When Fiat released the 124 Spider, based on the chassis of Mazda’s new MX-5 Miata, it seemed to be placed as a slightly more glamorous variation of the Japanese roadster. One would presume that would carry a premium price, now that Fiat’s revealed its pricing scheme, it appears to contend directly with the Mazda.
The Fiat 124 Spider will release with three trim levels– the base Classica ($24,995), the luxurious Lusso ($27,495) and the hopped-up Abarth ($28,195). All those rates assume a conventional six-speed manual transmission (a six-speed automobile is a $1,350 choice) and they don’t consist of the $995 location charge.
If you’re feeling especially fancy and fast on the draw, you can go with the Fiat 124 Spider Prima Edizione Lusso. This brevity-averse trim level will comprise the very first 124 vehicles produced, providing an unique paint job and some limited-edition items, and that will run you $35,000 (again, prior to $995 destination charge).
While that’s not odd by itself, it’s a little odd when you take a look at Mazda’s MX-5 rates. The base Fiat is a bit more than the $24,915 MX-5 Sport, however the Abarth– with its 160-horsepower, 184-pound-feet output is cheaper than both the MX-5 Club ($28,600) and the topped-out MX-5 Grand Touring ($30,065). It’s likewise more effective, as the Miata’s sole engine brings 155 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque.
Despite it appears that this might take a bite from Mazda’s own sales, it stands to reason that Mazda won’t be too troubled. The automobile is niche to begin with, and Mazda will be constructing both automobiles together with one another in Japan (the Fiat’s engine is from Italy), so it’s not like Mazda’s losing on money that it would otherwise get hand over fist.
The factory will be hectic, and additional demand needs to keep it that way.
