Can You Guess What's Missing On This 2017 Fiat 124 Spider 6AT?
Let’s be open minded. There are many people who prefer an automatic transmission to a manual stick shift. Even though a roadster cries out for a manual transmission, some prefer an automatic for their own reasons. Be it a physical limitation, fear of learning a new skill, or perhaps just for comfort, automatics are very popular, even in sporty cars. That said, Fiat not including paddle shifters on its Classica and Lusso trims has us dumbfounded.
We’ve tested sport-utes with paddle shifters. Economy cars with paddle shifters. Many, many cars and crossovers in which the paddle shifters were really not important and likely will never be used by the vehicle’s owner. However, having control over the engine’s speed is critical to a small, sporty roadster. How in the world could Fiat build any 124 Spider without paddle shifters?
Don’t pin this on Mazda. The MX-5 Miata has three trims, all of which have a six-speed automatic transmission optional. All three trims have paddle shifters. Fiat offers the 124 Spider Abarth with paddle shifters when it is equipped with the optional automatic transmission. Why would Fiat imagine that drivers who opt for the more affordable Classica and Lusso wouldn’t want the paddles?