Just a couple of weeks before the Fiat 500 makes its international competitive debut at the Australian Grand Prix ‘Celebrity Challenge’ at Albert Park, Melbourne’s Exhibition Centre has played host to the little car’s Australian debut.

Just a couple of weeks before the Fiat 500 makes its international competitive debut at the Australian Grand Prix ‘Celebrity Challenge’ at Albert Park, Melbourne’s Exhibition Centre has played host to the little car’s Australian debut.

Having launched a slew of new models in recent months, the 500 is easily the highest-profile addition yet to Fiat’s rapidly-burgeoning presence in this market.  It is particularly important for the carmarker’s plans to expand in the notoriously competitive Australian market, but if crowd interest is anything to go by, the smallest Australian offering from the Torinese manufacturer is well up to the task.

Hyped as one of the show’s stars prior to the event, the 500’s success was assured even before it hit dealerships.  With supply limited due to the success of the car in Europe, Australian allocation is sold out six months in advance, a good deal of these orders being placed before final pricing and specifications were confirmed.

Ateco Automotive, distributors of Fiat in Australia, has attempted to broaden the car’s appeal and individuality by offering a large range of the options available on the 500 in Europe – as General Manager for Fiat cars in Australia David Stone observed, it is likely that for some time, each 500 on Australian roads will be unique due to this proliferation of personalisation options. Awareness has also been built by publicity for the traditional Australian GP ‘Celebrity Challenge’, which will feature 1.4-litre 500s tuned to produce 120 bhp, as well as a weight loss of around 50kg. 

For the car’s unveiling, the cars were dressed in one of the higher-profile options, a car cover designed to mimic the original ‘Bambino’. A dynamic and spectacular dance routine with a couple of performers preceded the unveiling of the three cars, marking out the Italian tricolore in their respective Ye Ye Green, Ambient White and Pasodoble Red.

The 500s are prominently displayed at the forefront of the stand. Two 1.4-litre models, exhibiting the upper-end Lounge and Sport trim levels, flank a 1.2 Pop, which kicks off the Australian range at A$22,990, with prices rising to A$27,990 for the top-spec 1.4 Lounge. Ateco has taken the unusual step of electing to import the full range of engines and transmissions available in Europe, with a Dualogic option on the 1.2 and 1.4 models due within months.

Elsewhere on the stand, two Grande Puntos, including an example of the recently-launched 1.4 T-Jet, are joined by two examples of the Ritmo, which made its Australian debut at the recent Brisbane Motor Show. An example of the two anticipated volume sellers is on display, a 1.9 MultiJet Emotion model being accompanied by a 1.4 T-Jet Sport finished in Maserati Blue.

by Shant Fabricatorian in Melbourne