For once, the American version of an imported car runs stronger than the version sold back in Europe.
The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider we get here in America comes with Fiat’s MultiAir 1.4 liter turbo engine putting out 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.
The Fiat 124 Spider that Europe gets to buy also comes with Fiat’s MultiAir 1.4 liter turbo engine, but it only produces 140 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque.
I’m not kidding! Here’s the line directly from the European press release from Fiat:
Of course, the FIAT 124 Spider is more than an exercise in nostalgic roof-down style – under the bonnet lies FIAT’s venerable 1.4-litre MultiAir Turbo engine producing 140hp and 240Nm of torque, driving the rear wheels for the first time via a lightweight, quick-shifting six-speed manual transmission, specially optimised for this high torque output. The MultiAir induction system ensures responsive characteristics across the rev range while lowering fuel consumption under low or medium load, while the position of the engine nearer the centre of the car reduces yaw inertia and improves handling agility.
You can tell it’s the European press release because they call the hood the ‘bonnet.’
Compare that to the American press release:
In North America, the Fiat 124 Spider is available with the proven 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo four-cylinder engine, the engine’s first application in a rear-wheel-drive vehicle. The engine delivers 160 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque, and is available with a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission.
Huh. That also means we get an optional automatic transmission, while Europeans get nothing but the manual.
Why this is, I cannot say. But I will lord it over every European car nerd I see.
Photo Credits: Fiat
Contact the author at raphael@jalopnik.com.