Fiat 500C 1.3 MultiJet 1.4 16v FIRE Road Test Report

Performance

This 500 is available with a 1.2 8v and 1.4 16v petrol engines, or a 1.3 16v turbodiesel. I drove the 100bhp 1.4 and the 75bhp 1.3. Although the 1.4’s figures beat the 1.3’s fair and square – 0-62 in 10.5 and 12.5secs, 113 and 103mph top speed – the 1.3 doesn’t feel like it’s lacking in any way. On the road the 5-speed 1.3 feels nippy enough, whereas to extract similar performance from the 6-speed 1.4 requires that bit more effort and commitment, even though ultimately it’s faster. Both have strong brakes, although the petrol 1.4 does sound a little sportier than the diesel.

Ride & Handling

It’s been a few months since I drove a car as small as the Fiat 500 (and that was another 500…) and so my first impressions after a few hundred metres were that it felt just a little disturbed by ruts and bumps. But after a few more hundred metres I realised that this wasn’t due to any shortcomings in the car’s suspension or underpinnings, it’s just that that’s what small cars with short wheelbases do. What they also do is change direction rapidly as the 500 C’s steering response is lively, plus there’s minimal body roll and ample grip, ultimately followed by a whiff of manageable understeer.

Build Quality & Reliability

Convertible versions of hardtops often have less rigid bodies and display at least an element of scuttle shake (dash flex) on rough roads. Not so the 500C, not least because by retaining its door pillars and roof frame it also retains pretty much all of the hardtop 500’s body rigidity. As mentioned elsewhere on this site, ‘the Fiat 500 is based largely on the tried-and-tested Panda and so the engines should prove reliable’. And as also said, ‘the 500 is built and finished to an impeccable standard throughout, with attractive, high-quality materials and exquisite detailing both inside and out’.

Safety & Security

The new 500 was the first car under 4-metres in length to win the full five stars in the Euro NCAP crash safety rating, and the newer 500 C retains all the safety components and features (active and passive) that place it among the best in class. Seven airbags come as standard plus there’s ABS with EBD, ESP, ASR, a hill-holder system which helps with hill starts, and HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assist) to help with emergency stops. The front seatbelts have dual pretensioners and load limiters while front and rear seats have an anti-submarining system. There’s also remote central locking, a locking filler cap and an immobiliser. (An alarm is a dealer-fit option.)

Space & Practicality

The other big difference between the 500 and the 500C, apart from their roofs, is their boots. The former is a hatchback and the latter isn’t, but don’t be too put off by the 500C if you need to carry luggage because the 500’s boot is quoted as having a 185-litre capacity with rear seats in situ, while the 500C has an impressive 182. Obviously the hatchback has a bigger opening, but with the fabric roof effectively swallowing up just 3-litres of bootspace, that’s hardly a reason not to pick the C. All 500s are cosy in the front and cosier in the rear, but not cramped.

Ownership & Value

Fuel consumption for the 1.4 is 46.3mpg (combined) while the 1.3 manages an impressive 67.3.mpg. CO2 is rated at 140g/km for the 1.4 (£170 annual road tax) and 110g/km for the 1.3 (just £35 road tax). The 1.4 is insurance group 7 while the 1.3 is group 5. The 1.3 scores again on purchase price because in ‘Pop’ trim the £12,700 1.3 is only £195 more than the £12,505 1.4 Pop. Obviously you can bump up those prices by going for the up-spec Lounge version or by ticking option boxes, (satnav, 100-watt stereo, Dualogic gearbox, Bi-Xenon headlamps and so on) but in my view all that rather defeats the marvellous ethos of both this and especially the original ’57 500.