Americans bring muscle, the Germans engineering might, and the Asian brands, reliability.
Italian automakers may never have been known for world-class quality, or for brilliant marketing, but the eye for a finely turned turn signal, or a pure side-glass silhouette? Va bene? Va bene.
The 2012 Fiat 500 is out in the wild now, streaming out of more than a hundred new Fiat showrooms across the country, as Chrysler and Fiat firm up their alliance and find new, inventive ways to get high-gas-mileage cars to America quickly. No one can predict if this truly is the tide-turning moment for small cars in the States.
The 2012 FIAT 500 ranks 11 out of 33 Affordable Small Cars. So far, the automotive press has welcomed this Italian mini car with open arms.
That means shoppers who’ve always wanted a peppy mini car with some utilitarian qualities, but can’t afford for the Cooper, can spring for the FIAT 500.
Reviewers say the FIAT 500 is fun to drive, but don’t think its success is assured. Other Cars to Consider
The Cooper’s performance ranks at the top of the class, but there are two areas where 500 beats the Cooper: cargo space and price. The Cooper has 24 cubic feet with the rear seats folded – the FIAT has 30. If the Cooper costs too much and you aren’t sold on the FIAT’s “large” maximum cargo capacity, turn to the Mazda2. Test drivers think it’s just as zippy as the FIAT 500. The FIAT 500 comes in three trims: Pop, Sport and Lounge.
The car, however, is Italian. A Fiat no less. A sign of the changing times, the Fiat 500, or the more fun to say ‘cinquecento’, might be evidence of America’s changing perceptions of small cars.
Three different trim levels, Pop, Sport and Lounge are available with differing content. The Pop model ($15,500) is the most basic, but Fiat representatives will tell you there is no ‘base’ model with every trim level getting power windows and locks, power heated mirrors, air conditioning, remote keyless entry, cruise control, an Electronic Vehicle Information Center, 7 airbags, an auxiliary input jack and a paint-matched dash.
Upgrading to a Sport model ($17,500) will get you stiffer springs and shocks, 16-inch aluminum wheels, a more audible exhaust note and special bodywork, plus sportier seats with upgraded material, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, handsfree voice controls and an incredibly high-quality 6-speaker Bose audio system.
SMALL BUT NOT TINY
The Fiat is undoubtedly a European-style city car, designed to give excellent mobility in urban areas with a solid view of your surroundings. Rear seat space is utterly useless; same as in the MINI. The shifter does feel more like an economy car than a premium small car, and doesn’t line up with the likes of the MINI or the Honda Fit.
IMPRESSIVE NEW ENGINE TECHNOLOGY
The result is a 10 percent increase in peak power, a 15 percent bump in low-end torque and a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy.
Lifestyle buyers aren’t likely to care too much about fuel economy, but it may be a factor in winning over some traditional small car buyers. The 1.4-liter engine is rated at 30-mpg city and 38-mpg highway for a 33-mpg combined number. Pushing it firms-up throttle response and tightens the steering on manual models, delivering a significantly more engaging driving experience. When pushed, the car really hops forward in urban driving, although the benefits are gone once you get beyond 3rd gear.
Automatic transmission models also get more sensitive steering and better throttle response in Sport mode, plus the transmission holds on to gears longer to keep you in the power. A solid amount of fun in base trim, the Sport model’s stiffer suspension and 16-inch wheels with wider and lower profile 195/45 series tires deliver plenty of grip, allowing you to sail around corners. Fiat even intends to adopt all these U.S.-spec changes to its European market models in the future.
In the world of small urban transportation, the Fiat 500 might just be the perfect pairing of efficiency and practicality with performance and style.
