For owners of European 500 Abarths, the "Abarth Corse by Sabelt" seats are one of the most coveted options. The Sabelt company supplies original equipment seats to the likes of Ferrari and Maserati. So it is only natural that these fantastic sport seats made their first appearance on two hundred Abarth 500s used as courtesy cars by European Ferrari dealers. They also equip the Abarth Tributo Ferrari and other special Abarth models.
Here in North America, Abarth enthusiasts are eager to know when the seats will be available and at what price. Hints were dropped that the seats would make their way from Europe when Fiat USA unveiled the 500 Abarth Venom last February. That car highlighted upcoming Abarth accessories that will be available through Fiat Studios.
I had the good fortune to receive a personal tour of the Fiat 500 Abarth Venom from Tim Kuniskis, Head of Fiat Brand North America. Kuniskis is a real car guy, and when you talk with him, you can feel his passion and enthusiasm for the Abarth name and the Fiat brand. He is high-energy and a man who gets things done.
While showing the car, it was quite obvious that the seats were a prominent part of the Abarth Venom concept, which Kuniskis had a personal hand in. To give the Venom a different feel from the standard 500 Abarth, Kuniskis had the seats lowered for a more sports car-like experience. There are clearly fans of the Sabelt seats at Fiat USA, which is promising for Abarth owners on this side of the Atlantic.
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The Sabelt seats in the 500 Abarth Venom feature carbon fiber seat backs.
As for pricing, seats in Europe typically range from £1399 to £1799 ($2170 - $2790). And that is without carbon fiber trim. Add the cost of air shipment of around £600 - £1300 ($930 - $2014) and you are looking at seats not for the faint of heart or wallet.
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As for pricing, seats in Europe typically range from £1399 to £1799 ($2170 - $2790). And that is without carbon fiber trim. Add the cost of air shipment of around £600 - £1300 ($930 - $2014) and you are looking at seats not for the faint of heart or wallet.
If that is not enough to dampen your mood, the European Sabelt seats do not feature side airbags. I know some are saying "who cares!", but the problem is that there is no air bag bypass connector available to keep the air bag warning light from illuminating, and that kills the market for the average enthusiast.
Fiat 500 Abarth Venon's Sabelt seat bracket.
All this hasn't been lost on North American Fiat Abarth aftermarket and accessories suppliers. With the real possibility of spending $3 - $5,000 on a set of Sabelts to test-fit and find that they won't work in a North American car, there is a wait-and-see attitude about when these seats will be available through Mopar channels. Indeed, pricing is even on Fiat USA's mind, as this appears to be a point of contention for them.
At this moment, it is a waiting game to see when, or if, the Sabelt seats will officially arrive on our shores.
Still, North American Fiat 500 Abarth enthusiasts are a hearty group, and a few have not been deterred from enjoying these superb seats. Right now, enterprising individuals are working on seat fitment and resolving the airbag warning light issue. To help, here are a few images of the Sabelt seat brackets used on the Fiat 500 Abarth Venom.
Another look ar the Abarth Venom's Sabelt seat bracket.
One of the members on the Fiat 500 USA Forum named "Yul" is installing Sabelt seats into his 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth.
All this hasn't been lost on North American Fiat Abarth aftermarket and accessories suppliers. With the real possibility of spending $3 - $5,000 on a set of Sabelts to test-fit and find that they won't work in a North American car, there is a wait-and-see attitude about when these seats will be available through Mopar channels. Indeed, pricing is even on Fiat USA's mind, as this appears to be a point of contention for them.
At this moment, it is a waiting game to see when, or if, the Sabelt seats will officially arrive on our shores.
One of the members on the Fiat 500 USA Forum named "Yul" is installing Sabelt seats into his 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth.
Close-up on the Fiat 500 Abarth Venom's seat bracket.
To the Fiat500 USA Forum user named "yul" who is installing Sabelt seats into his 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth, I say;
ReplyDelete"THANKS, for paving the way for the rest of us! We REALLY want these seats to work for the US market"