What is it?
A hugely cool retro-inspired ride or shameless plundering of Fiat's automotive history? You decide. We'll go for the former; although the new 500 shares little of the beautiful simplicity of the original, it has to work in a modern world. So within its retro-styled lines there's seven airbags, a choice of three engines and the availability of mobile phone and USB connectivity - all of these things unimaginable back when the original was launched in 1957. Of the three engines offered we're looking at the 1.2-litre version here, as it's the cheapest and perhaps closest to the original's tiny engine, in ethos at least.
Is it any good?
Absolutely. It's the first car we've driven in a long time that's had us grinning from ear to ear without having an exotic 500+bhp engine attached to it. The 500 is one of those cars that just feels right. That's unquestionably got a great deal to do with the styling, which does a fantastic job of taking the original 500's shape and modernising and expanding it to fit our modern expectations of a small car. Sure, it looks like it's come from the '50s and '60s, but it has got seven airbags in its cool interior, a five-star Euro NCAP crash test score and there's air conditioning and Blue&Me mobile phone and USB connectivity in all but the entry-level Pop versions.
Three trims are offered alongside the three engines: Pop, Lounge and Sport. Lounge is likely to be one of the most popular, alongside the range-topping Sport. Pop is the entry-level trim that allows Fiat to offer the 500 for less than £8,000, but we'd spend the extra to get up to Lounge specification. Unless you're planning on doing lots of motorway trips we'd go for the smallest 1.2-litre engine in favour of the 1.4 petrol or 1.3-litre turbodiesel, it being perfectly able around town and returning an impressive 55.4mpg on the combined cycle. To drive the 500 is fun, not because it steers, stops or goes any sharper or quicker than any of its sub-supermini rivals, but because of its personality and style. The interior is a very nice environment, though it's not entirely perfect due to a slightly offset driving position. However, if you want a more spacious practical Fiat, then buy the Panda that the 500 is based on.
Should I call the bank manager?
If you're after a small car for buzzing in and around town then absolutely. The range starts relatively inexpensively at £7,900, though you'll really want to be spending the £9,300 for an air-conditioned, alloy-wheeled, USB and mobile phone connectable 1.2 Lounge. It might be worthwhile while you're speaking to the bank to ask for a few pounds more, as Fiat offers 500,000 different customisation options on the 500, meaning you can create your dream car via a seemingly infinite collection of exterior sticker and trim details and interior colours and options. It's likely to hold onto its value better than any previous Fiat, the big demand for new cars meaning used ones should also hold their value well in the first year or so.
Summary
Shamelessly retro styling clothes a genuinely enjoyable sub-supermini. The 500 looks and feels better built than any Fiat before it, is reasonably sensibly priced and offers huge scope for personalisation. Our only reservation would be the Fiat dealer service, which although improving in recent years hasn't had the best history for customer service in the past.
More news and reviews from Fiat
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