We already knew that the Fiat 500 would be the first Fiat to hit the US market, and had reckoned that the retro chic model would meet likely success in North America. It seems that Fiat is not quite convinced that the 500 has what it takes, in its current form, and so has decided to pull out the big guns on this model, and take the Abarth 500 instead.

It’s unclear though, whether the Abarth 500 will be a kind of teaser, limited edition model to raise interest for the following standard Fiat 500 version, which could turn up in showrooms next year as a 2011 model.

According to reports, Fiat expects to sell about 25,000 models of the Abarth 500, with pricing at between 18,000 and 19,000 US dollars. Whether this will actually kill off any chance the standard 500 has is anyone’s guess, but the Abarth model should certainly prove successful in itself. Fiat should be releasing more details in the coming week as to its US plans, which should hopefully put an end to the speculation.

Source | LeftLaneNews

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