Drive: Abarth 500 Esseesse

The long-awaited Abarth 500 Esseesse has finally arrived.

And it’s surprisingly good: surprisingly because we’re not big fans of the stock Fiat 500.

But as the importer stresses, the 500 Esseesse is very different to the car that it’s based on.

The 1.4-litre turbo four is wicked up to 118kW/230Nm, and is mated to a five-speed manual. It’s deceptively fast, with a bucketload of cornering grip.

It’s just a pity that the ride is too firm for our Australian roads.