Fiat 500 is a three-door city car of class "A", which has been mass-produced since 2007. By the way, the first models of the 500th Fiat were produced half a century ago, but soon they forgot about this model. And in 2007, the Italian manufacturer decided to revive this legend. What is characterized by the new Fiat 500? Owner reviews and a review of this car - further in our article.
Design
The small car has a very unusual appearance, which distinguishes it from other competitors, say, “Matiz” and “Smart”. Fiat 500 (photo of this car you can see below) is distinguished by its original design, which, according to the manufacturer, is characterized as a “discreet retro style”.
Indeed, the Italian developers managed to maintain the signature features of Fiat and at the same time modernize the subcompact.
The front of the car is decorated with symmetrically located four headlights. The radiator grill does not stand out against the general background of the car: two silver stripes stretch on the sides of the company logo. The bumper also has its own little "eyes", that is, fog lights. Wide wheel arches are clearly looming on the side, which, together with a long and embossed threshold, give the car more aerodynamics. In general, the layout and body design make the Fiat 500 a very stylish car, which will clearly stand out against the gray mass of other cars and maneuver briskly in a dense city stream.
At the end of the design question, I would like to note that the Italians still managed to solve an almost impossible task - to create a hatchback that would repeat the forms of the models of the 50-60s and at the same time did not seem very outdated against the general background of cars.
Dimensions
The dimensions of the Fiat are very, very modest. The length of the car is 3.5 meters, the width is 1.6 meters, and the height does not even reach the mark of 1.5 meters.
Yes, the dimensions of the "Italian" are very compact, what can we say about the ground clearance, which is only 130 millimeters. With such a low clearance, it is dangerous to drive out of the city limits (except for autobahns) in this small car. In other words, the owners of the 500th Fiat will have to forget about trips to nature.
Interior
And here the fun begins. If in the appearance of the car, Italians sought to preserve the related features of the Fiat of the early years, then everything looks much more attractive inside. A round instrument panel immediately catches your eye (by the way, the same is present on the British Mini Cooper), which accommodates both a speedometer and a tachometer. The steering wheel is equipped with many different control buttons, and the shift knob smoothly leaves the center console. Deflectors, like a branded radio, are located almost at the very top of the panel. As for the combination of colors, Italian designers managed to make a very harmonious and cozy interior. The wide plastic insert “under the aluminum”, stretching from the driver's side to the passenger side, organically fits into the general view of the cabin.
By the way, despite the fact that the Fiat concern in the last 5-8 years has begun to supply its lineup with on-board computers (even in basic configurations), the five hundredth model is deprived of this electronic assistant.
Basically, the architecture of the front panel does not look overloaded with various “bells and whistles” and other tools: the Fiat interior is very simple, without any pathos and luxury. But the most important thing is ergonomics, because all the controls and buttons are placed as convenient as possible for use. The front row of seats has round headrests, which are somewhat unusual for modern passenger cars. But at the same time, car owners note the presence of good lateral support, due to which the driver does not fly out of the seat at sharp turns. And there are no complaints about the adjustment. True, for complete comfort, setting the steering column position on the take-off would not hurt. However, this is not such a significant drawback.
The quality of the finishing materials, as always, is on top. The same applies to soundproofing elements.
Salon space
A special topic for discussion is the spaciousness of the cabin. Judging by the dimensions of the Fiat, there’s no need to talk about it, but even the tallest driver will feel comfortable in front. This is facilitated by the thoughtful design of the front panel and the overall layout of the cabin. True, space has to be sacrificed in the back row of chairs - only children can feel comfortable here. It will not be very comfortable for an adult to sit behind (although the manufacturer claims that the machine can accommodate up to four passengers). The little Cooper has even more free space.
For the rest, the Italians coped with the interior design on a solid five. And in terms of comfort, there are no objections.
Fiat 500 Specifications
As for the technical characteristics, the Italian hatchback on the Russian market is presented in two versions.
In the line of power plants there are two gasoline four-cylinder units. Among them, the "younger" with its working volume of 1.2 liters develops a capacity of 69 horsepower. At first glance, this power may not seem enough, but if you take into account the curb weight of the machine, which is less than 1 ton (namely, 865 kilograms), everything falls into place. The second
gasoline engine with its working volume of 1.4 liters develops at 6,000 rpm as many as 100 “horses”. Both power plants are very high-speed, and therefore the car boasts good dynamic characteristics. According to the toxicity standards, they comply with the Euro 5 standard.
Dynamics
With a 1.2-liter gasoline unit, the Fiat 500 is gaining a hundred in 12 seconds. At the same time, its maximum speed is 160 kilometers per hour. With a more powerful, 100-horsepower engine, Fiat feels much more confident on the road: it picks up a hundred in 10.5 seconds. “Maximum speed” is equal to 182 kilometers per hour. Not bad, as for such an urban subcompact.
As for the transmission, two transmissions are available for the Russian buyer to choose from. Among them, one mechanical 5-speed and automatic 6-speed. Moreover, the latter can only be installed on a 1.2-liter engine. 100-strong "aspirated" is equipped with only five-speed mechanics. Optionally, the dealer offers the installation of a 5-speed robotic gearbox.
Profitability
Fiat’s fuel consumption, like its size, is very modest. So, for 100 kilometers in mixed mode, the car spends about 5.1 liters (for a 1.2-liter engine). A more powerful unit consumes at least 6 liters per “hundred” in combined mode. The volume of the fuel tank is only 35 liters, however, as practice shows, a full refueling of Fiat is enough for at least 450-500 kilometers.
Fiat 500: price
The starting price for a small hatchback in 2014 starts at 552 thousand rubles. For this price, a complete set with a 1.2-liter engine and a manual transmission is offered. For the machine, you will have to pay an additional 43 thousand rubles. A complete set with a 1.4-liter power plant will be available at a price of 665 thousand rubles. At the same time, the dealer offers many options and additional equipment for each Fiat model.
What options are included in the initial hatchback package?
It should be noted that the Fiat 500 car’s basic equipment already includes a proprietary CD / MP3 receiver with six speakers, a leather steering wheel, a Comfort package, a Bluetooth system with automatic voice recognition, rear window heating, an immobilizer, several front and side airbags, emergency braking, ABS, EBD, and many other useful equipment.
True, the Italian has one big drawback - air conditioning is absent in both the basic and top-end configuration. And even as an option it is not provided by the manufacturer. On hot sultry days there is only one way out - to go with all the windows open.
Conclusion
Fiat 500 is a great car for trips around the city and large cities. Outwardly, it has a very stylish and bright appearance, inside is very cozy, and in terms of comfort it can give odds to any Matiz, or even its main competitor, Nissan Mikra. Unfortunately, the cost of it is overestimated, which explains such a low demand for this car in Russia and the CIS countries. Although, as a second family vehicle, the five-hundredth Fiat is a very suitable option. Be that as it may, but this model is worth the closest attention, you definitely need to look at it. And study the information resources of relevant topics. In general, as in standard advertising: “Fiat 500” - the reviews of the owners speak for themselves!