The Fiat 500 has gotten a fair bit of press coverage in recent months, ever since the announcement following Chrysler’s bankruptcy and subsequent partnership with Fiat that the stylish, retro tiny hatchback would be the first new Fiat to land on U.S. shores since 1983. Traditional media and the Internet have been abuzz with speculation about what a U.S version of the 500 might be like, including word that an electric concept may be at the Detroit auto show.
We recently had an opportunity to drive a Fiat 500, highlighted in our recent “Behind the wheel: Fiat 500” blog post. The example we drove was a Euro-spec two-door hatchback, more stiffly sprung than U.S. models will be, but equipped with the 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission likely to be the first powertrain offered here. The plan calls for a six-speed automatic to follow a few months later.
A convertible version will also be offered later on, and a higher performance Abarth version is under consideration.
Below are a couple more personal takes on this upcoming model:
Eric Evarts: Millions of Italians have fond memories of the first post-war Fiat 500 as their first four-wheeled transportation. It was cheap and easy to maneuver in narrow alleys. The new 500, aims to recapture that in a contemporary package and bring it to America through Chrysler dealerships.
Driving the 500 on the roads around our test track, I found it was somewhat fun to drive. The Nuova 500, as it’s called in Italy, will compete with two other nostalgic icons, the Mini Cooper and outgoing VW New Beetle. Overall, it’s smaller and tighter inside than a New Beetle, but it has a more useful back seat than a Mini. And it’s a lot nicer to drive than a Smart car.
Being smaller than the Beetle at least made it more fun to drive for me, but much less fun to drive than a Mini Cooper. Compared to the Mini, though the 500’s steering was much too light and lifeless to be much fun. The engine felt vastly underpowered by American standards, the ride was hard, and it was difficult to get the driver’s seat into a comfortable position. Chrysler engineers who brought the car promised the final version in the U.S. will have more power, a softer suspension, and a reconfigured driver’s seat.
The only way I can see the 500 having an advantage over the Mini is if it costs a lot less. The actual price is far from finalized, but Chrysler engineers sounded hopeful.
Jim Travers: Even after having read and reported on the 500’s dimensions, the car looked and felt smaller than I had expected. That seven inches less overall length than a Mini Cooper makes a big difference, and the Fiat is narrower and feels considerably lighter as well. That said, I had plenty of head and legroom for my 6’2” frame, and found the seating area wide enough. Rear seat passengers, however, would find accommodations considerably cozier. Some controls were a little hard to decipher, but nothing like those in a Mini. Handling was good, and I found the 500 fun to drive, with decent steering feel and quick responses. But the ride was choppy in this Euro-spec car, and both road and somewhat coarse engine noise were intrusive.
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