Like the Eames Lounge Chair?and the Helvetica typeface, the original Fiat 500 remains a revered icon of a mid-century design. Produced from 1957-1975, the stylish, affordable, and smartly packaged rear-engined automobile became enormously popular in Europe.?
Fifty years after the original, a modernized 500 has debuted. It has grown by about 20 inches in length, is filled with features and amenities, and has had the European charm dialed up to 11. Now, retooled for North America, the Fiat 500 has arrived on our shores. It brings with it not just affordable Italian style, but a thoroughly European idea: a spacious, well-equipped, premum subcompact car. Can it catch on in Texas?The 500 ('Cinquecento,' if you prefer) follows the "cute and retro" direction led by the revived Mini Cooper in the early 2000s. In fact, it was overseen by Frank Stephenson, head of Fiat's design studio at the time, and the same man responsible for the Mini. This car is smaller and has a character all its own.
The wheels-pushed-to-the-corners look give the 500 a suprisingly sporty stance.
Activating the 'Sport' on the dash changes the power steering assist and the throttle response. The normally super-light steering becomes heavily weighted, and the transmission shifts at higher RPMs.?
The Fiat 500 debuted in 2007 in Europe to much fanfare as an alternative to the similarly retro Mini and Volkswagen New Beetle. The 500 that arrived in 2011 has been thoroughly reworked and is built by Chrysler in Mexico. Changes include exterior differences, a larger fuel tank, bigger brakes, changes to the headlights, increased body strength, upgraded seats, steering wheel controls and more. You get a sense that designers have done done their homework adapting the 500 for U.S. buyers' needs.?
The North American 500 has 1.4-liter 101-horsepower Multiair engine produced in Dundee, Mich. It's not a lot, but this car reenforces that you don't need gobs of horsepower to have fun. Weighing in at under 2,400 pounds helps, too.
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The "500" logo seems to be etched and enameled in crevasses all over the car. Fortunately, the "500" logo is incredibly cool.
The 500c ("C" stands for cabrio") has a dual-layer power retractable cloth top that slides straight back at the push of a button. With the top up it feels just like a regular hard top, with no additional noise or compromises. It can also retract to a partial-open setting that becomes like a large sunroof.?
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One of the best aspects of the 500 is the visibility to the outside. You sit high, perched atop tall seats with wide glass openings all around. Despite the smaller footprint than the Mini, the 500 is taller, so there's plenty of headroom for six-footers, even in the back seats.?
The optional TomTom Navigation seems to be just a third-party navgation device that you clumsily shove into a hole on the top of the dashboard. It's inelegant, and worse, inconvenient, because you have to stow it away in the dashboard every time you park. It looks like a detachable magnet for thieves.?
The volume and skip controls for the sterio are shaped like sections of a pie, no doubt designed with symmetry in mind. The problem with volume buttons, unlike a knob, is that you have to look at the buttons every time to adjust the volume.?
The concentric-circle gauge cluster is a design flourish that's aesthetically pleasing but still functional. For the driver, it's a constant reminder that you're driving something a little bit special.
The big, central gear selector is plastickey and feels somewhat rattly when slotting from one gear into the next. ?
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We sampled the six-speed automatic, although we tried briefly the available five-speed manual transmission last spring. ?The automatic transmission is only offered for North America, with it the estimated fuel economy takes a hit: 27 mpg city/34 highway as opposed to the manual's 30/38. The automatic drives smoothly, but isn't the liveliest automatic we've driven.?
Soft suspension and gentle body roll are part of the character of the 500, and help make it so comfortable on harsh roads.?
The 500 is spacious inside; the only hint that you're in a tiny car comes from the narrowness and the closeness between the driver and passenger seats.
The 500 seems to come alive making mundane trips around town, and this is its greatest strength. It makes the uneventful trips on Houston's awful roads a joy, and it seems to bound along with endless enthusiasm. The cushy tires and soft suspension soak up even the worst potholes (trust us) and grossly uneven concrete slabs without issue. ?You can wind up the engine without exceeding the local speed limits, and you can fit the car almost anywhere. Great outward visibility and short overhangs help create the sense of uninhibited mobility. ?
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In the city, you can sense that you're having more fun than the guy in the sedan next to you. ?
The price for our tester ? a fully-equipped 500c Lounge with almost every option ? was around $26,000. Hardtop models without as many boxes ticked start at under $16,000.
Any piece of design is only as good as its functionality. Luckily, the Fiat 500 doesn't disappoint, and it's as fun in everyday commuting as it is to look at. Living with it gives you a sense of occasion that's hard to come by in any price range, and that far outweighs a few [authentically Italian] quirks on the inside. The Fiat 500 stands out as a car that drives with its own character, while looking like a Cars 2 character.?
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This modern 500 could be on its way to being a classic like its forebearer.?
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