Fiat and Alfa Romeo's historic Balocco test facility just outside of Milan was the venue for the launch of the all-new 500 Abarth — a car that first saw the light of day at this year's 78th Geneva Motor show.

Due to go to market from 19 July in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, France and the Netherlands, the 500 Abarth is currently under evaluation for the South African market. Should this model get the green light, it will become available locally during the first half of 2009.

The car was developed by the Abarth engineers in the spirit of the legendary 500 Abarth cars of the 1960s — so this is a bespoke sporting proposition and not merely a 500 with racing add-ons.

The style of the new 500 Abarth, created by the Fiat Group Automobiles style centre, is no mere window-dressing but significantly contributes to the car's performance. The best example of this approach to styling lies in the particular attention devoted to the aerodynamics and function of certain elements.

For example, the rear view of the 500 Abarth is typified by the presence of a special bumper, aerodynamic extractor, twin exhaust terminal and tailgate spoiler that give it a sporting look but also boost aerodynamic performance.

At the front end, the three-part pattern formed by the air intakes comprises a central intake that is larger than on the basic model, and an upper slot (above the number plates) that is also wider. The two symmetrical 'nostrils' on either side of the bumpers correspond exactly to the position of two corresponding intercoolers that can be seen through the openings and are there to ensure air is able to flow in and out.

The front end is more pronounced to create the space needed for the turbocharger. This makes the side profile of the 500 Abarth quite bulbous in Abarth tradition: on the 850 TC and 1000 TC models, no-nonsense external manifolds were a recognisable feature of the brand. The Abarth logo 'floats' on a finned surface that acts as an additional air intake. Abarth badges are positioned on the sides, crossed by a three-coloured thunderbolt, exactly as on the Abarth 595 and 695 Abarth of the 1960s.

The wheel rims, available in 16 and 17 inch sizes, come in different styles: from multispoked rims to rims bordered by holes — with clear reference to the forged wheel motifs of the 1970s.

The racing interiors on the 500 Abarth feature specific instruments and an analogue pressure gauge used to measure the turbo pressure. The pressure gauge contains a 'GSI' (Gear Shift Indicator) that turns on an LED to encourage the driver to shift gear.

The main gauge, with sporting graphics, is lipped on top to offer further protection against glare while the three-spoke steering wheel incorporates moulded grips for the thumbs and is levelled off at the base.

The aluminium pedals with rubber inserts add to the racer look, as do the leather trimmed gear knob and handbrake lever grip.

The wraparound seats with head restraints built into the backrest can be trimmed in leather, in two black or red specifications, or in two types of different cloth.

The 500 Abarth is fitted as standard with seven airbags (two front, two window bags, two sidebags and one for knee protection) as well as ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution), the sophisticated ESP (Electronic Stability Program), ASR (Anti Slip Regulation) Hill Holder devices to help the driver during hill starts and HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assistance) to help in emergency stops.

'TTC' (Torque Transfer Control) improves the transfer of drive torque to the wheels and, in particular, improves cornering behaviour thus making the car safer and more entertaining during a sporty drive. The 'GSI' (Gear Shift Indicator) encourages the driver to shift gear by turning on a special indicator on the control panel (an LED flashes five consecutive times). If normal mode has been selected, the system tells the driver that fuel savings could be made by shifting to another gear. If the driver continues in sport mode, the gearshift suggestion aims to achieve the best possible performance.

And then there's the suspension configuration: the front system is a Mac Pherson setup while the rear suspension features interconnected wheels with a torsion beam. Created from a Magneti Marelli design, both selected configurations have been revised and developed for the new vehicle.

But on the performance front the credit goes mainly to the engine: a Fire 1.4 16v petrol Turbo that delivers a maximum power of 99kW at 5500rpm and a maximum torque of 206Nm at 3000rpm in 'Sport' mode (in 'Normal' mode, the torque remains 180 Nm at 2500 rpm). Top speed is 205km/h while acceleration from 0 to 100km/h takes place in 7.9 seconds. This is partly achieved by the overboost function, activated by the 'Sport' button that modulates control unit mapping and turbo pressure in addition to load on the steering wheel. Fuel consumption is 5.4l/100km over a combined cycle.

Blue&Me MAP with Telemetry makes its debut on the 500 Abarth. The monitoring function displays the main acquired in-car parameters (engine rpm, vehicle speed, gear engaged) that are transferred from the Blue&Me to the PND (Portable Navigation Device) Bluetooth. The track function, accessible if the driver is on one of the circuits present in the device's SD memory, displays a set of additional information such as the car's position on the track (by means of GPS) and trip time. The configuration function makes it possible to store telemetric data for a route and associate it with a personalised session identified by the driver's name, circuit, and date. And the information recorded may be retrieved easily and also analysed at a later stage using the analysis function.