You’re either born loving a Fiat 500 or you’re not; they don’t grow on you. Either you find them cute and dinky, or you think they’re affected, cupcake saccharine, with charmless, mass-produced vintage effects, and even though you can see the appeal of buying eight in different colours and parking them next to each other – seriously, who does that, apart from Hertz? In the interests of neutrality, I am staying silent on which side I’m on and assuming that everybody belongs to Team Cute.
The exterior has been made slightly more shiny with the addition of lots of chrome, especially at the front, where a silvery grille is shaped like the helmet of a very wide-headed Viking. Personalisation is huge at the moment, in cars and beyond, and you can, if you wish, drop a monkey on a fancy exterior colour (metallic Avantgarde Bordeaux, in my case) and more than that on a leather interior. Now you will have spent over £1,000 telling the world you’re nothing like anybody else who has a Fiat.
Yet I loved the leather steering wheel: it made me feel agile and in charge, particularly in the city driving conditions for which this car was born. Indeed, nipping in and out of traffic, it had it all – low emissions, great mileage, responsive steering, a cheerful aspect and a nice, big infotainment/satnav screen large enough to watch your map not change as you inch through town.
There isn’t much nipping in mine, but I did enjoy being able to park for a change. Bluetooth and USB connectivity are probably a huge draw for youngsters. The electric sunroof – only in the top spec Lounge version – was, like Minecraft, extremely popular with children, for no reason I can understand.
The top speed of 117mph may strike you as unlikely when you’re actually on a motorway. Even at 70mph, and in keeping with its diddy size, it is noisy and rattly and a little bit bouncy (not in a good way). Being on the motorway changes your perspective a bit: the interior, despite not being cheap, still looks a tad tacky, and the back is cramped to a degree that the only kind of adult you’d want in it is one you actively disliked.
It’s a city car through and through – and quite a pricey one for so many limitations. But if you loved the Fiat 500 before – and so many did – you’re pretty certain to bring all that love, with a few extra features, to this new incarnation.
Fiat 500: in numbers
Price £16,410
Top speed 117mph
Acceleration 0-62mph in 10 seconds
Combined fuel consumption 67.3mpg
CO2 emissions 99g/km
Eco rating 9/10
Cool rating 7/10
Comments (…)
Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion