 litres less tiny than an MX-5’s. In the cabin, there are small cubbies between the seats and, if you don’t need the seat all the way back, you could slip a briefcase behind it.
THE VERDICT
9.0
Price or prejudice or personal taste could sway your decision, but know this: on its own merits and in its own way, the 124 Spider is just as desirable as the MX-5.
The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.
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