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Fiat 500 1.3 Multijet Pop Road Test Report

1.3 Multijet Pop

The new 500 pays homage to the classic car from the Fifties and Sixties. A chic and competent city car with great looks what will make it a very desirable proposition to its target urban customer.

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Performance

A choice of three engines are offered with the 500, a 1.2 or 1.4 litre petrol plus the ultra-frugal 1.3 litre diesel. The engines are rather loud but are willing workers that enjoy being pushed. The 1.3 litre diesel does not offer the same performance as the petrols but its excellent fuel economy more than compensates for this. The 500’s at it’s best when nipping around town but also copes OK with the motorway.

Ride & Handling

The petite dimensions and light steering make urban driving a breeze. The suspension is good for such a small car and the steering ensures full driver participation when cornering. The handling at higher speeds can feel a little jumpy plus understeer can become an issue if you enter bends to quickly.

Build Quality & Reliability

The Fiat 500 is based largely on the tried and tested Panda and so the engines should prove to be reliable. The interior is great, the space saving layout reminiscent of the Fifties model and giving a lovely uncluttered feel that has become a rarity these days. The plastics and fabrics have a retro feel but with a modern quality.

Safety & Security

The 500 returned from the EuroNCAP crash tests with a remarkable five-star rating. All 500’s come with front, side, curtain and knee airbags. Stability control can be added as an option.

Space & Practicality

The 500 is a compact car that offers comfortable motoring for front seat passengers but cramped quarters for those in the back. When compared to it’s main rival, the Mini, the 500 wins in boot size but loses in rear-seat space. The Lounge (top-of-the-range) model gets rear seats that split and fold.

Ownership & Value

The car we drove had the 1.3 diesel engine and returns an amazing 67.3 miles to the gallon. The 1.2 manages 55.4mpg while the 1.4 does 44.8mpg. The new car price is very reasonable and residual values will be excellent at around 50% after 3 years. The CO2 emissions range from 110g/km – 149g/km and makes the 500 a green car that will be cheap to both run and insure.

Submitted: 27/05/2008 13:52:50

Superminis

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