Motoring
T Fiat 500 Remastering an Icon
Fiat’s whizzy runabout may have had a facelift but it still has bags of retro‐chic. Since its launch in 2007, Fiat have made 1.5 million 500s. And the simple reason is, it’s a fun car to drive.
The original reincarnation drew entirely on the original 1960s Cinquecento’s Italian style. This “re‐master”, as Fiat calls it, is no different. Fiat has plugged firmly into the “fashion car” sector, appealing to those buyers who like their runabout chic and styled with their own individual touches.
The new version has received both a facelift and a tummy tuck. The sporty Abarth version aside, the 500 is now available in three trim levels, the names of which chime very well with its aimed‐for sector: the Pop, Pop Star and Lounge.
Three petrol engines provide the go. The mid‐range, but tiny, 900cc turbo‐charged two‐ cylinder TwinAir 85bhp version recently secured Fiat the Citycar award from eco‐motoring website Next Green Car, but the other two are no gas guzzlers either.
A second 105bhp turbo version of the 900cc engine is the most powerful whilst, surprisingly, the lowest powered of the trio
Iain Betson
is a 1.2 normally‐aspirated 4 cylinder variant. 5‐speed gearboxes are standard on the two lower powered engines, while the 105bhp engine has a 6 ‐speed box.
Standard features include LED running lights, height‐adjustable steering wheel, USB and aux‐in connections on the stereo, central locking and electric windows. The top of the range Lounge version augments this with, amongst other features, fog lights, rear parking sensors and a touchscreen based entertainment system.
Where the facelift and the sector positioning really show is in the customisation, where the available combinations take up about three‐quarters of the glossy sales catalogue. From wheel size (15”, 16” or 17”) through exterior styling to interior colours and gadgets, the list goes on. The options even extend to the style of 500 badge on the side protection strips and the colour of the key fob cover!
It’s in the driving that the 500 wins and wins again. With its small engines you’d think that the 500 would struggle to beat a snail ‐ but it’s not so. The 85 horse powers of the mid‐spec
engine nip the car along to a very respectable 107mph and get it to 60 in 11 seconds. It’s frugal too: none of the three engines gives a combined cycle of less than 60mpg.
I was expecting the engine to be a little on the shaky side, being that it has only two cylinders on ‐board, but that is not the case ‐ I couldn’t detect any lumpiness at all.
After nearly 10 years of production, Fiat have remained wise and maintained both the lines and the size of the 500. Facelifts are sometimes more than cosmetic and can extend to lengthening of the wheelbase or widening of the body. Sure, it’s getting on for twice the size of the Cinquecento, but that didn’t come with airbags and air conditioning. Keeping the size the same means the Fiat 500 is still the fun tippy‐toes whizz‐ about it’s always been.
Fiat 500 Price: from £10,890 Top speed: 107mph
Fuel Economy: 74.3 mpg (combined cycle) CO2 emissions: 90g/km
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