Drove the icon of Italian mobility, the Fiat 500 recently, populating the Northern suburbs of Jozi, over the last few years. It has been updated, and I drove the DolceVita variant. Certainly is a cool looking little runner, and many a female admiring glance was shot the way of the car, not for me unfortunately. It comes in four new trim levels, namely: the 500 Cult, 500 Connect, Dolcevita & the 500 Sport.
The Fiat 500 was born in Turin, Italy 64 years ago. Now in it’s third generation, the iconic car is still built there and pays homage to everything that is significant about its heritage, while shining a bright light far into Fiat’s future. An ever-evolving model that has inspired artists and musicians over the past 13 years, and has always remained current.
Fiat 500 Dolcevita
For the more avant-garde, the Dolcevita model is the one we drove on test. It came with a manual auto gearbox, if you can believe that. And was quite difficult to get used to initially. It has a very pointed change feel, and almost loses power when it does it, so the driver is sometimes perplexed. Once you get used to it and drive it from the paddles on the steering wheel, you whizz around effortlessly.
It has an air of style and flair with bespoke badging and chrome accents on the two-tone paintwork. With bespoke 16-inch alloy wheels, the Dolcevita also gets the Techno-leather multi-function steering wheel, glass roof, Matelassé fabric seats with techno leather details, and a 50/50 split rear seat. Fuel economy was quite good at around 6.8L/100km around town. The interior is very light colours, so having messy kids, could be a distict disadvantage.
Fiat 500 Cult
I did not drive the following derivatives, but will give a short synopsis of them. The Fiat 500 Cult is an air of joy and lightness that refreshes the spirit every time you drive it. It comes in a new striking Arancio Sicilia orange colour, which lends new pop and cool to the 500, although many other colours are available, too with the same 500 attitude. Running on 14-inch steel wheels with hubcaps and black exterior mirrors, Cult models feature LED day-time running lamps as standard, with halogen headlights.
The interior is highlighted by blue fabric seats with Fiat Monogram and body colour dashboard. A new option for Cult is a Techno Blue Matt dashboard and the standard list of comfort features remains high. UconnectTM five-inch radio with DAB, USB ports and manual air-conditioning are all standard, as is a speed limiter.
Fiat 500 Connect
The name says it all, as this one lends itself to cutting edge technology, tailored to a modern connected life. Adding onto the Cult standard specification, Connect models are identified by 15-inch alloy wheels and specific side skirts, rear spoiler and bumpers, including foglights. The model gest set off particularly well with the new Silver bi-colour treatment with gloss black roof.
New “flashy” seats, which are height adjustable, enhance the interior along with a multi-function steering wheel with eight buttons. The dashboard can be ordered in Matt Silver. Cooler than ever, other interior upgrades include cruise control, Uconnect seven-inch infotainment with CarPlay and AndroidAuto, and two additional rear speakers.
Fiat 500 Sport
This one looks very sporty, and has a sleek well-defined look about it. More sporty-minded customers will be attracted to the Sport upgrades that include 16-inch alloy wheels, Sport badging, and specific side skirts, bumpers and rear spoiler. The new Cloud Grey colour looks particularly good against the new “arrow electro” seats and Titanium dashboard with red 500 logo. The TFT seven-inch digital cluster accompanies automatic air conditioning.
Fiat 500 Sport
With its sleek, well-defined look, the Fiat 500 Sport wins you over at first glance, bringing a hint of boldness to your everyday life. These more sporty-minded customers will be attracted to the Sport upgrades that include 16-inch alloy wheels, Sport badging, and specific side skirts, bumpers and rear spoiler. We drove the ” Ferrari” red coulour, and it absolutely popped. It certainly was more sporty than the dolcevita, but perhaps bacause it was a manual variant. The engine has a distictive thrum to it, that is quite attractive.
Advanced drivetrain technology
Fiat 500 is powered by Fiat’s TwinAir two-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. While this engine incorporates state-of-the-art technology and efficiency, it also pays homage to the original two-cylinder engine from the 1960s concept.
The advanced 875cc engine is a high-performance motor designed with major innovations developed by Fiat for petrol engines. The “downsizing” technology reduces the engine power, the number of cylinder and the size of the engine, resulting in a drastic reduction in fuel consumption and emissions levels (up to 30%) but, as it is matched with the turbocharger, its power and performance remain the same. It delivers a healthy 62.5kW at 5,500 rpm and 145Nm of torque at 1,900 rpm, which means the 500 is frugal, yet spirited, offering combined cycle fuel consumption of 4 l/100km while still accelerating around town in very respectable times (0-100km/h in 11 seconds).
The range is available in manual as well, and I for one, prefer the manual gearbox for these nifty runners.
All four trim levels of the Fiat 500 are available in hatchback guise, while the cabriolet 500C is reserved for Dolcevita and Sport derivatives. Manual transmission is available in Cult, Connect, and Sport hatchbacks, as well as the 500C Sport, while MTA is reserved for 500 and 500C Dolcevita models.
Safety
The Fiat 500 life isn’t complete without a vast array of standard safety and convenience features that really do make a difference in your everyday urban adventures.
When it comes to safety, there isn’t an A-segment car safer. With seven airbags as standard, the Fiat 500 set the benchmark for safety in the segment. Active crash protection includes front airbags for driver and passenger, along with knee airbags, side airbags and curtain airbags. Those daytime running lights – inspired by the zero in the 500 logo – create added visibility on the road, along with their distinctive cool factor.
ABS is standard across the range, as is Electronic Stability Control. For added convenience, the hill-holder will make you look like a pro on every uphill pull off and take away just one traffic stress. Another particularly useful driver aid is the speed limiter. Located under the steering wheel, once set it will not allow the car to exceed the speed you set it at.
Infotainment
The Fiat 500 isn’t just an exemplar of style, it’s clever too. Onboard infotainment systems not only entertain, but connect with your lifestyle, enabling the biggest adventures and ease of convenience.
Enjoy the UconnectTM seven-inch HD touchscreen with “tablet effect” and HD display that includes a range of function, including a hands-free system, Bluetooth technology, and voice recognition. Available with Apple CarPlay and Android AutoTM compatibility, the system has a user-friendly interface that will allow you to easily manage maps, music, contacts, and more. All safely within reach while you drive.
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Pricing.
| MODEL | TRANSMISSION | RETAIL PRICE |
| Cult 0.9L | FWD 5MT | R 219 900 |
| Connect 0.9L | FWD 5MT | R 260 900 |
| Sport – 0.9L | FWD 5MT | R 269 900 |
| Dolcevita 0.9L | FWD 5AT | R 274 900 |
| Sport Cabriolet 0.9L | FWD 5MT | R 319 900 |
| Dolcevita Cabriolet 0.9L | FWD 5AT | R 324 900 |
Always loved driving the little Fiat 500, I suppose you could call it a girl’s car, but many a young Italian male might argue different.