Exterior and interior changes for the 2016 Fiat 500 are the long overdue tools to resume the fight against newer enemies like Opel’s Adam, Smart forfour and the Mini Cooper.
Now available in South Africa, the Fiat 500 retains the same cute proportions (357 centimetres long and 163 centimetres wide) but the driving experience has matured due to an abundance of technology that the previous car’s basic layout vehemently ignored.
Available as a tin-top or a cabriolet, specification varies between Pop, Popstar and Lounge but even if the other two are out of your reach, the base model is equipped with seven airbags, UConnect radio with USB, multifunction steering wheel and LED lights.
Popstar adds automatic climate control while Lounge goes the full distance with panoramic glass sunroof, 15″ alloy rims, chrome-plated front grille, Uconnect Radio 5″ LIVE touchscreen infotainment system and leather steering wheel.
Pushing the envelope on small engines, the new Fiat 500 comes with a 2-cylinder turbo flavoured between 65kW and 77kW and both creep under 100g/km of carbon emissions with the 65kW engine consuming 3.8l/100km. Performance is not an area where Fiat wants to issue bold claims but it should prove stronger than the crop of normally aspirated 3-cylinder 1.0-litre engines. Extra sound deadening material filters out noise and vibration.
Leveraging the car’s natural coolness is a range of 13 paints with a new red and burgundy or a custom effect of yellow and black or red and black to help express one’s creative side. This ‘Second Skin’ effect confuses matters when deciding how widespread the artwork should be; Small (focuses around the beltline) or Medium (pillars and roof and sometimes bonnet and tailgate). Next step is to choose between Lord (classic Tartan), Comics (Pop decoration) Navy (fresh and breezy) and Camouflage (fashionably military). If you understand that, you and a Fiat 500 are meant for each other!
The aged interior vacillates between retro provenance and modern necessities. Firstly the dashboard is moulded around the 5-inch screen (touch sensitive on Lounge models) and information is grouped so that it’s easier to read at a glance. Terrific detail exists in the chrome-plated edging and the seats must be ordered in one of the many fashionable two-tone effects. Boot space is 185 litres but dropping the rear seats extends that space to rival a small SUV.
We’ll bring you a road test of the new 2016 Fiat 500 soon.
