Fiat 500C 1.4 16v saloon

• Video

It is sad for some to know the truth that there are 50 years of social development between them, which means that during this time a person has changed quite a bit - in this case, his desires, requirements and habits regarding the car.

This is why the 500C is what it is today: a car that meets the demands and needs of the modern urban man, yet attractive and irresistibly nostalgic at the same time.

AGAINST . ...

Well, we're on a little Fiat. If you look at it superficially, you may not even notice why there is still C in the name, although it is very important here. C stands for convertible; The Slovenian dealer describes it as a convertible coupe, which is technically difficult to justify, but it's true that the 500C doesn't even come close to a regular convertible.

In fact, its transformable part is even more similar to that of its ancestor: the roof is tarpaulin, but in this case it is really only the roof or its central part. Unlike the little grandfather, the new 500C curtain expands slightly above the lower end of the rear (glass) glass, which is thus an integral part of the sliding roof.

Because of the roof, the 500C is slightly louder compared to the 500 inside (even when the roof is connected, i.e. closed), but in practice the difference is really only felt at speeds above 100 kilometers per hour. Thus, the 500C has the ability to look up into the sky.

Electricity is used for folding or retracting: in the first eight seconds it is (say) half, in the next seven to the end, along with the rear window. However, closing occurs in three stages: the first - after five seconds, the second - after the next six.

Up to this point, all the movements mentioned were automatic, and the last phase of closing, when the roof remained open for about 30 centimeters, takes another five seconds, and this time you need to hold down the button. All movements are possible up to 60 kilometers per hour. Useful.

So this is the roof mechanics and controls. The movement of the roof can be stopped in any position, which allows the wind to blow at different intensities.

Real convertible

Fiat 500C - despite the second method of opening the roof - a real convertible: up to 70 kilometers per hour the breeze is felt, but it does not thin the hair much, and from here the whirlwind quickly increases. A fixed windshield behind the rear seats also helps to deal with the worst tornadoes around the head, and practice shows that in this respect the 500C lags far behind convertibles, which today would be called classics, based on the design of the roof. .

Thanks to the roof, the 500C doesn't have a door in the back, just a small boot lid, which means a small hole in the short luggage compartment, but something can be gained by folding the rear seat backs. Yes, Al, that sounds pretty crap to me. It looks like BT doesn't work for me either.

The canvas roof has another minor drawback - more modest interior lighting. There is another disadvantage compared to the base 500, for example the 500C does not have closed drawers, which in general are few and not the most useful (they all have a hard bottom, so metal objects move loudly in corners), that parking horns do not sound (enough) even at medium volume, that the USB input is only active when the engine is running (and the radio works even when the engine is not running), and that the front seats are relatively small.

Good legacy

However, the 500C also inherited all the good things. One of them is an engine that is very friendly at low revs, but also likes to spin up – in lower gears, it spins up to 7.100 rpm. On top of that, it's also lively and bouncy in the mid-to-top rev range, perfect for the busy city rides we know from Italian cities.

Another good side, which complements what has just been described, is the gearbox, the lever of which may not have the most precise movements and therefore allows for almost lightning-fast shifting. And the gearbox's six gears feel almost perfectly timed - only a truly athletic heart would want a slightly shorter gear ratio of the last three. And more about the sports heart: the "sport" button strengthens the electric power steering, and also affects the reaction of the accelerator pedal, which becomes extremely sensitive in the first part of its movement. For a sportier feel.

Playful shape

Therefore, even 500C can be very playful. It has a playful appearance, playful color combinations and overall look are playful, and playfulness is also made possible by mechanics. Dante Giacosa, the great small car designer (Fiat, of course) in the middle of the last century and also the first culprit to create the "original" 500 in 1957, will be proud of it.

Especially with a 500C like this, i.e. with a canvas roof: the perfect measure of nostalgia embodied in a modern small city car that – perhaps even more than then – turns on the heads of young and old of both sexes and all walks of life. life.

It is now clear: The (new) Fiat 500 has become an icon for all generations... With a pinch of nostalgic glimpse into the past and a little more adventurism, I can say on the basis of a well-proven one: if 500, then 500C. It is impossible not to love him.

Vinko Kernc, photo: Aleš Pavletič, Vinko Kernc

Fiat 500C 1.4 16v saloon

Basic data

Sales:	Avto Triglav doo
Base model price:	17.700 €
Test model cost:	19.011 €
Calculate the cost of auto insurance
Power:	74kW (100 KM)
Acceleration (0-100 km / h):	10,5 with
Maximum speed:	182 km / h
Mixed flow ECE:	6,3l / 100km

Technical information

engine:	4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - petrol - displacement 1.368 cm3 - maximum power 74 kW (100 hp) at 6.000 rpm - maximum torque 131 Nm at 4.250 rpm.
Energy transfer:	engine-driven front wheels - 6-speed manual transmission - tires 195/45 R 16 V (Bridgestone Potenza RE050A).
Capacity:	182 km/h top speed - 0-100 km/h acceleration in 10,5 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 8,2/5,2/6,3 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 149 g/km.
Mass:	empty vehicle 1.045 kg - permissible gross weight 1.410 kg.
External dimensions:	length 3.546 mm - width 1.627 mm - height 1.488 mm - wheelbase 2.300 mm - fuel tank 35 l.
Box:	185-610 l

Our measurements

T = 14 ° C / p = 1.050 mbar / rel. vl. = 43% / odometer status: 7.209 km
Acceleration 0-100km:	11,7s
402m from the city:	18,1 years ( 123 km / h)
Flexibility 50-90km / h:	11,6 / 15,7s
Flexibility 80-120km / h:	16,7 / 22,3s
Maximum speed:	182km / h (WE.)
test consumption:	8,4 l / 100km
Braking distance at 100 km / h:	39,5m
AM table:	42m

evaluation

• Don't let yourself be convinced that the 500C can be a family car, as today's space standards are already a little higher. But it can be anything: a fun city car, fun country road drivers, and a decent highway car. However, the key that opens many doors is to find followers and buyers among almost the entire (Western) population. He is not picky.

We praise and reproach

exterior and interior appearance

image

roof mechanism, opening size

roof opening up to 60 km / h

live engine

fast gearbox

Equipment

sliding trunk

adroitness

jammed reverse gear

poor usability of drawers

modest interior lighting

the parking aid does not turn off the audio system

USB input powered by current engine only

short seating area in the front seats