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 Today's
500 is a faithful modern update of the original car that was
launched exactly 50 years ago, but with a front-mounted
water-cooled engine in place of its ancestor's rear
air-cooled unit.
There are 1.2- and 1.4-litre petrol engines and a 1.3-litre
diesel, but to be honest it barely matters what's under the
bonnet. Half the fun of the 500 is choosing your spec from
the hundreds of thousands of combinations of colours,
wheels, decals and options; and it's a joy to be in, even
when it's hardly moving.
The cabin catches the 1950s theme just like the exterior,
with body-colour dash and door cappings and cream Bakelite
switchgear. Unlike the Mini, it's practical, too, with just
about enough room for four people and a half-decent boot.
It comes to the UK at the beginning of 2008 and is likely to
cost upwards of around £9500, though Fiat hasn't yet
decided what the line-up will be.
In addition, Fiat highlighted its future fuel-saving and
emission-reducing technology in a Panda Aria concept car.
Features include stop-start technology to automatically
switch the engine off when idling, lightweight components
and low-resistance tyres. The car's trip computer also
offers advice on the optimum time when to change gear.
The car is powered by a 900cc two-cylinder engine which can
run on a combination of methane and hydrogen. Power output
varies according to the mix, but top power is 105bhp. It
emits just 69g/km of carbon dioxide.
Manufactures
Websites
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