The Fiat 500, on which the Abarth 500 is based, has scored very highly in official European crash tests for a small car. It scored five starts for adult occupant protection (the highest score available at the time) and the Abarth 500 comes with seven airbags (including a steering column-mounted one to help protect the driver’s knees in a crash). Electronic stability control is also standard.

With 185 litres of boot capacity, the same as the standard 500, the Abarth has a little more luggage space than a MINI hatchback. The rear seats can also fold down to improve carrying space – as long as you remember to select this from the options list. Although the Abarth 500 is generally easy to manoeuvre, the large wheels and direct steering make it feel a little less nimble in tight spaces than the Fiat 500.