2012 Fiat 500 First Impressions

[ahmed_7erzon]

After a 27 year absence, Fiat is back! The iconic Cinquecento has been reborn and will be on sale here in Canada sometime in late February 2011.


The original Fiat factory opened in Italy in the very early 1900’s and the 500 was unveiled in 1957. After WWII, the European market called for city cars, and this rear-engine vehicle ended up being very successful. Its small size proved to be surprisingly practical. Production of this ‘scooter with a roof’ stopped in 1975 and the line was retired.

For the re-launch of this incredibly cute little car, I am here in beautiful San Diego. It’s not Italy but the vineyards, winding roads, and beautiful coast of Southern California make the Fiat seem more at home.

Without a doubt – this car is a Fiat 500. I am so impressed that they managed to keep its stunning Italian styling so close to the original. It looks simple and robust. The designers kept the clam-shell shape of the hood and added new circular projector, bi-halogen headlamps and lower fog lamps. The back end kept the logo from the original 500; a signature chromed license-plate brow motif.

Measuring just 3.5 metres in length, this 500 is on par with the Mini Cooper. On paper, the legroom and cargo area of the Cinquecento is just a bit larger than that of the Mini. Sitting in the back seat, I can’t tell the difference. No matter how you slice it, this is a very small car and I don’t even think that a small child would enjoy sitting back there for a long period of time.

Compared to the Mini, I notice that there is more room in the trunk – not a huge difference, but I had an easy time putting my suitcase in the back of the 500.

Just like an Italian suit is designed to fit each person’s unique body, the 500 can be personalized to fit its owner’s distinctive tastes. There are three trim levels that are available in fourteen gorgeous exterior colours, eleven unique seat colours, five wheel choices and three roof options. Chrysler expects that you should be able to pick your colour and have it delivered in 6-8 weeks.

The good looks are carried forward to the interior, again inspired by the original. A simple layout and clean lines have really made this car modern. The materials are first rate and the fit and finish give it a more polished look. The leather wrapped steering wheel feels great in my hands.

The seating position for the driver is quite high, similar to that of a smart car. I like this because I feel that the car is bigger than it actually is. On roads with the big North American vehicles, I have a less obstructed view of my surroundings.

We will have three trim levels for sale in Canada: Pop, Sport and Lounge. All of them come standard with a 5-speed manual transmission, power windows and doors, height adjustable driver’s seat, tilt steering, seven air bags, hill-hold assist and AM/FM/CD/MP3 with six speakers.

All trim levels are equipped with a 1.4 litre 16-valve MultiAir 4-cylinder engine that gives this little car 101hp and 97 lb-ft of torque. Engines equipped with this technology benefit from greater fuel economy and power as well as decreased CO2 emissions by up to 10%. Fuel economy is rated at 6.7L/100 km in the city and 5.1 on the highway.

I have the ‘Rame’ or copper coloured, 5-speed manual and I am really enjoying driving it. The gears are a bit long, but this little car is zippy. The shifts are smooth and the 500 is very happy at high revs.


Doing 90 km/hour while in third gear, the car does not complain and generates the impression that it has more horsepower than it does on paper.

Pressing the ‘sport’ button on the dash calibrates the pedal-to-throttle relationship and the steering response to improve driving dynamics and gives the car a sportier feel.

Yes, the cabin is a bit noisy on the highway, but nothing worse than any of the others in its class.

What other cars would I compare this Fiat 500 to? It’s not in the same price range as the mini, and it has many more European driving characteristics than the Yaris. I think this will be a bit like the new Beetle – people will either love or hate it and dealers can expect people to walk in already having made up their minds to buy.

We don’t have many steep, winding roads like these back home so I take advantage of the opportunity to really toss this car around. The North American tailored suspension and redesigned body structure allow this little guy to hug every bend and corner I can throw at it. Despite its small size, the car remains very planted. It drives a lot like a Mini, yet feels lighter and more nimble.

This Italian car, that is actually assembled in Toluca, Mexico, has some North American Exclusives.

An all new 6-speed shiftable automatic, larger 39.7 litre fuel tank, new four-wheel antilock brakes with redesigned callipers and an upgraded heating and cooling system for North American weather extremes.

Pricing for the Pop base model starts at just under $16,000, the Sport goes for $18,500 and the Lounge, $19,500.

With small cars being all the rage these days, Fiat's re-birthing has come at a perfect time. The anticipation for this iconic car has been impressive. In November 2010, Chrysler launched an online program for Canadians to reserve a limited edition version called the Prima Edizone. Only 500 were available and they sold out in less than 12 hours.

I know that this little car had a bad rap back in the day, but today’s younger generations likely have little or no idea about its spotty past. All they will see is this endearing car that has an Italian badge, drives well, is good on gas and most of all, will get noticed everywhere it goes.