FIAT 500
Debut: 2007 |
 To build a good
small car these days is
not an easy task. The requirements for safety and refinement always
contradict with small size and low price. Even more difficult is to
build a good small car that looks desirable. BMW's Mini is
unquestionably very successful in this area. However, it is no longer a
small car and its price is far from bargain. The same goes for the "new
people's car" – Volkswagen New Beetle. Both Mini and Beetle are modern
remake of classic icons. Unfortunately, both lost the spirit of the
original cars and became niches selling at premium prices. If you want
to buy a really affordable small car that offers modern performance,
comfort, safety and refinement yet feeling absolutely desirable, you
must look no further than Italy.  Fiat has a rich history of building the world's best small
cars – just a check with my classic car archives and you'll find famous
nameplates like 500 Topolino, 500 Nuova, 600 and Uno. The new 500 (or
"Cinquecento" in Italian) is the modern interpretation of the 500 Nuova
of 1957. From outside it has a strong visual link with the original
design, especially the egg-shape body shell, round headlights and flat
nose. Most important, it looks as cult as the old car and I'm sure
everybody will love it from first sight. Like BMW's Mini, which was
designed by the same man – Frank Stephenson, the new 500 uses a lot of
chromed decorations to deliver a premium feel. Its cabin is also full
of tasteful design and fine quality materials to lift it above ordinary
small cars. Apart from Mini, I'm afraid no other small cars could be so
visually attractive.However, what lift it above Mini is packaging. The 500 is very compact – some 153mm shorter and 56mm narrower than the Mini. It weighs considerably less, too – the 1.2-liter car and 1.4-liter car tip the scale at 865 kg and 930 kg respectively, some 195 kg and 130 kg lighter than the basic Mini One ! Its drag coefficient of 0.325 is also a little better than the Mini. These factors translate to better fuel economy, greener emission and lower running costs. It also means you can opt for a smaller engine to obtain the same performance.  You might think the compact size and lightweight must have
some drawbacks in cabin space and safety. Not really. The cabin of 500
is actually roomier than the Mini, especially for rear seats. It can
accommodate two 6-footers behind another two 6-footers. Boot volume is
also bigger, i.e. 185 liters versus 160 liters. This is a cleverly
packaged little car like the original Dante Giacosa design. As for
safety, Fiat used computer simulation to find a solution to achieve
5-star or even 6-star crash rating from a very short front overhang. It
also equips the 500 with the most extensive safety equipment in the
sub-mini class, such as 7 airbags, ESP stability control, ABS, EBD
electronic brake force distribution and ASR anti-slip control. To lower development and production costs, the new 500 is derived from the platform of Panda and built alongside it at the Tychy plant in Poland. It shares the same wheelbase but employs wider tracks and a lower roof to improve handling. The front overhang is shortened while the rear overhang is lengthened a little to resemble the rear-engined old car. Suspensions are basically the same as Panda, albeit with revised tuning. Steering is again electrically assisted and provides a City mode with lighter weighting for the ease of parking. 1.4-liter Sport model provides an additional Sport button to increase steering effort and sharpen throttle response.  Engines are similar to the Panda, too. Base engine is the
well proven 1.2 liter FIRE 8-valve with 69 horsepower. On paper, it
seems outdated and short of power. On the road, however, it feels
refined and potent, thanks to strong bottom and mid-range torque. It is
an excellent budget engine. In the middle of the range is the famous
75hp 1.3 Multijet 16V turbo diesel engine. At this price you can hardly
find a diesel engine as gusty and refined yet delivering 67.3 mpg and
emitting only 111 g/km of carbon-dioxide. On the top of the range is a
1.4-liter FIRE 16V engine, coming from Panda 100HP. 100 horsepower, a
sporty exhaust note and a close-ratio 6-speed gearbox give it a quite
exciting character and 0-60 mph in under 10 seconds. Nevertheless, it
has no intention to be a hot hatch, because Fiat reserves that place
for the forthcoming Abarth 500, which employs a 135hp / 150hp 1.4T-JET
turbo 16V engine. We can't wait for the Abarth model... On the road, the little 500 feels lively and nimble. Its
good engines, slick gearchange and light clutch contribute to an
enjoyable driving. The small size, tight turning circle and excellent
visibility make it so easy to drive in the city. Like Panda on which it
is based, it rides very well, too. Push it harder in corners, its
handling doesn't distort. It provides bags of grip and the chassis is
remarkably neutral yet predictable at the limit. Ultimately, it can't
match Mini in the eyes of keen drivers because it has more body roll
and the steering is neither as quick nor as weighty. However, both
cars' electrical power steering are not renowned for road feel. That said, the new 500 scores very high marks in driving, comfort, practicality and, most important, desirability. Moreover, it is also highly affordable, if not as cheap as Panda. This is the best sub-mini for years. It proves that Fiat is still the leader of small cars, even 50 years after the original 500. |
| The above report was last updated on 10 Jul 2007. All Rights Reserved. |
500 Abarth SS
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To most people, Fiat 500 Abarth hits the sweet spot between driving fun and practicality. However, if you prepare to sacrifice some comfort for more excitement, you can opt for the £2,500 Esseesse (SS) package. This package brings a list of upgrade: 17-inch alloy wheels, stiffer suspension setup, 5 mm lower ride height, cross-drilled brake discs and upgraded pads. Besides, the 1.4-liter turbo engine gets higher boost due to revised ECU and a less restricted air filter. Max power has increased by 25hp to 160hp, while max torque is lifted from 152 to 170 lb-ft. This allow the SS to accelerate from rest to 60 mph in less than 7 seconds, respectable for an egg-shape mini car. On the road, the SS feels noticeably sportier – and rawer – than the standard Abarth. Its engine produces stronger torque from the mid-range and sounds more gruffy. The front rubbers grip hard while the steering is quick and accurate, if still not communicative. Body control is excellent thanks to the stiff suspensions. The combination of taut handling, faithful braking and tractable engine means SS is surprisingly fun to drive in the twisty. The only downside is a hard ride, which could be harsh on less smooth surfaces. Being harsher and noisier than the standard Abarth, the SS is more suitable to hardcore drivers. Undeniably, it is neither as entertaining as Renault Clio RS nor as all-round as Mini Cooper S. However, that doesn't prevent it from tempting buyers away from its rivals, especially when it looks so desirable. |
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| The above report was last updated on 21 May 2009. All Rights Reserved. |
Derivative: Ford Ka
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Everybody knows A-segment small cars are difficult to turn profit. They are cheap to sell but not necessarily cheap to build or develop. They are heavily influenced by the rise of raw material costs and the tightening safety and emission regulations. The only way to guarantee profitability is to increase economy of scale through joint venture. This was why Toyota sought PSA (Peugeot and Citroen) as its partner for the Aygo project. A similar problem was encountered by Fiat. When it started planning the new Fiat 500, it forecasted the demand of this niche model may not justify its investment costs. Therefore it needed a partner to share costs. At the time, Ford of Europe was hesitating on the replacement of its Ka because it could also cost too much money to develop than it could earn. Common interests brought the two European rivals together. They agreed on a joint venture to produce the 500 and Ka as twins.
Calling it a joint venture may be a little misleading. In fact, Ford Ka is a "customer project" implemented by Fiat. It is basically a repackaged version of the 500. Production also takes place at Fiat's Tichy plant in Poland, alongside the 500 and Panda. In principle, the plant can produce at most 120,000 units of 500 and 120,000 units of Ka a year. The Ka shares the same hard points position with the Fiat. Wheelbase is therefore the same 2300 mm, although it has longer front and rear overhangs. Mechanicals are also carried over from the Fiat, albeit with fewer choices of engines (only 1.2-liter 8V 69hp and 1.3 turbo diesel 75hp) and only one transmission (5-speed manual). There is no plan for a hot hatch model like Abarth, perhaps because Fiat wants to reserve the best for itself.
However, the baby Ford has enough character to distinguish itself from Fiat. This is because it was styled and tuned by Ford. Its exterior design is sporty and resembles the new Fiesta. Its interior, though sharing the same basic architecture with 500, has a very different design. While 500 sells premium packaging, Ka is satisfied to be cheap and basic, therefore you can see cheaper plastics and switch gears here. Predictably, both cars offer good front space and decent space for short adults at the back. On looks and quality, Ka is by no means as desirable as 500. Nevertheless, its bespoke suspension tuning is better done. It uses a thicker anti-roll bar up front and adds an anti-roll bar at the rear. This allow better roll control such that the suspension dampers could be set 30 percent softer to improve ride quality. The electrical power steering is also retuned to the taste of Ford. As a result, the Ka rides, handles and steers better than its Fiat sister. That said, its handling is not as sharp and adjustable as the old Ka. |
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| The above report was last updated on 5 Nov 2008. All Rights Reserved. |
500 TwinAir
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No matter exterior or interior, this FIAT 500 looks exactly the same as the existing car. It has the same quality and tasteful feel that separate the 500 from other small cars. On the move, it handles with the same tidiness and runs with mostly the same refinement. Below 2500 rpm, the engine spins just as smooth as a regular 4-cylinder engine, and the engine note is subdued. Squeeze more power from it, however, you will notice a different soundtrack – more like that of a motorcycle engine. Yes, because this is a 835cc twin-cylinder engine.
FIAT's TwinAir engine is one of the big news of automotive technology this year. It is a landmark statement of European Union's pursuit of green motoring and FIAT's leading status in this field. Most other car makers are downsizing engines in the easy way, say, from V6 to 4-cylinder turbo or from 2.0-liter to 1.4-liter turbo. Very few try to go one step further and think beyond the bread-and-butter 4-cylinder format. As we know Mercedes and BMW are working on 3-cylinder engines to replace their base fours, but to the guys at FIAT Powertrain, three is not good enough. They go straight to two-cylinder. Needless to say, the fewer cylinders the less frictional loss and thermal loss hence the higher energy efficiency can be attained. You might remember FIAT had a good history of producing twin-cylinder engines for the old 500 and 126. They were chosen for low cost rather than any other reasons. The same cannot be said to the new engine. It is designed to deliver incredibly low emission and fuel consumption, so it packs a lot of advanced technology that other bread-and-butter engines cannot dream of, such as automatic start-stop, 4 valves per cylinder and Multair electrohydraulic variable valve actuation. Three states of tune will be offered – 65hp, 85hp and 105hp, with the last two being turbocharged. The one making debut in the aforementioned FIAT 500 is the 85hp light-pressure turbo unit. Its output slots between the existing 1.2 8V (69hp) and 1.4 16V (100hp) four-cylinder, but it delivers a remarkable 107 pound-foot of torque, 10 lb-ft more than the 1.4. Moreover, that peak torque is available from only 1900 rpm (at the same rev, the 1.4 unit delivers only 85 lb-ft). This explain why FIAT claims the same 0-60 mph time despite of its 15hp disadvantage at higher rev.
On the road, the 500 TwinAir does not feel slower than 1.4 under normal driving. Instead, its stronger low-end grunt makes it feel a touch more lively around town. Turbo lag is all but non-existent thanks to the small turbine and mild charge. Refinement is surprisingly good. The first order vibration inherent to twin-cylinder format is satisfactorily cancelled by a balancer shaft located adjacent to the crankcase. Only at idle there is a little bit vibration like diesel engines. Noise insulation around the engine and the cabin of 500 effectively filters out the odd twin-cylinder note until you stretch the engine above 3000 rpm, thereafter the motorcycle note becomes more pronounced. It takes some getting used to. If you regularly drive the car on highway, the four-cylinder 1.4 will be a better choice. If your route is normally bounded in urban area, the TwinAir will be more appealing. That appeal does not come from the price tag, because the technology-packed engine costs nearly the same as the 1.4. Instead, it comes from the 69 mpg combined consumption and 95g/km CO2 emission, i.e. 30 percent lower than the 1.4 ! Even compare with the much slower 1.2 8V, it is some 15 percent greener. While it is no cheaper to purchase, it guarantees lower tax and running costs, and by the way makes you feel less guilty for polluting the earth. |
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| The above report was last updated on 14 Jul 2010. All Rights Reserved. |
| AutoZine Rating | ||
 500 |
 500 Abarth / SS |
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| Performance tested by: *Autocar, **Evo |
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by Mark Wan @ AutoZine