Fiat 500 2015 review

After a major price cut a couple of years ago - and a corresponding surge in popularity - the modern Fiat 500 jumped into the updated "Series 3" model. The new one landed with the familiar "Has anything changed?" styling and a few tweaks, plus a decent price increase.

With style intact and a desire to improve the interior, one of the smallest but coolest cars on the market can now also add "really good" to its resume.

Value

The 500 S is the midpoint of the three-pillar 500 range sold in Australia. The steel-wheeled 1.2-liter Pop starts at $16,000, going up to $19,000 for the manual S and up to $22,000 for the Lounge. Dualogic semi-automatic transmissions add about $1500 to the price of the Pop and S trims, while the Lounge, respectively, comes standard with automatic shifting.

(Strictly speaking, the 595 Abarth is a separate model, but yes, based on the 500).

Your $19,000 S is equipped with 500-inch alloy wheels, a six-speaker stereo, air conditioning, remote central locking, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power mirrors, sports seats, and tinted windows.

Whichever way you go, it looks amazing

Design

From the outside, it's a car devoid of bad angles. Whichever way you look, it looks amazing. Recently standing on a street corner in Rome, where a plethora of classic and new cinquecentos rush by, it's amazing how well the new design blends with the old.

The proportions are almost identical, the steep front end is flattened but improved by a wind tunnel, the upright cabin provides amazing space (for front passengers) and excellent visibility.

These are not new observations, given that we are already used to the new 500, but they are worth repeating.

Inside, the Polish Fiat goes well together. Everything is nearby, given how small the car is, so it won’t stretch and strain. The dashboard looks great, covered by a plastic panel that looks like metal, and the central instrument cluster with a full digital display is very cool.

The only black marks are an unfortunate Blue&Me screen protrusion above the dash and an even worse USB port placement. The interior felt solid, but there was plenty of grit and grime built up in hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, which speaks both to the hard life of a press car and the hard-working detailers who find it difficult to keep it clean.

A common preference for fellow motorists for breakfast is toast.

There is not much storage space, even considering the size of the car. This can be a little annoying as the passenger (or passenger seat) will have to trust their valuables.

safety

The 500 has a five-star safety rating, nine airbags (including a driver's knee airbag), ABS, traction and stability control, brake assist and an emergency brake display.

Disc brakes are also installed in a circle with the distribution of braking force.

Features

Fiat's Blue&Me is controlled by a screen located at the top of the dashboard. It was a complex system with a large screen that should be easy to use, but it wasn't. However, once set up, it was completely easy to use and worked great. Given its size, sat nav is awkward, but when you're on the go, it works just fine.

The six-speaker stereo system shouldn't strain too much in a small cabin and delivers acceptable sound. Blue&Me is integrated with a large round multifunctional dial on the dashboard.

Engine / Transmission

The 500-litre 1.4S sixteen-valve four-cylinder engine is a terrific little engine. With 74kW and 131Nm on tap, he likes to rev, although after 4000 he gets a little breathless. Those revs drive the front wheels through either the six-speed manual we had or the single-clutch automated gearbox.

It's not hard to see why the 500 was a hit in its home country.

Fiat claims 6.1 l/100 km on the combined cycle, which we came very close to 6.9 l/100 km, despite enthusiastic and repeated testing of a 10.5-second dash to 100 km/h.

Driving

With its punchy engine, smooth gearbox and excellent handling for such a short car, it's easy to see why the 500 was a hit back home and a cult hit here.

Despite its boring 0-km/h time, it doesn't seem all that slow in the crucial 100-mph sprint needed to race through the streets of Sydney.

Riding the 500 S is an incredible pleasure.

With an eager turn, you can make heroic maneuvers when changing lanes, and its low center of gravity keeps traffic from getting too clunky. The strangely large and very comfortable seats are as chunky as the thick steering wheel. The big seats lift you high, which is a fun feeling for a tiddler like this, and their positioning increases legroom in the rear seats. The high position of the front seats is well combined with the position of the pedal box relative to the steering wheel.

Riding the 500 S is a lot of fun - the gearbox is comfortable to use, which is a good thing because you'll have to use it to get the most out of the 74kW. What's good about it is that it seems to be faster than it actually is, meaning that the pleasure takes place at a lower level without threatening life, limbs, or rights.

The 500 S has selectable driving modes, but it doesn't really matter - the dashboard changes to accommodate either driving for pleasure or driving for economy.

Front seat passengers never tire as the smooth ride and comfortable seats keep you happy. When the speed exceeds 80 km/h, there is a little noise from the tires, but the wind noise seems to be well suppressed.

Just look at it. How could you not love?

The new Fiat 500 inherits the old car, keeping all the fun of the circus without big compromises. No one buys it as anything other than the occasional four-seater, so it fulfills its role as the sassy guy for two admirably.

It may cost more than other cars of the same size - or even European cars a size larger - but it has a lot of stuff, style and substance.

And just look at it. How could you not love?