2011 fiat 500 review

Known also as the Cinquecento, the fiat 500 is the first Fiat to come stateside since the Fiat X1-9 of the early '80s and perhaps the first of additional tasty Italian cars heading our way now that Fiat and Chrysler have merged.

Like the current Mini, the fiat 500 is a nostalgia piece, an updated version of a charismatic original. The question is, will American's embrace this Italian import like they have the Mini?

I suspect that the enthusiasm flows from confidence about the fiat 500's distinctive personality, which—like BMW's reincarnated Mini Cooper—draws heavily on the car's cultural legacy. "There are 27 million Italian-Americans," says Laura Soave, CEO of Fiat in North America.

Soave points up the 500's advantage in this regard by comparing it to the Mini—a British original redesigned by a German carmaker—and the Ford Fiesta. Those cars, direct competitors with the 500, lack the "emotion" and "heritage" of the car that defined at least two generations of Italian drivers. The MultiAir technology "maximizes performance and minimizes emissions," basically by fine-tuning the intake-valve timing and lift, says Joe Grace, the Fiat vehicle line executive.

"Even driven hard," Grace says, "you'll get extremely good fuel economy."

The three models first to market are the Pop, Sport and Lounge. All look virtually identical—"cute" is the operative adjective—and have similar dimensions: At 140 inches long, 64 inches wide, 60 inches high and with a wheelbase of 91 inches, the 500 is slightly smaller than the Mini. Standard equipment is rather spare and includes a five-speed manual transmission, 15-inch wheels and cloth seats.

The Drive
When I juiced the Sport on the twisty two-lane roads and punched the button that firms up the handling, the fiat 500 hugged the road nicely. I found the car perfectly able, cleverly designed—with fun touches, like the round headrests—and enjoyable to drive.

Remember Fiat? Remember the joke about Fiat meaning “Fix It Again, Tony”?

This dramatic comeback is widely credited to Sergio Marchionne, the Italian-Canadian turnaround specialist who took over in 2004 as CEO of Fiat Auto Group, the vehicle division of the Fiat SpA combine. More recently, Fiat formed a global strategic alliance with Chrysler. Future product plans have yet to be finalized, but early reports say Fiat products and platforms will play a significant part in future Chrysler offerings.

There are some interesting parallels between the British-sourced Mini and the U.S.-market Fiat 500. First, both were designed by Frank Stephenson, who joined Fiat after creating the 2002 Mini. The wagon may be a reprisal of the classic Fiat 500 Giardinetta; think Mini Cooper Clubman with an Italian accent. As a 2-door hatchback, which will surely be the mainstay seller, the Fiat 500 is about 5 inches shorter, over an inch slimmer, and 3.2 inches taller than the equivalent Mini Cooper. Both cars have front-wheel drive, pert retro styling, and seating for four. In the States, the 1.4-liter engine is rated at 101 horsepower.