The seating position for the driver is quite high, similar to that of a smart car. I like this because I feel that the car is bigger than it actually is. On roads with the big North American vehicles, I have a less obstructed view of my surroundings.
We will have three trim levels for sale in Canada: Pop, Sport and Lounge. All of them come standard with a 5-speed manual transmission, power windows and doors, height adjustable driver’s seat, tilt steering, seven air bags, hill-hold assist and AM/FM/CD/MP3 with six speakers.
All trim levels are equipped with a 1.4 litre 16-valve MultiAir 4-cylinder engine that gives this little car 101hp and 97 lb-ft of torque. Engines equipped with this technology benefit from greater fuel economy and power as well as decreased CO2 emissions by up to 10%. Fuel economy is rated at 6.7L/100 km in the city and 5.1 on the highway.
I have the ‘Rame’ or copper coloured, 5-speed manual and I am really enjoying driving it. The gears are a bit long, but this little car is zippy. The shifts are smooth and the 500 is very happy at high revs.
Doing 90 km/hour while in third gear, the car does not complain and generates the impression that it has more horsepower than it does on paper.
Pressing the ‘sport’ button on the dash calibrates the pedal-to-throttle relationship and the steering response to improve driving dynamics and gives the car a sportier feel.
Yes, the cabin is a bit noisy on the highway, but nothing worse than any of the others in its class.
What other cars would I compare this Fiat 500 to? It’s not in the same price range as the mini, and it has many more European driving characteristics than the Yaris. I think this will be a bit like the new Beetle – people will either love or hate it and dealers can expect people to walk in already having made up their minds to buy.
We don’t have many steep, winding roads like these back home so I take advantage of the opportunity to really toss this car around. The North American tailored suspension and redesigned body structure allow this little guy to hug every bend and corner I can throw at it. Despite its small size, the car remains very planted. It drives a lot like a Mini, yet feels lighter and more nimble.
This Italian car, that is actually assembled in Toluca, Mexico, has some North American Exclusives.
An all new 6-speed shiftable automatic, larger 39.7 litre fuel tank, new four-wheel antilock brakes with redesigned callipers and an upgraded heating and cooling system for North American weather extremes.
Pricing for the Pop base model starts at just under $16,000, the Sport goes for $18,500 and the Lounge, $19,500.
With small cars being all the rage these days, Fiat's re-birthing has come at a perfect time. The anticipation for this iconic car has been impressive. In November 2010, Chrysler launched an online program for Canadians to reserve a limited edition version called the Prima Edizone. Only 500 were available and they sold out in less than 12 hours.
I know that this little car had a bad rap back in the day, but today’s younger generations likely have little or no idea about its spotty past. All they will see is this endearing car that has an Italian badge, drives well, is good on gas and most of all, will get noticed everywhere it goes.
We will have three trim levels for sale in Canada: Pop, Sport and Lounge. All of them come standard with a 5-speed manual transmission, power windows and doors, height adjustable driver’s seat, tilt steering, seven air bags, hill-hold assist and AM/FM/CD/MP3 with six speakers.
All trim levels are equipped with a 1.4 litre 16-valve MultiAir 4-cylinder engine that gives this little car 101hp and 97 lb-ft of torque. Engines equipped with this technology benefit from greater fuel economy and power as well as decreased CO2 emissions by up to 10%. Fuel economy is rated at 6.7L/100 km in the city and 5.1 on the highway.
I have the ‘Rame’ or copper coloured, 5-speed manual and I am really enjoying driving it. The gears are a bit long, but this little car is zippy. The shifts are smooth and the 500 is very happy at high revs.
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| Fuel economy is rated at 6.7L/100 km in the city and 5.1 on the highway. (Photo: Lacey Elliott/Auto123.com) |
Doing 90 km/hour while in third gear, the car does not complain and generates the impression that it has more horsepower than it does on paper.
Pressing the ‘sport’ button on the dash calibrates the pedal-to-throttle relationship and the steering response to improve driving dynamics and gives the car a sportier feel.
Yes, the cabin is a bit noisy on the highway, but nothing worse than any of the others in its class.
What other cars would I compare this Fiat 500 to? It’s not in the same price range as the mini, and it has many more European driving characteristics than the Yaris. I think this will be a bit like the new Beetle – people will either love or hate it and dealers can expect people to walk in already having made up their minds to buy.
We don’t have many steep, winding roads like these back home so I take advantage of the opportunity to really toss this car around. The North American tailored suspension and redesigned body structure allow this little guy to hug every bend and corner I can throw at it. Despite its small size, the car remains very planted. It drives a lot like a Mini, yet feels lighter and more nimble.
This Italian car, that is actually assembled in Toluca, Mexico, has some North American Exclusives.
An all new 6-speed shiftable automatic, larger 39.7 litre fuel tank, new four-wheel antilock brakes with redesigned callipers and an upgraded heating and cooling system for North American weather extremes.
Pricing for the Pop base model starts at just under $16,000, the Sport goes for $18,500 and the Lounge, $19,500.
With small cars being all the rage these days, Fiat's re-birthing has come at a perfect time. The anticipation for this iconic car has been impressive. In November 2010, Chrysler launched an online program for Canadians to reserve a limited edition version called the Prima Edizone. Only 500 were available and they sold out in less than 12 hours.
I know that this little car had a bad rap back in the day, but today’s younger generations likely have little or no idea about its spotty past. All they will see is this endearing car that has an Italian badge, drives well, is good on gas and most of all, will get noticed everywhere it goes.
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