Fiat 500 Abarth Cabriolet, 500E to Bow at LA Auto Show
At this year’s LA Auto Show, Fiat will reveal two new models, the 500 Abarth Cabriolet and 500E electric car.
Two years ago, at the 2010 LA Auto Show, Fiat ushered in its return to the U.S. market with the official debut of its Fiat 500 model. Last year, the Italian automaker used the same stage to unveil the Fiat 500 Abarth.
The Fiat 500 Abarth convertible isn’t much of a surprise considering information emerged in April confirming that it would be heading to the U.S. sooner or later. In addition, the 500E – the electric car variant of the Fiat 500 – was confirmed to go into production later this year, to go on sale next year. So in continuing with tradition, Fiat will use the 2012 LA Auto Show to debut the newest models to join the Fiat 500 family.
It’s expected that the Fiat 500 Abarth Cabriolet will have the same 1.4-liter, turbocharged engine with 160 hp under the hood as the coupe Abarth 500 model. The convertible will almost certainly use the same retractable cloth roof found on the regular Fiat 500 Cabriolet.
As for the Fiat 500E, the electric car variant will sport around 100 hp and proves that Chrysler is slowly looking at expanding its acceptance of electric vehicles.
[Source: Motor Authority]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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