An Italian version of the roadster known in U.S. as 2016 Mazda Miata MX-5 will soon reach our shores - this will be the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider. The official debut of the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider will take place this November at Los Angeles Auto Show.
It was known that Fiat Chrysler has plans to sell its own version of the new Miata, but with distinct styling and powertrains that will help distinguish the Fiat and Mazda versions. As we see on this car, the 124 Spider diverges from the MX-5 in the form of its nose, which has larger, more rounded headlights, a longer hood, and a wide-mouth Fiat grille aperture. The car's windshield header is finished in brushed chrome, and out back the car has a bulkier trunklid than the Mazda version, with large rectangular taillights perched at either side of the car.
Moving inside, the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider will adopt the same basic interior layout as the Miata. The three-spoke steering wheel has a large Fiat badge, but the car's center console-mounted infotainment controller, three-dial climate controls, and dash-mounted touchscreen carry over. It's possible that screen will use a version of Fiat Chrysler's Uconnect infotainment software, however, rather than Mazda's system.
the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider is expected to use the 1.4-liter turbo-four engine available in other cars like the Dodge Dart and Fiat 500 Abarth, 500L, and 500X, likely with around 160-180 hp. A six-speed manual transmission should be standard, though the car spotted here has an automatic-transmission shifter that could be linked to the dual-clutch automatic used in the Dart and Fiat 500L.
