The 500 feels small and chuckable, with an engaging eagerness. It turns into corners with more enthusiasm than the DS3. Conversely, once into the corner, where the DS3 feels nicely connected, the Abarth loses all feel in the steering and you can suddenly be left guessing what’s going on. The ride is diametrically opposed to the French car’s too. Bowling along an unusually smooth bit of road in the 500, I gradually become aware that I’m still gently pitching up and down on its short-travel suspension. It’s as though the damping in the rear has completely gone to sleep; it’s a bit like piloting a space hopper.
