A new mood of optimism is sweeping through the sprawling global Fiat car manufacturing empire, from the boardrooms to the dealerships, and last week this new mood engulfed Turin as the most exciting new model this decade arrived with a real bang. Getting the proceedings underway was an extravagant launch party, uniquely Italian, its centrepiece taking place on the lazily-flowing waters of the River Po. Put together by the team that created the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the Winter Olympics, which were held in Turin early last year, the 500 was introduced in a vibrant, powerful showcase of extravagance that perfectly reflected this beautiful city where Fiat is everywhere. The eyes of the automotive world were firmly focused on the 500 launch – and Fiat didn’t disappoint.

The media test drives the next day saw 180 examples of the 500 lined up in the city’s landmark football stadium ready for action; the rows of cars sitting on the immaculately manicured green pitch below the grandstands, which tower majestically from all sides in one unbroken oval swirl of the ground. In the glittering sunshine the myriad of 500s made an impressive sight, creating an overwhelming impact on the eye.

Fiat want the 500 to be much more than car, they want it to be a personal experience, a car that talks to you. And in the flesh it looks cute, compact, inviting and achingly fun. If Fiat has one claim to fame, then it’s building small cars that blend practicality with fun – so a whole marque’s century-long reputation is on the line here. And bullish Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne says that the 500 can do for Fiat what the iPod has done for Apple.

The new 500 is the work of Fiat Centro Stile, led by its well-travelled chief designer, Frank Stephenson. What better way to fulfil the ambitious brief of creating a movingly emotional new icon than to turn to the designer who was widely lauded after he recreated another famous small historic car, the MINI; another small fashion-status car which has become the icon of the past half dozen years, and achieved a sales success that Fiat’s management is unashamedly targeting for 500. That Stephenson was already installed in the top design job at Fiat made the process straightforward. The 500s mission will also be aided by the post-Stephenson facelift of the MINI by BMW which has seen it loose its clear lines and simple thinking, creating a weak ‘next generation’ car which visually suffers from a less well proportioned shape. Much of the 500s styling was carried out by Roberto Giolito; another fresh thinker at Fiat, he was responsible for the ground-breaking Multipla.

Stephenson and his design team have taken the much-loved ideas behind the Nuova 500 which was designed by Dante Giacosa, as well the well received Trepiuno concept car which sparked this revival, and injected a dose of sharp and forward looking thinking that at a stroke sweeps away the somewhat staid feel that has been associated with Fiat products through the early years of this century; in the 500 they have created a car that will appeal firmly to the fashionista. For sure this car is cool.

At 3.5 metres long it is larger than the original (at 297 cm), a point visually hammered home all day long as new and old lined up side-by-side on the streets of Turin; but at the same time it bucks a recent trend that has seen new cars continually getting bigger and fatter. Its tight dimensions (355cm long, 165cm wide; 149cm tall and with a wheelbase of 230cm) create a visually compact small car: smooth, simple, slippery and perfectly proportioned. The 500 combines all the emotions, from the cute and cuddly feel of a baby generated by its ‘smiley’ nose, to its three-quarter section which is muscular and thrusting, much in the style of the aggressive big Alfa Brera.

But the 500 has serious credentials to go with its chic styling as we found out. This is a city car, its natural habitat will be the congested urban roads of built-up Europe, and so there is no better place to try it than in the crazy, hectic, vibrant streets of Turin which are always a minefield, from the drivers who simply have no concept of traffic regulations, to the ever-present tramlines and potholes – if the 500 can negotiate these hazards it can prosper anywhere else.

Edging out of the stadium and into the melting pot buzz of Turin the 500 is immediately at home; riding surprisingly smoothly on its slightly soft suspension settings and handling the varying road surfaces thrown at it very effectively and with no sign of tramlining despite the 15-inch wheels. On the outside the 500 sets new standards – and under the skin: the ride breaks new ground for a city car which is thanks to a suspension arrangement that is advanced for a such small car – MacPherson struts at the front and an independent torsion bar arrangement at the rear, all squeezed carefully into it diminutive frame. The turning circle is also tight aided by the press-of-a-button dual power steering settings.

We tried the 1.2 8V ‘Pop’ petrol engined version, the entry level option (also available is a larger 1.4 petrol unit and to acclaimed turbodiesel 1.3 Multijet) which meets forthcoming Euro V emissions regulations. However this 1242cc engine, which knocks out power of 69 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 102 Nm (10.4 kgm) of torque at 300 rpm, is surprisingly competent and responsive, able to whisk the 500 along through the city streets and once we stretched its little legs in the rolling Italian countryside, we equally able to allow the car to explore its freedom in style away from the built-up conurbations for which it has been created. Breezily fun to drive in all scenarios, it feels robust, solid and very well put together – Marchionne claims better than Toyota build quality – while the icy air-con on what was a hot day, body-hugging seats, leather steering wheel, and a lack of wind noise at speed, all serve to make it a refreshing ride.
 

Inside the cute and user-friendly feel continues, with a well thought out and packaged interior. It is set off by the bright, colour-coded dashboard, a design feature reminiscent of the 1990s Fiat Coupe, and a styling cue that really sets off the car. All the instruments are clustered together in on a single large round screen in front of the driver which is both retro and advanced at the same time. The arrangement of the speedometer and rev counter is both innovative and cheeky at the same time. The switch gear is firm and responsive. The curving dashboard is mimicked by the curved of the control panels in the centre, which are complemented by the three round switches sandwiched in between.

A useful oddments tray is located on the passenger side of the dashboard and there is even a small flip-out tray in the gearstick console as well as cup holders, and further space for small items to be stored just in front of the handbrake, as well as an optional seat cubbyhole. Simple, crisp and utterly effective, a lot of thought has obviously gone into making the interior design both practical to use and stylish to look at. Attention to detail is superb – everything feels very solid and with a great feel and touch.

Interior room is impressive. With three tall adults in our car we had no problems with space; even the rear is surprisingly roomy and can transport two full-sized adults effectively – we tried it. The back is certainly more spacious than the MINI to which it will go head to head – in the fashion stakes – and in the case of the 1.2 ‘Pop’ version we tried - it is expected to decently undercut MINI One on price. The interior is bright and fun, the colours complementing the exterior and in toned contrast to the dash features, creating a well-rounded form. In developing an optimum interior package to fit within the car’s compact exterior dimensions the design team have certainly come up trumps. The boot is also useful, our camera bags and laptop cases were easily stored and the rear seats are both split and folding.

Our car was highly spec’d, with an instantly effective air-con (very useful on what was a pretty hot day), electric windows operated through crisp switches, Fiat/Microsoft’s Blue&Me telematic package, and the now obligatory radio/cd/mp3 player. The Panda-style gearshift console, one of the easily identifiable features of the Panda architecture that underpins this car, works well, its curving housing flowing with the dashboard design. And on top of all this comes the option to ‘customise’ the 500 – with more than 500,000 combinations being available. Customising fashionable cars appears to be the future – so the 500 strides away from its opposition here.

Italians love stylish cars - and the thriving city of Turin prides itself on being the ‘Motown’ of Italy. Everyone, from 9 to 90 years of age is an automotive expert and everyone has an opinion – which they want to give. Driving the new 500 through the streets attracted huge attention; drivers pulled up alongside us constantly, regardless of the traffic flow regulations, and excitedly discussed the car even while we darted through the busy streets. Most ask the cost.

And while Italians adore automotive excellence, they reserve greatest excitement for an excellent new Italian car. Ferrari is simply a religion here and when Fiat produces a winner they love it – and buy it. It’s an attitude that has almost vanished across the rest of Europe. But they are also highly critical – and the new 500 has a real big act to follow: the historic Nuova 500, which was built for two decades after being introduced in 1957, is probably the most loved and respected Italian car ever built. Indeed the original has been the most popular car among Formula One drivers to date.

So far the signs are all good. Each time we stopped to take photos it was hard to get a clear shot as people appeared as if from nowhere, clustering round the car (stunning red in our case) admiring its lines, examining the interior, poring over the engine – and almost all with a story to tell about the original model. Everyone – everyone - gave it the thumbs up. Fiat’s energetic CEO Sergio Marchionne and brand CEO Luca De Meo say this is much more than just the birth of a new car, this is the rebirth of Fiat – and it certainly felt like it.

However - not only is the 500 seemly effective at what it sets out to do, it is also cool – and will thrust the Italian car manufacturer to the attention of a whole class of younger, fashion-conscious buyer, with money to spend, and who won’t have previously considered a Fiat as an option before. The next model in the pipeline now has a tough act to follow.

by Edd Ellison