Fiat 500

Does retro-chic work in a modern world?

Which is the best model in Fiat's stylish city car range?

Sliding into the new budget 500 Pop model, you don’t feel as though you’re sitting in a cheap-as-chips small car.

Cuddly cute and proclaiming the dolce vita lifestyle, this is a great city car for younger drivers, writes David Morley.

The Fiat 500e is due to arrive in Australia later this year with a $52,500 price tag – more than double the cost of a petrol-powered 500.

Five-star safety scores for some of Australia’s most popular new cars expire today, but the vehicles are not banned from sale.

Freshly published government approvals show the 2023 Fiat 500e is being readied for sale in Australia.

The cheapest Fiat 500 in Australia now costs $23,000 before on-road costs – up from $19,500 – after manual models and the convertible were axed, and a price rise was applied.

Some cars lack that ‘certain something’ while others seem to soar on the wings of their imperfection.

There have been some big-name retirements in the automotive landscape recently – the most prominent of them being the Land Rover Defender.

The Fiat 500 has been taken to with a comb full of Brylcreem for MY16 and when the new Fiat 500C arrived in the CarAdvice garage, it got us feeling a bit nostalgic. Its makeover may appear subtle, and therefore the analogical equivalent of popping a bit of product in your hair, but the little Fiat has retained that distinct charm and old-school style that still serves to conjure up memories of days gone by.

Chances are we'll all eventually find ourselves in this sticky situation - stranded on the side of a busy road with a flat or punctured tyre.

I've never been a fan of Italian cars. They are charming but I have always been put off by high maintenance costs and parts availability. Rewind to the beginning of this year and I needed a cheap run about to get to work. With the used car market being so inflated I was having trouble finding something suitable for a reasonable price. I called a mate who deals in cars and he had this little beast. I was hesitant to to buy such a small and slow car especially bring a Fiat but I didn't have many options. It only had 125,000kms and was in good shape. Cost around $4k. Fast forward to today and it has been surprisingly 100% reliable. I haven't had any issues with it. I drive it in Sydney traffic daily and the average fuel consumption is 6L/100km. On more open roads it comes down closer to 5L. Its charm has grown on me. Yes its slow and not very refined but you can thrash it everywhere and throw it around like a go kart without losing your licence. Its true driving a slow car fast is more fun than a fast car slow. Once your underway it keeps up with traffic fine and handles freeway speeds well (if a little noisy). The gearshift is short however it doesn't have much feel and is a bit loose. The clutch is very light and is a little hard to get away smoothly on a hill. The seating position is a little awkward as I'm 6ft tall. I never can get the position just right. Rear seats and really only suitable for kids however you could squeeze an adult on there for a short trip. It was a cheap car to begin with so doesn't have many features but the Air conditioning works well and the Power Steering has 2 settings, normal and city. I always leave it in normal as city mode is extremely light and you can't feel anything through the wheel. Its hard to believe this car has been on the market for such a long time. It is quite outdated these days. Overall I've been quite happy with the Fiat. It has done exactly what it says on the box without fuss. Would I buy another one? No.

We own a Twin Air 500C. Taking in mind the looks, performance, fuel economy, desirability, usability and price, this is a perfect small car. Everywhere we go people look and admire Bella, as we have christened her. The tiny two cylinder (2 beer can size) engine is gutsy with a surprising amount of low end torque and even loaded with four adults can keep up well on most road conditions with most cars. The engine is also very economical, although not as good as FIAT would lead you to believe, but the small tank will return a decent long range when motorway cruising. Economy dips in city traffic, but then what car doesn’t? She’s cute as a button, timeless looks so no desire to update the car every couple of years. She’s an instant classic, unlike the ever growing MINI, or should it now be called the MAXI? We don’t have kids, so the car is ideal for a fortnight road trip for the two of us even if we take our dog. Even shopping at IKEA poses few problems as a quick push of a button opens the roof and even a wardrobe can be transported home, albeit, with quite a bit sticking out of the top. But, we did get it home, so the weekly shop is no problem for this little car. Sure other small cars come with a heck load more electrical goodies, but in reality the only thing I would like is cruise control. Our version, with Dualogic cog box (a god send in city driving, although not the quickest shifter), leather and a chrome bonnet spur was AU$23,000 after a lot of haggling on a special order. For the day it was a bargain but not in comparison to other marques. Still we don’t get hit with depreciation because we don’t want to upgrade her. Problems. No cruise control as mentioned and the cup holders don’t hold our cups. The rear view is obscured but it doesn’t bother people who can drive, it’s just part of the charm, if you’ve any complaints try a truck. Being Italian it does suffer from the most appalling dealer service though. On a day to day it’s not a problem as we have a specialist mechanic that looks after her, not that we have had any problems other than a clutch replacement that the electronics said we needed, but was about 20,000km too early. The dealer problem was when we ordered the car. Selected pale blue, beige roof and cream interior with white highlights. Placed deposit and waited the three months we were told it would be before a car could be transported to our side of the world. That date came and went without any communication from the dealer. No car, it disappeared. Four months later the car arrived. The transportation company couldn’t find it in their yard after it had been unloaded off the ship. A week later the car was in the dealers yard being offloaded from the transporter. I rushed to see it. It was the wrong car. Pale blue, yes, but with a black roof and interior. I went ballistic got a few grand knocked off the price and a promise that a new order was being placed that day. Eighteen months after the first order was signed, Bella arrived. Still the wrong car as the wheels were wrong and the headlights were not the projector units as ordered. They swapped the wheels, but could do nothing about the lights, so got another couple of grand off and a free plug in satnav, without the optional plug-in hole that was needed to operate it. Ah the fun of the Italians. Still left the dealer never to return and headed off to our favourite Italian restaurant for lunch. Half an hour after leaving the dealer parked outside Mario’s in Fitzroy we were enjoying a glass of wine ordering pasta and watching a passerby taking a picture of Bella. Quite a regular thing these days.

My partner and I were recently lucky enough to go on a trip around Spain and Portugal and thought the best way to see the countryside was by car. I was pleasantly surprised upon landing to discover we were assigned a Fiat 500S (unsure if they are available in this spec in Aus?). An estimated guess is that it was equivalent to a pop with the 1.2L 4 cylinder engine optioned with a body kit, different wheels and bucket seats. I got the manual of course. The little rocket screams character to me the moment you look at it. Weaving through the beautiful timeworn buildings of Europe it gains even more than if I were driving it back home. Whoever penned the original 500's shape was a real artist and the modern designers did well with the recreation. However like with the Mini, I wish they weren't supersized versions of their ancestors. The ute phenomenon obviously is non- existant here replaced with more economical hatches (a lot more electric cars especially the Zoe) and prestige German makes. In fact are so many nice German cars passing you that they eventually became a bit of a boring spectacle. However in comparison the 500 brought a fresh smile to my face every time I saw it. The rest of the car was a bit mixed. The interior is really quite funky and I thought fairly functional. There are hard plastics everywhere but I cannot fault Fiat for this considering the asking price. The steering wheel seemed particularly cheap however and this is the only thing that really took something away from my experience in the cockpit. This version had great little bucket seats and were comfortable on 5 hour plus days. We had enough boot space for two school type backpacks and 2 large suitcases with the rear seats folded down (no they do not go completely flat). Once the car is in motion you have fairly good vision front ways however your blindspot is not really resolved by looking over your shoulder in this car. There is a big pillar in the way. This made a fun experience changing lanes in peak hour, whilst jet lagged, through Madrid's initially confusing traffic system. The ride is nice and smooth through the city bumps which is probably what it's prime function should be. For those wanting to know I don't think it would be as sharp driving it hard. The steering was fine, it wasn't the most engaging small car experience. My partner's 2012 Fiesta back home is much more engaging to give you a comparison. At highway speeds also comfortable, a little bit unstable if you get a bad patch of road. However the biggest letdown is the engine. It was largely a unresponsive mess that did not really want to do the work for you. Now I do not want a car that sets any statistical benchmarks, all I am interested is in the feel of the car. It just really let it all down. I was picturing a happy high revving little unit which you had to work to get the best out of. You still have to work the gears for this unit but you are never really rewarded. The engine was economical enough through the city but on Spain's 120km/hr highways it seemed to really suck the juice. Additionally on single lane country roads you have to be really brave to overtake that slow moving caravaner between bends. I The gearbox is fine- a 5 speed. Perhaps an extra lower ratio somewhere could help. Any higher in top wouldn't be functional with the power of this 1.2. The brakes did well as far as I tested them (not much). Interested in all the fancy new safety spec electronics? I must admit I am not so although I did not look for it, pretty sure no lane assist or brake assist or whatever else new cars are coming equiped with. From a practical safety perspective the blind spot and lack of overtaking prowess where my biggest concerns. The lack of a full spare tyre always makes me nervous however I assume it is probably the industry standard in cars of this size? There were no faults in the car whilst we drove it. Was the 500's engine shortcomings enough to sour my driving experience? No they were not. However with this engine they would be enough to stop me ever buying one. It just took so much away from the cars personalitiy for me. Sure if I tested it with the smaller 2 cylinder version available at least here there is a fair chance it would change my mind. If you are considering buying one I suggest you take it for a spin on a nearby freeway to really get a feel for it.

Ahh, the Fiat 500. Is there a more divisive car out there? It’s definitely one of those cars you buy with your heart, and not your head. Since its release in 2007, I’d lusted after one but my head kept winning. It’s too expensive. Too impractical. It’s way too small. It’s going to be unreliable. As a guy in my 20’s, what are people going to think of me? These thoughts were swirling through my head, but in 2016 I caved. My heart won the battle with my head. I’ve owned mine from new, and I still love it as much as I did the day I brought it home. Its retro style just oozes character, and it’s hard not to fall in love with it. A common complaint from all reviewers is the seating position, but it’s as if it was tailored to me. I’ve never sat in a more comfortable seat than the Frau leather-lined buckets that came as part of the Perfezionare pack on this car. The steering wheel could do with some reach adjustment, but aside from that I’m pretty damn comfortable in my bambino. On the topic of the steering wheel, it’s magnificent. Super chunky, and the leather is so supple. The 6 speed manual gear-shift is wonderful, and the position is brilliant ergonomically. The vast majority of the driving I do is on highways with speed limits of 80km/h+, and the performance in Sport Mode (that it’s been in the entire time I’ve owned it) is ample. On a recent trip from Adelaide to Port Lincoln, my little monster was very easily overtaking every road train in the way. The only downsides for long distance travel are the lack of cruise control, the small 35 litre fuel tank and that the poor little thing can sometimes get knocked around by strong wind-gusts. The xenon headlamps are also way better than they have any right to be on a city car - more powerful than my old BA Falcon, NL Pajero, A4 Cabriloet, and WS Fiesta! I love the 7 inch TFT instrument cluster, but the rest of the technology in the car is a little lacklustre. The TomTom dash-top navigation system is fabulous in being able to change the voice guidance to one of many available for download online (John Cleese, anyone?), but can be a little buggy on startup and requires being removed and reinserted for the car to pick it up again. I’d love to have Bluetooth audio streaming, and clearer calls wouldn’t go astray either. The boot looks tiny, but with the folding seats it’s been super handy for my trips to Bunnings. Believe it or not, real humans can fit in the back too! I’m 5’11, and can fit in relative comfort behind my driving position in the back. Since owning, I’ve upgraded the sound system for a little more kick, made a few cosmetic changes like ordering some Alfa Romeo 4C satin chrome mirror caps, but also spent the lowly sum of $200 to remove the rear muffler. It’s made an unbelievable difference to how it sounds - it honestly sounds like a racing car. The little Fiat has been an absolute pleasure to live with. My only other gripes limited to some condensation in the tail lights, some premature wear on the gearshift boot, some rubbers have faded (all claimable on warranty) and it doesn’t like to start on cold mornings when running on 98. I really hope this review hasn’t come off as too negative, as I absolutely love my car. The smile it puts on my face every time I get behind the wheel is worth every dollar spent. The sales slide Fiat has seen is disheartening, as they’re one of the only manufacturers out there who seem capable of injecting their cars with a real personality. It feels more like my child than my car, so you live with the faults. Sometimes it may annoy the hell out of you, but if anyone took it away from you, you’d kill them. If you’re having the same battle in your head, take the plunge. You won’t regret it.