Category: Hot Hatchbacks 
Price Range: £8,700 to £13,605
Pumped-up looks, smooth engine, Esseesse's added overtaking urge.
Flawed driving position, terrible throttle response when not in 'sport', ride deteriorates with stiffer springs.
Worth considering for existing Abarth owners who desire more pace.
If you want a junior hot hatch there's nothing more desirable than the pint-sized Fiat 500 Abarth. If its pumped-up looks and stylish interior don't win you over, its turbocharged straight-line pace will.
But what happens when you want to mix it with the big boys? Fiat has the answer: tick the 'Esseesse' box on the options list and you can now boost the 500 Abarth's output from an already respectable 135bhp to a more generous 160bhp.
The Esseesse brings an engine re-map, better breathing, a stiffer suspension tune, larger wheels and bigger brakes. If that's not enough to win you over, it all arrives in a wooden Abarth-stamped crate harping back to the tuner's heyday in the late 50s and early 60s - how quaint.
Quaint, but not cheap. The performance kit costs £2,500 fitted, but it can be added up to 12 months or 12,000 miles after you bought your car, all without invalidating your warranty.
Problem is, this swells the list price from the regular car's £13,605 up to a hefty £16,100. This prices the 500 alongside our current hot hatch benchmark, the RenaultSport Clio 200 and Mini Cooper S.
Read on to see how the 500 Abarth Esseesse copes.
