Abarth 595C Monster Energy Yamaha review and drive

The Abarth 595C Monster Energy Yamaha is among the newest special, limited-run editions of the small and (very) long-serving pocket-rocket - just 2000 units in this case. It marks the Abarth–Yamaha partnership that has been in place since 2015, now joined by the well-known energy drink brand.

For me, it was a reunion - three years on - with the scorpion-badged pocket-rocket. The memory is still vivid because that earlier encounter involved the most extreme version of them all: the unforgettable 695 Biposto.

Naturally, this 595C Monster Energy Yamaha is nowhere near that level of radical - this special series stands out above all for its visual treatment. Even so, this return drive was enough to remind me of the small scorpion’s “poisonous” personality, which, after a few brisk kilometres, makes you forget the weaker points or the areas that really need a thorough rethink.

Perfect? Not even close

There’s no point dancing around it: the Abarth 595C Monster Energy Yamaha is a long way from perfect, and a quick, clear-eyed look lays bare its shortcomings.

To be fair, it wasn’t perfect back in 2008 when the first Abarth-“spiked” 500 arrived - and it certainly isn’t perfect 13 years later, even after multiple updates over time.

Before you’ve even moved off, it’s hard to find a genuinely good driving position - one designed more for the city car it is than the small sports car it wants to be. You sit far too high, the steering wheel only adjusts for height, and it’s also overly large.

One exception is the placement of the five-speed manual gear lever, which is excellent in every respect. Always close to hand, high and near the steering wheel - reminiscent of the distinctive Honda Civic Type R EP3 - it’s only let down by a slightly plasticky feel, despite being precise with a sensible throw.

A quick note, too, for the sports seats, customised for this special version with blue detailing and Monster Energy branding. They also need a wider range of adjustment and better thigh support, though lateral support is strong.

A scorpion with a deep voice

Everything improves the moment you wake the little 595C up. The deep, gruff note from the Record Monza exhausts - with an active valve that opens when you select Sport mode, turning the volume up - couldn’t be more “politically incorrect”, and it’s hard not to crack a small smile every time the engine fires.

That soundtrack matches the car’s flashy look, and it’s surprising to hear it coming from a turbocharged engine - a type that nowadays is often so civilised and subdued it can feel dull.

The 1.4 T-Jet in this pocket-rocket is nothing like that. Perhaps it’s down to its age (it reached the market in 2003) and roots in the legendary FIRE engine family, first born in the 1980s, that give it a more effervescent character than the norm.

It’s the heart and soul of this scorpion, delivering 165 cv and a chunky 230 Nm available at 3000 rpm. It doesn’t just ensure lively performance: the engine’s availability is excellent - it comes alive just above idle and keeps pulling strongly and consistently, without hesitation, beyond 5500 rpm where it reaches peak power. That makes for punchy in-gear acceleration, and the five ratios prove more than enough.

Brilliant, but only in certain areas

On the move, this narrow, tall pocket-rocket - with just 2.3 m of wheelbase and firm damping (low-profile tyres don’t help either) - struggles to deliver the most comfortable or refined journey. And that’s on good or reasonably good roads.

On more broken surfaces, avoid them if you can. It never settles, constantly fidgeting and hopping, which becomes a kind of “brake” on your enthusiasm when you feel like attacking a road with more commitment.

It didn’t help that the weather was consistently “against me” during my time with the Abarth 595C Monster Energy Yamaha - dry tarmac was nowhere to be seen. The traction/stability control light (which we can’t turn off) was flashing constantly, especially when powering out of tighter corners.

Still, there was a “moment in the sun”… at night. A route change during a dynamic drive in the pocket-rocket took me to a more remote secondary road, with better asphalt and bends challenging enough to ask real questions of the 595C.

Even with the surface wet from end to end, the little scorpion shone. With high agility and immediate responses, the chassis - freed from having to deal with dips, patches and other irregularities - showed impressive effectiveness, bravely resisting understeer yet never feeling like a prim and proper “Mr Sensible”.

And although it’s not possible to disable the traction/stability control, the systems were permissive enough to let the rear rotate when you pressed on through certain corners, and to trim the attitude of this little devil mid-turn - it was tremendous fun. These days there aren’t that many cars you can genuinely accuse of being exciting to drive, especially in the more affordable end of the market.

What those “knife-between-the-teeth” moments also highlighted is just how unnecessary Sport mode is - the 595C is already aggressive enough in standard form. The one thing I’d happily bring over from Sport into “normal” is the sharper throttle response, which suits me far better. The heavier steering in Sport - as with so many other cars - doesn’t improve it in any meaningful way.

Fuel warning light already?

When you’re having fun, time flies… and so does the fuel level - that’s how it is… Despite its small size, this scorpion has a big appetite, especially compared with rival turbocharged engines offering similar numbers.

The small tank (35 l) doesn’t help, and after several more hard-charged, twisty kilometres, the fuel warning light quickly reined in the excitement - the trip computer was showing nearly 12 l.

At more restrained speeds, consumption stayed somewhat high, hovering between 6–7 litres on open roads and motorways. Add urban driving into the mix, though, and figures generally sat around 8.0 l/100 km.

Is this the right pocket-rocket for me?

Perfect? Not remotely - and, objectively and rationally, it’s full of limitations. Even with its exclusivity, the Abarth 595C Monster Energy Yamaha’s price puts it alongside cars that are as quick or quicker, just as full of character, and certainly more versatile, spacious and usable.

Cars like the Ford Fiesta ST, the new Hyundai i20 N, or even the Mini Cooper S, are more rounded propositions, with fewer compromises than you find in this little scorpion. But at this level, reason and objectivity rarely take centre stage.

The Abarth 595C is living proof that a lack of common sense and raw emotion can be just as convincing an argument for choosing your next “toy” as running costs are when you’re picking a daily driver.

It’s impossible not to value the 595C for its huge character, performance and agility - it’s a concentrated shot of emotion. And, as is easy to see on UK roads, plenty of people are still “stung” by it, accepting all its quirks and limitations.

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