ROAD TEST: @Fiat_UK 500C Celebrating Turning 60!
ROAD TEST: @Fiat_UK 500C Celebrating Turning 60!
Legend is usually a word banded about way too lightly inside age of the Millennial, although if there’s a car which embodies the term in these turbulent times, the item’s surely got to be the cute & irrepressible Fiat 500 – incredibly celebrating the item’s 60th birthday This particular month, not to mention the not inconsequential matter of shifting some six million-plus-in addition to-counting products globally: WOWZERS! although then again, with an early advertising campaign like the one above, the item’s no wonder the item was an widespread, worldwide wonder eh?!
Seems Italian chic no longer comes as cheap as the item once did, although what does?
In their PR Fiat say: “Throughout its lifespan, in addition to all incarnations in addition to special editions, one thing has remained true – the Fiat 500 has always been at the forefront of automotive style in addition to fashion. in addition to in its most recent form, the design has led the way in car personalisation, providing a huge range of Internal in addition to outside accessories in addition to enhancements which allow buyers to tailor a car which perfectly reflects their personality in addition to sense of style.”
To mark the 60th anniversary, Road decided to do a few miles inside re-vamped, latest spec 500C with its smart roll back roof (yes, the item’s not a “true cabriolet” I guess, although the item’s oh-so-stylish in addition to a lot less prone to scuttle shake/sharper inside handling stakes).
The 500C is usually not too dissimilar via its 2009 launch guise, although currently with an even fancier (5.0 or optional 7.0-inch touchscreen with DAB & Bluetooth) Infotainment touch screen, which is usually so-intuative in addition to easy to use in addition to features a brilliant TomTom navigation set-up, incredibly visibility in all lighting conditions in addition to all the bells & whistles you could wish for on a little car.
There’s also brand-new lighting, bumpers in addition to a few additional subtle design touches, all of which serve to smarten the 500 up in addition to keep the item ahead of its rivals in styling terms… not which the item definitely needed the item. The magnitude of outside in addition to Internal options alone offer brand-new car buyers a plethora of options in addition to individuality via the widespread in addition to friendly dealer network.
the item’s a winning formula, whatever level of trim you option. Our test design came in Pasodoble (lipstick) red, with black in addition to silver diamond cut 16-inch alloys using a red 500C central hub, black cloth roof in addition to brushed black mirrors, anthracite door handles in addition to a very tasteful (if a little muted for the options list) black & silver Internal. the item definitely worked – turning heads in addition to instantly winning the hearts of the Road Magazine child testing department, in addition to the Art Department wife: “I want one!” they both proclaimed! in addition to they don’t do which often, plus the item was even before we unveiled the 500C’s party trick roof recoil at speed. This particular car is usually family Kryptonite I warn you…
Away via fictional metals in addition to back to speed, the twin-air turbo design we had on test – with its ‘Sport’ mode on in addition to, yes you guessed the item, the dash lit up red in addition to using a boost gauge replacing the eco monitor (I’d have loved This particular aged 17!) – is usually not without a turn of the item. the item’s not fast (feeling a little lost on the open road), although the item’s certainly not slow either. Nippy is usually the word which the wife used, admirably.
The “nippy” engine works well in conjunction with early Mini-esque wheel on each corner sharp handling, using a smashing turn-in, even if the steering feel is usually a vague as the ideas in my middle aged mind these days. the item is usually a minor shame the power band is usually so short lived in each of the six gears in addition to the item’s so easy to bounce back off the gentle rev limiter (whatever happened to bop-bop-bop-bop limiters?), although one can’t expect to much.
The ride quality is usually not perfect either – a tad jiggly for our liking on anything additional than smooth urban roads. although the item’s better than most soft tops in addition to again, more than acceptable for its type in addition to cost bracket.
although the 500C ain’t a race ace, nor a limo. the item’s about lifestyle.
Accordingly, we took our 500C deep into the darkest recesses of Thetford Forest on one evening, to see none additional than another re-born old icon… Rick Ashley, there to belt out some classics (earning me many a man point).
in addition to the 500C’s raspy run into the stunning woodland, at dusk, with the birds in full evensong, deer prancing between the trees scurrying away via the imminent Northern Soul pop-fest in addition to the heady smell of the pine trees as the moon came up was quite magical. A real 500C moment… in addition to you can’t put a cost on wonderful life moments like which, which only cars with real character in addition to a sense of fun like the 500C can deliver.
Why be dull? Get yourself a 500C. Your wife in addition to kids will love you…
You can view a pocket history of the Fiat 500 here, or a more in-depth story of the Fiat 500 with passionate owners in addition to motoring journalists sharing their enthusiasm for the design here.
ROAD TEST: @Fiat_UK 500C Celebrating Turning 60!
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