Fans of affordable Italian convertibles, rejoice! Or should we say, fans of affordable Italian-badged Japanese convertibles, since the upcoming Fiat 124 Spider shares the rear-wheel drive platform with the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
The 2017 Fiat 124 Spider will arrive at dealerships in 2016 after a debut later this year. According to industry sources cited by Edmunds, the 124 Spider will be introduced either at the Frankfurt Auto Show or at the LA Auto Show.
When it goes on sale, it will be rival for the donor car, as well as the Mini Cooper Roadster and Porsche Boxster. Fortunately, the 124 Spider may not be just a rebadged Miata from a styling point of view.
“It will not be a rebadged Miata. We will have our own style, our own stamp on it,” said Jason Stoicevich, head of Fiat Brand for North America. “There is a ton of heritage behind that. I think that just kind of puts the bow on the showroom for us and fills it out completely,” the executive added.
Besides going its own styling route, the 124 Spider is also expected to feature a different engine than the Mazda. Industry sources say Fiat will use a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine for its convertible, rather than Mazda’s 2.0-liter unit. The Fiat 124 Spider will be built alongside the MX-5 Miata at the Japanese automaker’s Hiroshima plant in Japan.
Another difference from the Mazda MX-5 could be the seating layout. It’s still unknown whether the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider will be a two-seat car or a 2+2 convertible, like the original 124 Sport Spider sold by Fiat between 1966 and 1980. As for pricing, it should be in the same area as the 2016 MX-5 Miata’s base price of $25,735.
Note: 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata pictured
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