Fiat 500 1.3 Multijet Lounge

May 3 2009 Peter Keenan

THE Fiat 500 encourages the sort of response normally reserved for Labrador puppies.

There were lots of, 'oh isn't it cute', and delighted squeals as the city car worked its magic wherever it went.

Inspired by Dante Giacosa's iconic 1957 model, the Fiat 500 is nevertheless very much a 21st century car.

Yes the styling is heavily influenced by the original - boasting many visual cues from the past - but the latest 500's many gadgets and gizmos are bang up to date.

The frugal, low emission engines are also at the cutting edge being compliant not only with current European legislation, but also with tougher carbon dioxide limits expected to be unveiled in the near future.

Derived from Fiat Centro Stile's acclaimed Trepiuno concept car first shown at the 2004 Geneva Motorshow, nine versions of the three-door Fiat 500 are on sale in the UK embracing three trim levels - Pop, Lounge and Sport. All models get remote central locking, seven airbags, electric front windows and door mirrors, an MP3-compatible CD/radio system plus Dualdrive electric power steering.

Step up from the basic model and Fiat adds goodies such as a sunroof, parking sensors, climate control and satellite navigation.

But perhaps it is the ability to morph into the exact car a customer wants that will be the 500's biggest selling point as there are more than 500,000 possible trim, colour and equipment option combinations. Even the key fob is available in nine different brightly coloured styles.

Three engines are available - a 1.3-litre turbodiesel fitted to the car I tested that achieves an average fuel economy figure of almost 70mpg, and two economical petrol engines of 1.2 and 1.4-litres.

Both the 1.2 and 1.3-litre power units are married to a five-speed manual gearbox, while the 1.4-litre engine gets a six-speed manual transmission.

Dualogic - a clutchless, five-speed sequential manual shift with a selectable fully automatic mode - is offered as an optional transmission on all petrol-engined Fiat 500 models.

Despite its compact size, the car copes easily with four adults while the boot is big enough to make it a viable option for the supermarket shopping. There are also two large dashboard storage compartments, a bin under the front passenger seat cushion, generous door pockets, small and medium sized drawers, centre console cup holders and a removable rear parcel shelf.

The design of the cabin is carefully thought through, so funky features like the twin-binnacle rev counter and speedometer are not included at the expense of practicality. The centre console raises the gear lever allowing quick, accurate changes with the minimum of fuss while the stereo system is also placed relatively high to increase ease of access and ensure minimal driver distraction.

Not surprisingly the Fiat 500 is at its best when negotiating the urban jungle being as nimble as a ballerina. Take it out of its city comfort zone though and the handling does become a bit jittery.

Fiat is on a high at present as models like the Grande Punto and the latest Panda demonstrate new levels of reliability and build quality.

The 500 continues this good work and would appear to be in the right place at the right time as demand for small, economical vehicles increases rapidly due to a recession that is starting to bite hard on the finances of potential car buyers.

FAST FACTS

Fiat 500 1.3 Multijet Lounge 3dr

Price: £11,100

Mechanical: 75bhp, 1,248cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox

Max speed: 103mph

0-62mph: 12.5 seconds

Combined mpg: 67.3

Insurance group: 5

CO2 emissions: 110g/km

BiK rating: 13%

Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles