Abarth 695 75 Anniversario edition 2024 review – a fitting send-off for Abarth’s hot supermini?

It feels like Abarth’s Fiat 500-based hot hatch has been around forever, but production has now finally come to a close. Climbing into one in 2024 feels like stepping into the not-so-distant past, because while the model has gained a subtly different face and a few other trinkets over the years, it traces its roots back to the Abarth 500 from 2008. To put things into context, that car went up against the Mk1 Suzuki Swift Sport at launch, and we’ve been through three generations of Swift since then. Yes, three.

So as the 595 and 695 are put to rest and focus shifts towards their EV successor, the 500e, is the petrol Abarth the ultimate refresher of what a small hot hatch should be, or does it feel hopelessly out of date? A run in the new limited-run 695 75 Anniversario edition should provide the answer.

Fiat has been known to chuck out special editions based on tenuous links (remember the Italian Formula 4-inspired Abarth F595 edition? Of course you don’t), but Abarth’s 75th anniversary is an occasion worth commemorating. The Anniversario doesn’t bring anything new to the table in terms of its mechanical makeup, but it does get Abarth’s Record Monza exhaust and a bold black-and-gold colour scheme, including a giant gold scorpion on the roof. 

Even the most cynical observer would have to admit that the Abarth is a charming thing to look at, full of attitude. The interior feels cheap in places but pretty racy, too. When was the last time you saw a supermini with carbon-backed buckets? There’s Alcantara covering the dash and flashes of carbon on the wheel too. The ergonomics are a struggle, though – you’ll search for a seat height adjuster in vain, and there’s no reach adjustment on the wheel. The pedal box is awkwardly close and on a long drive you’ll lose feeling in your left leg after a while. That’s if the choppy ride hasn’t got to you first. 

The 695 is firm. Really firm. On bumpy surfaces it hops and skips along on its Koni Frequency Selective Dampers, following every contour of the road. If you’re in the mood it’s tolerable and can suit the lively nature of the car, but it lacks fluidity and never fully settles.

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That’s not to say there isn’t any fun to be had in pinging the Anniversario along the road. Its size and four-square stance give it a sense of agility and plenty of room to play with in your lane, and the engine is a constant source of parping, whooshing noises that you can summon with the throttle. It’s the same 1.4-litre unit you get in the standard 695, boosted by a Garrett turbo to 178bhp and 184lb ft, and it’s the torque that dominates. This isn’t a lag-free turbo motor but one that builds to a rush in the mid range, and you need to anticipate your throttle inputs to hit boost at the right moment out of corners. Further up the tacho it starts to sound breathy before butting into a soft limiter at just over 6000rpm, a little earlier than you naturally expect. 

The shift action of the five-speed ’box isn’t the sweetest, but the light throw means you can flick it quickly around the gate to keep the motor in its sweet zone. Do so and the 695 is a genuinely fast little car, punching up the road with the wheel tugging at your hands. It feels livelier again if you press the Sport button, which sharpens the engine response considerably and seems to condense the throttle curve to the first half of the pedal’s travel. There’s more progression in normal mode, making it easier to modulate around the boost and work against the traction control, which can’t be fully switched off. 

As consolation, the Abarth gets a TTC (Torque Transfer Control) system which brakes the inside wheel to control wheelspin, rather than just cutting the power. If you drive to the limits of the front end you can feel it working subtly as you apply the power mid-corner, holding the car a little tighter through to the exit. Be more aggressive and the Abarth defaults to a nose-led balance, and an aggressive lift or trailing brake does nothing to change that. Given how energetic the rest of the car feels, it’s a shame that there isn’t the ability to influence the balance through a corner. 

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Instead, the Abarth responds best to a calmer driving style. With more measured inputs the traction control intervenes more subtly and you focus on carrying momentum and smoothly bleeding on and off the brakes (which are by Brembo and have solid feel and progression). Even when you relax in this way the infectious energy remains, and the Abarth still puts a smile on your face.  

Price and rivals

Those giggles don’t come cheap, however, with the 75 Anniversario costing £32,930. With that said, the small petrol hot hatch market is shrinking, and the Abarth doesn’t have to compete with the stand-out players it once did – namely the Ford Fiesta ST and Hyundai i20 N. 

Of the remaining contenders, you have a choice of Mini’s £27,550 Cooper S, the Volkswagen Polo GTI (£30,195) and the Peugeot 208 GT (£28,810). The Mini and Volkswagen are more grown up and more powerful than the 695, but the 208 GT lacks the effervescent character of a true hot supermini. 

Just 1368 75 Anniversario editions will be available (referencing the capacity of the engine), and Abarth is currently shifting existing stock before the 595 and 695 go off sale for good. £33k for a 500-based car is a tough pill to swallow, but as we found out after running one on our Fast Fleet, the 695 has a uniquely honest and lovable character that’s hard to find anywhere else these days. Although it’s difficult to justify as a rational purchase, we’d understand if the Abarth’s emotional pull is enough to put one on your driveway.