Fiat 500 exposed

Six months ago it was the Bravo that was prematurely unveiled, now Fiat's new-age 500 supermini has been caught with its pants down via these pictures leaked by one of the company's accessory suppliers.

These images have been splashed on various internet sites over the past week and show the new 'Bambino' in production trim.

Look closely at the pics and you'll notice the showroom variant is little changed from the cute Trepiuno concept that proved such a hit at the 2004 Geneva motor show.

Fiat executives are undoubtedly livid about the unplanned reveal, as the 500 isn't scheduled to make its world debut until the Frankfurt motor show on 16 September 2007.

The Italian brand's local importer, Ateco Automotive, has said it plans to stage the car's Down Under debut shortly after, at the Australian motor show on 11 October 2007.

The baby car's job description is to slot in below the Punto as an affordable runabout that will appeal to style-conscious buyers. Think of it as something akin to the new Mini, but at not much more than half the price -- we're tipping an entry point around $16-17K.

Fiat commercial director Luca de Meo confirmed the 500 would represent a strong value proposition in a recent interview with UK's respected Autocar magazine.

"We start with a totally different perspective to the Mini," de Meo said. "The history of the 500 is very different (to that of the Mini). It was much more a car of the people and cheap transport for Italian families, more than the chic, swinging-60s image of the Mini."

De Meo also revealed that a warmed-over Abarth version would be part of the line-up to cater to performance enthusiasts.

The 500 will be pitched primarily at buyers in their early 20s, so the marketing campaign and accessories will be tailored accordingly. There will even be customisable keys with faceplates like a Nokia cellphone.