2018 Fiat 124 Spider Review

Overview:

The retro styling is appreciated by a lot of car lovers. They admire the design, structure and the performance behavior of the retro cars. Well, we do not have too many retro cars alive today. But those that are still living have a prominent impact on the markets.

Among the bests, you would surely meet the Dodge Challenger family. They all are beastly packed super retro cars. While if you need some modesty, style, and decency, then there is the Fiat 124 Spider available for you.

Well, the 124 Spider is the namesake of the Fiat 124 of the 1970s. The 124 of the 70s just stayed on the streets for 8 years. But soon after then, it was discontinued. The car was not bad at all. But it was not even too much success. While the 124 based rebadged cars stayed in business for long. Like one of the rebadged version in India, the Premier 118NE was produced up till 2001.

In 2012 a Fiat’s division announced the production of a joint venture vehicle. The Alfa Romeo from Italy and the Mazda from Japan were invited to share their skills for this joint venture. Well, by 2016 a Mazda based Alfa Romeo badged as Fiat came out.

The 124 Spider received a positive acclaim and within just days it earned a lot of fame. The initial models were launched in Japan. And later on, this car was released in the remaining markets.

Well, the 124 Spider is available in 3 models. The 124 Spider Classica is the beginner model bearing a price tag of $24,995. The Lusso sits next to and gets a price tag of $27,495. While the Abarth is the sports version of the Fiat 124 Spider and is priced at $28,195.

Specifications:

Engine	Transmission	HP	Torque
1.4 L	6 – speed manual 6 – speed automatic	138 – 164 hp	180 – 249 lb – ft
0 – 62 MPH	Top Speed	Body Style	MPG
6.3s	136 mph	Convertible	26 city/ 35 highway

Performance:

Mazda did work on the mechanism of the Fiat 124 Spider. And it did even bring in some concepts from the MX-5 Miata. But the 124 Spider is powered by its ancestral drivetrain configuration.

The North American 124 Spider comes with the 1.4 L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine. The base configuration is available with 160 hp of power and 184 lb-ft of torque. Well, this powertrain is capable of launching from 0-62 mph within 6.8 seconds. This is what you will find in the standard 124 Spider. While the top notch is filled with the same engine but having 4 more horses. Though it not too much aggressive, it shows some better results as compared to the base version. The top launches from 0-62 mph within 6.3 seconds. And has a top speed of 136 mph. Certainly, this is the performance entity in the whole 124 Spider series.

Well, when you move out of North America, you would meet the underpowered 124 Spider. Although the mechanism is same, the power rating is lesser than what you find here. The base version comes with the 138 hp engine rated at 180 lb-ft of torque. This is just another kind of a sporty 4-cylinder car.

Ahead of that, the 168 hp Abarth ensure a smoother performance and better track results. It might feel a bit lethargic than the one you can drive in the US. But it is a lot better than the base model.

And not to forget, all the Spiders are available with the 6-speed manual transmission. And the automatic stay optional and it reduces the performance as well.

Exterior:

The styling is pretty admirable. The Classica features a trendy retro design that would certainly attract you. The projector lamps, LED lights and the 16-inch alloy wheels give a spectacular appeal. While the Lusso brings in a touch of modernity. Well, the Abarth is all about passionate driving, carbon fiber hoods, 17-inch wheels, sporty suspension and sports exhaust. The 124 Spider seems to be a pretty untouchable kind of a sports car.

Interior:

The glossy interior would never make you feel that you are driving something Dejavu. The leather seats and hides, fiber accent and the spacious seating makes the interior pretty lavish. The interior appointment is quite nice and tidy. Nothing seems to be going out of order or unorthodox. Instead, it is a quite common kind of a city car with everything you want in it. Like the convenience spots, charging coms and glove box. But do not expect anything like an icebox in this car.

Features:

The Fiat of today is not shy to technology. It comes with the infotainment system and a lot of other handy mobile features. Well, the 124 Spider gets the 7-inch touchscreen powered by the Fiat Connect. Further, the 2-D and 3-D navigation are available for this car. The entertainment section includes the option for the Bose 9-speaker audio system for the Lusso and Abarth. Further, this infotainment system includes the multimedia options, the telephony, Bluetooth, voice navigation and gets the option for the SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Safety:

Though retro in style, but the safety ingredients are modern. The safety features are subtle enough to keep this car on road. The airbags, seatbelts and the safety cage are well defined to ensure the passive safety of the 124 Spider. Further, the active safety features have the blind spot monitoring, lane keeping an assistant, rear cross detection, and the parking sensors. Certainly, they are enough to keep the occupants safe. And even they ensure a safe ride all over the journey.

Competitors:

The Fiat 124 Spider is almost as same as the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The 124 Spider is much like an Alfa Romeo based on MX-5 Miata but carries the badge of Fiat. Well, of course, the MX-5 Miata is the perfect competitor of the 124 Spider. And in many ways, it is better than the 124.

But still, the Fiat 124 Spider is a really a nice type of a retro car with almost everything you need for the everyday ride.