Fiat 500 2007 Review

If the reactions we received from Italians while driving the new Fiat 500 was an accurate indicator, Italy is ready to fall for this Polish-built city car in a very big way. Question is, will the rest of the world?

In Australia, the 500 arrives in March, outwardly appearing to be pitched against Mini's base Cooper ($31K). But with an anticipated mid-$20K tag for the entry-spec 500, it will cast a much broader net. The Citroën C3 and Peugeot 207, while larger, will surely feel its presence.

Design is the 500's most obvious attraction. Lots of people will see no farther than the retro lines and their clever play on the look of the 1957 original. But while the aesthetics are clearly inspired by those of the original, within them the new car is something of a miracle of packaging. Fiat has created a car with more space for both occupants and luggage than the current Cooper, despite being 76mm shorter and about 50mm narrower than the Mini. There's room for a spare wheel as well, something that seems to have flummoxed BMW. Several neat tricks have been used to disguise the fundamental shift in proportions between this front-engined 500 and its rear-engined great-grandfather, especially the way the A-pillar has been moved forward to integrate with the top of the front wheelarch, while the pulled-back headlights disguise the front bumper's bulbous profile.

Engines for Australia will be familiar to anyone who's browsed the Punto line-up - a 1.4-litre petrol producing 57kW/115Nm, and 1.2-litre turbo diesel making 66kW/200Nm. Either will be offered with the choice of five-speed manual or five-speed Dual-Logic transmissions, the latter being the automated manual we also see here in the Punto.

Later, we'll almost certainly see the fiery little Abarth version, which runs a 110kW turbocharged petrol engine.

It's inside the cabin that things get really impressive. Grab the solid-feeling handle and you appreciate the door's upmarket heft. Front-seat occupants have plenty of space and a good range of seating adjustment, and there's even a reasonable amount of room in the back, certainly compared with the cramped Mini. Access is an awkward scramble through the relatively narrow door aperture, but Fiat's claim that a "75th percentile adult can sit behind a 95th percentile adult in reasonable comfort" sounds about right. The boot is small, but offers 185 litres of usable room with the rear seats in place against the Mini's 160 litres.

Of some concern is the 1.4-litre petrol engine bound for Oz, given its meagre outputs. We couldn't drive this version at the launch, but, while the 500 is slightly lighter that the Punto, performance will almost certainly qualify as acceptable, rather than sizzling, when fitted with the manual transmission. As for the Dual-Logic automated manual, well, it would need to be vastly better than when fitted to the Punto to warrant consideration.

Our drive in the 1.2-litre turbo-diesel version suggests this engine is well suited to the 500's relaxed dynamic demeanour. The diesel actually has a reasonable soundtrack when stroked along, and although the likely cost difference means it will struggle to make a case for itself based on fuel savings, its torquey nature does suit the car well.

On Italian backroads, the 500's dynamics felt quite grown-up, with compliant springs taking the edge off bigger bumps, and firm dampers keeping the body under tight control over the washboard stuff. It certainly cruises with impressive aplomb for something so small, with both wind and road noise being well contained at a steady 110km/h. That said, the electric power steering system is still the dynamic weak link, lacking feedback and occasionally weighting up unexpectedly during low-speed manoeuvring.

Most buyers are likely to be drawn to the 500 by its combination of design and charm. Yet its big strength is that behind the design lies a genuinely talented contender; a fun car that, specced with the right drivetrain, deserves to be taken very seriously indeed.

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