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The Fiat is back, after all these years.
The Italian-based product has reached the U.S. and was scheduled to go on sale in our area this weekend.
I drove the 2012 Fiat 500C convertible in Denver, Greeley and Sterling the past week; it drew comments of which most were simply, “cute car.” That was the same descriptive comment heard most often when I helped introduce the Mini Cooper to the area nine years ago.
The new Fiat is only 139.6 inches long, 3.5 inches shorter than the Mini Cooper and 5 feet shorter than most of the luxury sedans of today.
The last time I reviewed a new Fiat was 32 years ago; a 1979 Strada, which had to be towed away from my driveway when it wouldn’t start on a cold winter morning. The Strada, which was a replacement for the Fiat 128, was powered by a 91-cubic-inch-displacement 4-cylinder with 5-speed manual transmission and priced at $5,652.
Unlike those imports of the ’70s, the new 500 appears to be lined with impressive quality as it leads Fiat’s return to the U.S. market. It’s stylish, as you’d expect from an Italian carmaker. The truth is, though, it comes off an assembly line at a Chrysler/Fiat plant at Toluca, Mexico.
The 500 is not a typical convertible, for its two-layer cloth top folds back, while the A, B and C pillars and roof rails remain in place. It’s a power top and can be stopped at a normal sunroof-opening position, at the end of the roof or can be dropped back behind the rear headrests. In that totally open position, the folded top blocks vision out the rear. The folding-top design is based on the original Fiat Cinquecento, introduced in 1957; that one, though, required manually pushing the top rearward.
The red cloth looks good atop the silver-exterior car, which was brightened inside with an ivory-colored dash and well-cushioned red seats. With the top in place, unusually small sunvisors are of little help, and when one is pivoted to the side window it doesn’t even extend to the position of the driver’s head; I’d advise wearing a ball cap to block the sun.
The windshield in the convertible has been extended a bit over the hardtop model, and headroom is more than adequate in front and rear. Legroom is tight for rear-seat passengers.
Jan prefers its ride to that of the Mini Cooper. She’s a fairly good judge of ride comfort and ought to be, for of the 1,600 or so new cars I’ve driven over the years, she’s been a passenger in probably 1,550 of them. It’s not that I don’t slip away from her once in a while, but the cars are normally in my possession a minimum of a week, so there is lots of shared time in them.
There is no structural shake in this softtop model. Suspension has been stiffened over the European version of the 500, cornering is good and firm and steering is quick.
We averaged 36.9 miles per gallon overall from the 500’s 1.4-liter MultiAir engine and 5-speed manual transmission. The 101-horsepower 4-cylinder performs mildly, though throttle response can be quickened with a Sport mode.
While many 500 hardtops are being sold in the $18,000 range, the 500C with some options carried a sticker price of $21,750. Its base price of $19,500 was boosted with additions of Bose premium audio system, Sirius satellite radio, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, the red seats and 15-inch aluminum wheels.
One piece of luggage and two cake containers filled the small cargo compartment in the Fiat on a drive to Sterling; we joined Wally and Janice Dermer, Nancy Ashby and Baird and Deanie Ashby for dinner at Dave and Norma Wagner’s, where the new car’s folding top was of interest. The 500 found more favor than fault the following day with friends and relatives at the annual Davis family picnic, emanating from Bert and Anna Davis, who homesteaded northwest of Sterling in 1910.
The new Fiats went on sale this weekend at Fiat of Denver, opened by Doug Moreland in a temporary tent-type structure at 505 S. Havana St. Permanent sites for Fiat stores are being renovated for opening later by Moreland on Arapahoe Road and by AutoNation out north on Federal Boulevard. Both are anticipating the addition of Alfa Romeo models in the future.
Moreland and AutoNation in Denver last November were awarded two of 130 Fiat franchises nationally. Others closest to Denver are Omaha to the east and Salt Lake City to the west.
Of early sales in other parts of the country, 70 percent are going to men, Fiat officials said.
2012 Fiat 500C
$21,750
(price as tested)
MPG City 30 Highway 38
Vehicle type: Mini-convertible
Wheelbase: 90.6 inches
Length/Width/Height: 139.6/64.1/59.8 inches
Weight: 2,486 pounds
Engine: 1.4-liter 4-cylinder
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Fuel mileage: 36.9 mpg
Fuel tank: 10.5 gallons
Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic; 4/50,000 powertrain
Competitors: Mini Cooper Convertible
Built at: Toluca, Mexico
Parts content: Mexico 59 percent; Italy 28 percent; U.S./Canadian 11 percent
THE STICKER
$19,500 base
$1,250 Rosso (red) soft top and seats, Bose premium audio, handsfree communication, leather-wrapped steering wheel
$500 15-inch aluminum wheels
$500 Destination
PLUSES
Exterior styling
Interior comfort
Fuel mileage
MINUSES
Rear vision
Small sun visors
