Abarth 124 Spider Review 2024

There’s a saying that everybody should own a two-seater sports car at some point in their life. But, whether it’s before the pitter-patter of tiny feet or the need for something more practical, not everyone achieves it. But, if you can afford a weekend toy before you need a family SUV, owning a topless sports car is a rewarding and enriching experience.

And this, the Abarth 124 Spider is one of the best you can get. It’s based on the brilliant Mazda MX-5, sharing an interior and platform with its Japanese sibling, but Fiat has done enough to create a sports car that’s dripping in Italian flair.

Ultimately it’s a decision for you - do you have room in your life for a two-seat sports car with limited practicality? However, the combination of affordable prices and low running costs means there should be nothing stopping you. Get caught in this Spider’s web and you’ll be rewarded with a journey to work that’s more of an adventure than it is a commute.

The Abarth 124 Spider is powered by the same 1.4-litre turbocharged MultiAir engine that’s in the Fiat 124 Spider, but while the Fiat offers a healthy 140PS, the Abarth delivers a much sportier 170PS.

Out of the three versions of this Mazda MX-5-based sports car that’s available (MX-5, Fiat 124 Spider and this), it’s the Abarth 124 Spider that’s actually the best. Just don’t tell Mazda. While that might upset the MX-5 purists, you can’t overlook what the Abarth 124 Spider has to offer: the Record Monza exhaust delivers a rich and evocative soundtrack for your aural pleasure.

Not that we’d rule out the Fiat 124 Spider. It’s less hardcore than the Abarth 124 Spider and has a more soft-focus take on the Mazda MX-5. Both the Fiat and Abarth are rarer than the better-known Mazda MX-5.

No points for guessing the most obvious candidate here. Yep, the clearest rival to the Abarth Spider 124 is... the Mazda MX-5 ,built alongside it at Mazda’s Hiroshima plant in Japan. 

Outside of this, there’s the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ, which both follow a similar recipe, although these Japanese tearaways offer strictly tin-top thrills. If neither of those are for you, it may be worth considering the more expensive Porsche 718 Boxster or Alpine A110.

This is one of those areas where you benefit from Mazda’s input into design and manufacturing. Forget about any concerns about Italian build quality, as the Abarth 124 Spider is a little different. It shares many components with the Mazda MX-5 – a car it is built alongside in Japan – the build quality is excellent.

Inside, everything is well screwed together, with the key touch points delivering a feeling of quality. Subtle details like stitching on the leather seats and the soft-touch plastics used on the dashboard cement the impression that the interior is built to last.

While it’s true that some plastics in the lower half of the cabin look a little on the cheap side, this is true of many other cars and needs to be viewed in the context of price.

The hood can be opened or closed in a matter of seconds - but it is done by hand. It may lack the spectacle of an electrically operated roof, but this means there’s less to go wrong. And if it starts to rain when it’s down - and lets face it, it will - the roof can be closed in a matter of seconds.

This is one area where the Abarth 124 Spider is noticeably better than the Fiat version. The Fiat version gets a system that’s controlled via a rotary dial positioned between the seats, but can feel a little slow, especially in map mode.

But the Abarth 124 Spider has a seven-inch infotainment system as standard with a Bose audio upgrade. It comprises a seven-channel amplifier and nine speakers, four of which are embedded in the headrests. It’s a great system, although the soundtrack from the exhaust could be all the entertainment you need.

You’re not buying the Abarth 124 Spider because it’s practical and that’s just as well. You’ll need to be quite inventive with packing if you’re off on holiday in a 124 Spider. Frankly, anything beyond a long weekend will be a struggle.

The Abarth 124 Spider has a measly 140 litres of luggage capacity, which is precisely half the space you’ll find in the back of a Mazda 2 supermini. On the plus side, the 124 Spider holds 10 litres more than the Mazda MX-5. Every litre counts, right?
 

Some buyers opt for the aluminium boot lid carrier kit that offers an additional 10kg of luggage capacity, but costs a whopping £1,000. It does complete the look, mind, with or without your fine Italian luggage strapped to the back.
 

There isn’t a traditional glove box up front. Instead, you get a small lockable compartment behind the seats. A pair of movable cup holders, which can be mounted on the transmission tunnel, are also fitted as standard. Alternatively, one can be fitted to the right of the passenger’s right leg. If you’re feeling flush, black gloss cup holders (£200) or silver satin cup holders (£180) are available from the accessories catalogue.

Your money may be better spent, however, on a shelf net for the lockable luggage compartment. You can also order a cargo net for the boot, which could be useful when you’re carrying home bottles of Italian red from Tesco. Every little helps.
 

While the 124 Spider isn’t the last word in practicality, it does offer a few nods to making weekend trips easier and if you want space, you can always buy a Fiat Tipo estate. Or rent a Fiat Ducato van.
 

The Abarth 124 Spider be easy to park, though, at 4054mm long, 1740mm wide (with the mirrors folded) and 1233mm tall, although you'll need to remember where you park it so you can find it amongst tall SUVs.  
 

The GT version of the Abarth 124 Spider deserves a special mention. That’s because it features a detachable carbon fibre hard-top for the closest you can get to a Mazda MX-5 RF (which has an electric folding hard-top). It weighs just 16kg and boasts a glass rear window with a defrost function. For all-weather fun, the GT could be just the ticket.

The Mazda MX-5 offers a choice of two non-turbocharged engines, but the engine is a Fiat-produced one in the 124 Spider, a 1.4-litre turbocharged MultiAir. In this Abarth 124 Spider it produces 170PS, but in the Fiat version it comes in at a lower 140PS.

Behind the wheel of an MX-5, you’ll be rewarded for exploring the upper reaches of the rev counter, with the 1.5 and 2.0-litre engines thriving on being taken by the scruff of the neck.

But, it’s a different experience in the Abarth, with the 1.4 turbo creating a highly individual vibe. Power delivery is a little inconsistent, with a momentary lag replaced by a surge of power as the turbo spools up. It runs out of puff at the top end, at the point where the MX-5 starts to sing a happy tune.

But this is nit-picking. The throttle response is excellent and a big improvement on that offered in the Fiat version. in the Abarth, which also adds a fruity soundtrack to the trifle. Without the aural delight, the MultiAir can sound a little flat.

The six-speed gearbox has a stubby gear lever and is a joy to use, accompanied by a wonderfully short-throw shift. Quite why you’d want to ruin things by ordering the automatic transmission is anyone’s guess, but the slush ’box does seem to suit the relaxed nature of the Fiat 124 Spider.

As for the performance figures, the Abarth 124 Spider impresses. Whereas the Fiat will complete the 0-62mph sprint in 7.5 seconds, the Abarth gets there in 6.8 seconds. Top speeds are 134mph for the Fiat and 144mph for the Abarth. In both cases, the automatic transmission blunts performance.

It may be a sports car, but the Abarth 124 Spider is remarkably refined. 

And it makes all the right sorts of noises. The Abarth 124 Spider gets a Record Monza exhaust system and this does its best to mask any noises within a radius of a few hundred yards. Seriously, it’s like the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra setting up next to a jobbing busker in a subway.

Things are surprisingly calm in the cabin, roof up or roof down. There’s a small amount of wind noise with the roof retracted, but a subtle deflector between the roll hoops keeps it to a minimum, while leaving the windows up also helps a little.

Much work was done to reduce wind noise and buffeting, right down to the position of the seat belt mounting. The body was designed in such a way to deflect wind above the heads of the occupants, but if you’re really tall, you could find that your head undoes the work put into the aerodynamics.

With the roof up, road noise is the biggest intrusion, but it’s no deal-breaker. Turn up the stereo.

There hasn’t been a Euro NCAP crash test for the Abarth 124 Spider, but the Mazda MX-5 was given a four-star rating in 2015. It scored 84 percent for adult occupant protection, 80 percent for child occupant protection, an impressive 93 percent for pedestrian safety, and 64 percent for safety assist systems.

You could expect a similar result had the 124 Spider been tested.

An impressive level of safety kit is included, with all versions featuring front and side airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounting points, roll bars, an active pedestrian safety system and a passenger airbag deactivation switch.

There’s no spare wheel, so all versions come with a Fix&Go puncture repair kit.

The hard-top on the Abarth 124 GT offers an 80 percent wider view compared to the soft top, so it could be a worthy consideration if you plan a lot of winter driving. Greater visibility is a definite safety feature.

Disappointingly Fiat came 30th out of 30 manufacturers in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, scoring just 82.3%. 

This isn’t a cheap car to insure, but that’s not the point and not the reason you buy one. You’re looking at Groups 29 to 31 for an Abarth 124 Spider, compared to a 25/26 for a Fiat 124 Spider.

In comparison to the Abarth 124 Spider, the insurance groups for the Mazda MX-5 range from 25 to 34, depending on the version.

Abarth 124 Spiders registered before 31 March 2017 are subject to a Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) road tax rate of £165 (manual gearbox) to £205 (automatic).

Those cars registered after 1 April 2017 see a showroom tax of £215 for the manual and £540 for the automatic. The cost falls to £150 per annum from year two.

Abarth 124 Spider Scorpione comes with climate control, Record Monza exhaust, keyless start button, electric windows, leather and fabric upholstery, infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity and touchscreen. No automatic transmission is available and the colour palette is limited.

Abarth Spider gains additional colour options, including the option of a matte black bonnet and boot lid, along with more aggressive styling details.