We may not have seen the tiny Fiat 500 on these shores if it wasn’t for the carpocalypse of 2009. Chrysler’s bankruptcy and subsequent partnership with Fiat opened the door for the Italian brand’s return to the United States.

This is a car that is bred for European sensibilities and streets. To that end, I recently returned from a 10-day vacation in England. Small cars are a way of life there, encouraged by heavy taxation, narrow roads, tiny parking spaces, and $9/gallon gasoline. Perhaps it was no surprise that I saw lots of 500s on the streets of London. Even smaller than a Mini Cooper, the 500 combines fashionable flair with fuel economy.

Thing is, this isn’t Europe. Subcompact cars have an uphill battle here. Even though some cars in this class are very clever (Honda Fit) or surprisingly refined (Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa), U.S. buyers usually will spend a bit more money (or sometimes less, depending on incentives) to get something larger. So the Americanized 500 takes a different tack than merely providing inexpensive transportation utility. Like the Mini, the 500 instead focuses on its cute eye-catching looks and relatively upscale appeal.

Needless to say, there are a lot of questions here, so we bought a 500 of our own to test. Is it too small to be practical? Is it really all that fuel-efficient? Is it fun? Who picked that color? And has Fiat moved beyond the “Fix It Again Tony” jokes that helped drive the brand from the United States market in the early 1980s?

Our five-speed manual, espresso brown 500 Sport has a “Safety & Convenience package” with automatic climate control, security alarm, a compact spare tire, and a “Safety & Sound package” that has satellite radio. (Not much more safety added there.) A relatively inexpensive $500 destination charge (maybe because you can fit more on a truck or train?) brings the total to $18,600. For comparisons’ sake, a basic Mini Cooper starts at $20,100.

We’ll see how the 500 fits into the supersized American scene as we complete testing here at our track.