Fiat 500 - sweet donut

The Fiat 500 has been considered a cult car for many years. Anyone who doesn't smile at the first 500? Although technology has made this model look fatter, it's hard not to notice the resemblance to the iconic Italian baby when looking at the new Fiat. We decided to check how this “steering wheel” works in everyday use.

Appearance Fiat 500 does not need a detailed description. It is round and there is no point in looking for some sharp shapes. Soft lines, round lights. There is probably no other car on the market that is as devoid of "aggression" as.

Already red or still pink?

The one we tested was dressed in a cheerful crimson color called Red Corallo by the brand. Raspberry, pink, pastel, faded red - as he called it. However, this color has little to do with masculinity. This is much closer to a typical "women's car" because ladies often don't mind if the car is in a pastel shade of underwear. However, thanks to such an unusual and even funny color, it aroused the interest of passers-by and other drivers. People smiled at the sight of a donut covered with pink icing rushing through the city.

The smallest of the little ones

While its larger, slightly weirder siblings (the 500L or 500X) are "normal" sized cars, the traditional 3546 is tiny. Its length is 1627-1488 mm, its width is 2,3 mm, and its height is only 500 mm. The wheelbase is a meter long and the wheelbase is just over forty meters. Even though it's larger than the Smart, parking is easy to find in parking lots. Despite its compact dimensions, the test unit was equipped with reverse sensors, which make maneuvering even easier. In addition, the compact dimensions make the Fiat incredibly maneuverable. Its turning diameter is meters.

In 2015, the car received a major facelift that reportedly included 1800 changes. In practice, they are very subtle and easy to miss. However, five hundred cars received optional xenon headlights (an additional PLN 3300), which, despite their inconspicuous size, illuminate the road well when driving at night. In addition, we also have daytime running lights.

Donut with filling

While the color of the varnish causes a smile, you can already get nystagmus inside. We received a copy in the Lounge package for testing. From the very first moment, the dashboard is visible, which shines against the background of the pink body (it really looks like a matte one!). The whole consists of light beige upholstery. The light colors of the interior meant that the cabin, despite its small size, was not claustrophobic. In addition, the test sample received an opening hatch that lets in a little sun. From the Pop up version, we also have a 7" Uconnect radio (in the Lounge version, which requires an additional PLN 1000).

The steering wheel is comfortable and fits well in the hands, although it could be a little smaller in relation to the dimensions of the car. The gearshift lever is placed in front on a slight elevation, which is reminiscent of solutions from delivery vans. The driving position is a bit "stool" and it can be difficult to find a comfortable position at first. The downside is, unfortunately, the narrow range of seat adjustment. We cannot raise or lower the seat, only its angle. So either we make an uncomfortable socket out of the chair, or we roll towards the pedals. So bad and so bad.

Capacity

Transport capacity is not the Fiat 500's strong point, but it may surprise some in this regard. I would consider the rear seat purely theoretical, because when a person 170 cm tall sits behind the wheel, the legroom for the rear passengers is drastically reduced. If the passenger next to the driver moves forward as far as possible, we can fit an adult in the second row of seats.

However, 500 compensates for the trunk. While its 185 liters of power doesn't bring you to your knees, its design is very well thought out. You can easily put a suitcase in it. The same cannot be said for the competitive Citroen C1, whose boot, though deep, is narrow enough to keep the suitcase upright, shaking in all directions with every acceleration or deceleration. In the Fiat 500, although the luggage compartment is relatively small, thanks to the large area, we can usefully plan each of the 185 liters of capacity. After folding the rear seats, we get 625 liters of space, which is comparable to some station wagons or SUVs without folding the backs.

Heart of the city

Under the pink hood of the pink car was ... a non-pink engine with a displacement of 1.2 liters. Four cylinders without turbocharging develop 69 horsepower (available at 5500 rpm) and maximum torque of 102 Nm (from 3000 rpm). Although these parameters do not knock you down, they turned out to be quite enough for city driving. Sometimes you feel a lack of power, but you easily compensate for it with slightly sharper reductions, against which the happy 100 does not protest at all. Up to 12,9 km / h we can accelerate in 160 seconds (in the case of the tested unit with a five-speed manual transmission). The maximum speed declared by the manufacturer is 940 km/h. However, traveling at high speeds with such a baby is not the most pleasant. Due to its low weight (kg), the machine bounces on bumps and is sensitive to lateral wind gusts.

The fuel tank of this baby holds only 35 liters of gasoline. However, the pink donut is not very voracious. The manufacturer claims the consumption in the city at the level of 6,2 l / 100 km and in fact this is the maximum achievable result. With dynamic driving, you have to take into account the fuel consumption of about a liter, but the modest 1.2 is difficult to persuade to drink more gasoline.

Despite the quite civilian suspension borrowed from the Fiat Panda, this little bagel is surprisingly pleasant to drive. Although this has nothing to do with sports driving. Short overhangs and wide-spaced wheels make it literally everywhere. The suspension handles bumps well. In tighter turns, it leans a little to the sides, but in no case does it lie on the mirrors.

Prizes

Prices for Fiat 500 in Poland start from PLN 41. With this amount, we will buy a car in the basic version of Pop 400 model year (with a discount of PLN 2017 thousand). The Lounge variety we tested costs at least PLN 3,5.

Although I used to call the Fiat 500 a woman's car, I can think of a better term. 500 — the car is just fun and joyful. Anyone who looks at him will surely have similar feelings. It's like looking into the eyes of a cute, cute puppy. Come on? won't you smile? We are sure you will smile! And this is perhaps the biggest plus of this car, that it causes so much joy.