Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Fiat’s Miata-based 2017 124 Spider blends Italian bravado with Japanese genes

Ronan Glon
By

Fiat has finally introduced the Mazda Miata-based 2017 124 Spider at the Los Angeles Motor Show.

As expected, the 21st-century 124 Spider stands out from the Miata with a retro-inspired design that pays homage to the original 124 Spider that was introduced in 1966. Up front, it gets oval headlight with round LED daytime running lights, a thin hexagonal grille, and a pair of heritage-laced power domes on the hood. Out back, Fiat has fitted its version of Japan’s favorite roadster with rectangular tail lamps and a small spoiler built into the trunk lid.

All told, the 2017 124 Spider shares a few key styling cues with its predecessor but its design isn’t full-on retro like the Fiat 500. The story is different inside, where the topless Fiat features a carbon copy of the Miata’s back-to-basics cockpit with a driver-oriented center console, a three-spoke steering wheel, and a tablet-like seven-inch screen that runs the infotainment system.

Related

On our shores, the Miata is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that’s borrowed from the Mazda3 and tuned to deliver 155 horsepower. Fiat isn’t allowed to use the Mazda mill, so the 2,436-pound Spider is equipped with a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder that sends 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic gearbox is available at an extra cost. Performance specifications haven’t been announced yet.

Although Mazda is still on the fence about turbocharging the Miata, Fiat has confirmed it will launch an Abarth-branded version of the roadster designed with an unrestrained focus on performance. Car & Driver reports it will be fitted with an evolution of the 240-horsepower, 1.7-liter turbo four currently mounted transversally behind the Alfa 4C‘s passenger compartment, though other sources — notably British magazine Autocar — believe it will simply use a more powerful version of the regular model’s 1.4-liter mill.

Built by Mazda in Japan, the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider is scheduled to arrive in showrooms next summer. It will be offered in two trim levels called Classica and Lusso, respectively, and the first 124 units shipped to the U.S. will be part of a special edition dubbed Prima Edizione Lusso that will gain azzurro italia blue paint, beige upholstery, and a commemorative plaque on the dash.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon
Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Nissan’s 2017 Versa Note gets some plastic surgery ahead of L.A. debut
2017 Nissan Versa Note

The Nissan Versa Note hatchback has sat near the bottom of the Japanese automaker's lineup largely unnoticed since its introduction to the United States in 2013 alongside the Versa sedan. For the 2017 model year, it at least gets a styling update to help attract more attention.

Debuting at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show next week, the 2017 Nissan Versa Note is actually pretty much identical to the 2016 model, except for the revised styling and some content changes. The subcompact hatchback now boasts the "V-Motion" grille used on most other Nissan models, plus new headlights and a rear fascia previously used only on the (mildly) sporty Versa Note SR model.

Read more
Porsche will add two more models to the 2017 Panamera lineup in LA
2017 Porsche Panamera

Porsche will continue to expand its Panamera sedan lineup at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show. The first redesigned Panamera variants debuted at various auto shows earlier this year, but Porsche will add a new base model and long-wheelbase Executive version in Los Angeles.

The base model gets a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6, in place of the naturally-aspirated 3.6-liter V6 used in the previous-generation Panamera. The new engine produces 330 horsepower, which is an increase of 20 hp over the previous version. Porsche will offer this engine with rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive in Panamera 4 models.

Read more
You don’t have to break the bank to get the Fiat 124 Spider
Fiat 124 Spyder

The barrier to entry of cool just got a little lower -- at least, in terms of price. Fiat is planning on releasing its much anticipated 2017 124 Spider this summer, and while everything about this car may scream luxury, its price tag is surprisingly...well, affordable. The roadster, which was developed in tandem with Mazda's MX-5 Miata, was thought to be unveiled as the more expensive alternative to the Japanese company's ride, but while it's an alternative, it's not actually more expensive. The 124 Spider Classica, the base model, starts at just $25,990, including the destination fee. That means it's just $80 more than the Miata.

Despite the fact that the Spider boasts a 160 horsepower engine capable of producing 184 lb-ft of torque, a six-speed manual transmission, 16-inch alloy wheels, and a super sleek design, it's being priced to sell -- and sell well. Even the higher end versions of the car aren't much more expensive. The Lusso, the second-tier version, will sell for $27,495 in the U.S., whereas the premium Abarth is $28,195. Sure, you can make your Spider a bit more expensive by adding a six-speed auto transmission at $1,350, but even so, fans of the car might be pleasantly surprised at how attainable modern luxury is.

Read more