The 2019 Fiat 124 Spider has been announced with a brand new exhaust system to help it sound like a beast.
Even though it’s more like a little roadster.
We haven’t gotten to talk much about the Fiat Spider around these parts. Mostly because it’s like a worse Mazda MX-5--it has less power, a smaller engine, and none of the Mazda aesthetic that gives the MX-5 that extra bit of charm.
The MX-5 and the 124 Spider share the same platform and are even manufactured in the same Japanese facility. The only difference is that Fiat sticks its own branded interior and engine in it, while Mazda looks on with utter confusion and goes about its business. It’s kinda like having an exchange student living in your house: you respect them for wanting to get an education, but they still do things you’ll never quite understand.
Although eclipsed by the MX-5 in terms of sales, the 124 Spider is still a contender for the exclusive reasonably-priced toy car market, so that means we get to talk about the slight refresh it gets for 2019.
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Mostly, the 124 Spider is getting some aesthetic upgrades. A new “Monza” exhaust system allows the muffler to be bypassed at max throttle, giving the 124 Spider a throaty roar that belies its 1.4-L turbocharged four-banger. That’s a $995 extra that’s only available on the Abarth trim.
Also new is the Veleno Appearance Group, which provides some red side mirror caps, a red lower fascia lip, a red tow hook, and Abarth floor mats. Oh, and a bright footrest for when you forget where to put your feet. That’s a $495 extra on all trims.
Perhaps best of all is the new Double Rally Stripe and Retro Stripe graphics that turn your 124 Spider into a classic roadster. That’s an extra $295.
These are neat, but we’re still going to take the 181 hp of the Mazda MX-5 over the 164 hp of the Fiat any day of the week. But at least you’ll have some neat new color options while the MX-5 leaves you in the dust.
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