Behind the wheel: Fiat 500

This past fall, we hosted a small group from Chrysler/Fiat, who brought along a European-spec Fiat 500 for us to look at and take for a spin on the familiar roads adjacent to our test track. Though not exactly the production-model 500 that the “new” Chrysler will sell in this country soon, the “Cinqocento” is pretty close to what will be offered here.

As it happens, I’m no stranger to small Fiats. Back in Israel during the early 1980s, I had a Fiat 127, and fondly recall the little bantam’s audacity with its excellent handling and a Ferrari-mimicking exhaust sound. While such diminutive cars are perfectly at home and quite unexceptional in a European setting, the Fiat 500 looks notably tiny and alien here in Connecticut.

Accompanied by Chief Engineer Fabio Dimuro, I zipped the Cinqocento around our established loop of country lanes and open freeway. It was a loaded version, with supportive leather seats, automatic climate control, and an on-board computer. The low-effort, six-speed manual shifter and clutch were smooth and precise. The 1.4-liter engine proved eager and willing, but I missed the throaty exhaust note of my old 127. The 500 had no problem climbing hills and happily galloped along the highway at typical speeds, but plenty of noise made its way inside. More sound-deadening material for the U.S. version wouldn’t hurt.

Handling is quite agile, with quick-response steering and very little body lean. The electric steering provides decent feedback, but overall, the car isn’t quite the go-kart that sets the benchmark in the class--the Mini Cooper.

The ride, in a word, is awful. In European spec, it’s stiff and jittery enough to shake off years of nostalgia. The Chrysler/Fiat people know this, and say that suspension modifications will address these issues and hopefully won’t dumb down the handling. The rear seating is a little tight, but, considering this car’s tiny footprint, the fact that the rear seats are habitable at all is something of an achievement.

Chrysler/Fiat will probably build the U.S. version in Mexico. In the small-car pantheon the Fiat 500 will slot in size and price above the ironically named Smart Car and below the well-established Mini Cooper.

Somehow, I can see the 500 fitting in quite nicely in Soho or Little Italy.

—Gabe Shenhar


Also read:
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Chrysler’s business plan: The Fiat platforms