Like most Nonnas, mine is Italian. And when the Fiat 500 started making me proud of my Italian side with its stylishness and fun-to-drive attitude, I gave her a call and asked her what Italians would call the little Italian car, in Italy.
"Who is this?"
Nonna has nine grandkids and six great-grandkids. It's forgivable for her to forget the name of her favorite.
"Justino, Nonna. How do you say 'five hundred' in Italian?" I replied.
"Oh, oh. Cinquecento."
A little red Italian coupe
So then, if you've always wanted to drive a little red Italian coupe but haven't got the fundage for a Ferrari 458, the Fiat Cinquecento might be the next best thing.
And, unlike with that Ferrari, you won't have to worry about speeding tickets or terrible fuel consumption.
For 2012, Canadians can pick up a Fiat 500 at certain Chrysler dealerships, thanks to Fiat's financial takeover of the American automaker.
Light and modest
Cinquecento is a subcompact -- meaning it's very small and light. With a 1.4L four-cylinder engine cranking out 101 horsepower, it's fantastic on fuel. That's a modest number, but with a fairly slim build and light weight, the 500 scoots along just fine when you give it the boots.
The engine is far from the smoothest or most refined of its kind, though it's got a perky little growl to let you know it's working full steam. The tuner-style intake snort during low RPM, full-throttle situations is pretty neato, too.
Slick five-speed shifter and nice clutch feel as well. Unlike many Japanese, Korean and North American subcompacts, the clutch in this Fiat doesn't feel like it's made of pudding. It's actually got some bite.
Quirky little thing
But before you start driving, you may notice the little Fiat to be a little weird and small and quirky, especially where control layout within the cabin is concerned. The fog-lamp switch is mixed in with the climate controls. Window switches are on the centre console, not the doors where they belong.
And after trying to find the trip meter reset button for 15 minutes, I discovered it on the end of the wiper control stalk. Maybe the designers were into the vino, a little bit?
Other gripes include limited headroom, limited rear seat space and limited trunk space. The ride is a little noisy, too. These are common complaints for most subcompacts.
But this Fiat 500 does have a lot going for it.
Cheeky fun
Ride quality is decent on nicely maintained roads, the steering is fairly quick and light, and the suspension is taut, meaning there's minimal body roll, even if Cinquecento isn't a handling weapon.
It's a fun little car to drive. And wearing some Michelin X-Ice winter tires, it moved along just fine on icy roads during my late-winter test-drive. Traction control and ABS kept things stable, and I noted no issues with slipping and sliding. It plows through deeper snow like a champ when required, and for such a short wheelbase, it doesn't feel even remotely tippy when tossed around hard.
So, end of the day, the 500 is actually more capable of spirited driving than it probably looks.
And even with said spirited driving, fuel consumption landed at about 7L/100km on my test-drive, which is thrifty. This is a fuel-efficient, feel-good car to drive hard.
Equipment
A decent equipment level rounded out the package. The mid-range tester got a sunroof, leather seats, automatic climate control and a delightfully potent Bose audio system with enough power to froth milk. You know, for that cappuccino.
This stereo proved a very welcome driving partner for several long road trips. There's a subwoofer in the trunk, and enough output to make passengers ask if it's a factory setup system or an aftermarket upgrade. If you love music, get this stereo.
Steering-wheel mounted audio controls were also on board.
Mama Mia
Shoppers after a fuel-efficient subcompact that's fun to drive, nicely equipped, uniquely styled and packed full of character will likely be impressed. The Fiat 500 is a little quirky until you get to know it -- but it's different and distinctive at every glance, which isn't a bad thing.
Pricing for Fiat's new Cinquecento starts at 16 grand. Check it out alongside the Scion iQ, Mini Cooper and Smart Fortwo.
"Who is this?"
Nonna has nine grandkids and six great-grandkids. It's forgivable for her to forget the name of her favorite.
"Justino, Nonna. How do you say 'five hundred' in Italian?" I replied.
"Oh, oh. Cinquecento."
A little red Italian coupe
So then, if you've always wanted to drive a little red Italian coupe but haven't got the fundage for a Ferrari 458, the Fiat Cinquecento might be the next best thing.
And, unlike with that Ferrari, you won't have to worry about speeding tickets or terrible fuel consumption.
For 2012, Canadians can pick up a Fiat 500 at certain Chrysler dealerships, thanks to Fiat's financial takeover of the American automaker.
Light and modest
Cinquecento is a subcompact -- meaning it's very small and light. With a 1.4L four-cylinder engine cranking out 101 horsepower, it's fantastic on fuel. That's a modest number, but with a fairly slim build and light weight, the 500 scoots along just fine when you give it the boots.
The engine is far from the smoothest or most refined of its kind, though it's got a perky little growl to let you know it's working full steam. The tuner-style intake snort during low RPM, full-throttle situations is pretty neato, too.
Slick five-speed shifter and nice clutch feel as well. Unlike many Japanese, Korean and North American subcompacts, the clutch in this Fiat doesn't feel like it's made of pudding. It's actually got some bite.
Quirky little thing
But before you start driving, you may notice the little Fiat to be a little weird and small and quirky, especially where control layout within the cabin is concerned. The fog-lamp switch is mixed in with the climate controls. Window switches are on the centre console, not the doors where they belong.
And after trying to find the trip meter reset button for 15 minutes, I discovered it on the end of the wiper control stalk. Maybe the designers were into the vino, a little bit?
Other gripes include limited headroom, limited rear seat space and limited trunk space. The ride is a little noisy, too. These are common complaints for most subcompacts.
But this Fiat 500 does have a lot going for it.
Cheeky fun
Ride quality is decent on nicely maintained roads, the steering is fairly quick and light, and the suspension is taut, meaning there's minimal body roll, even if Cinquecento isn't a handling weapon.
It's a fun little car to drive. And wearing some Michelin X-Ice winter tires, it moved along just fine on icy roads during my late-winter test-drive. Traction control and ABS kept things stable, and I noted no issues with slipping and sliding. It plows through deeper snow like a champ when required, and for such a short wheelbase, it doesn't feel even remotely tippy when tossed around hard.
So, end of the day, the 500 is actually more capable of spirited driving than it probably looks.
And even with said spirited driving, fuel consumption landed at about 7L/100km on my test-drive, which is thrifty. This is a fuel-efficient, feel-good car to drive hard.
Equipment
A decent equipment level rounded out the package. The mid-range tester got a sunroof, leather seats, automatic climate control and a delightfully potent Bose audio system with enough power to froth milk. You know, for that cappuccino.
This stereo proved a very welcome driving partner for several long road trips. There's a subwoofer in the trunk, and enough output to make passengers ask if it's a factory setup system or an aftermarket upgrade. If you love music, get this stereo.
Steering-wheel mounted audio controls were also on board.
Mama Mia
Shoppers after a fuel-efficient subcompact that's fun to drive, nicely equipped, uniquely styled and packed full of character will likely be impressed. The Fiat 500 is a little quirky until you get to know it -- but it's different and distinctive at every glance, which isn't a bad thing.
Pricing for Fiat's new Cinquecento starts at 16 grand. Check it out alongside the Scion iQ, Mini Cooper and Smart Fortwo.
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