2012 Fiat 500 and Fiat 500C Hatchback Review

With a genuine smile and lots of joie de vivre, the 2012 Fiat 500 and Fiat 500C Hatchback is a joyful car that puts you in a good mood a happy car. It’s a whole new way of seeing the world. Fresh, sunny, open. The Fiat 500 range allows you to enjoy travelling with total freedom. Happy to meet you, Fiat 500! Good things come in small packages! Hatchback or convertible, the Fiat 500 is a car with more than fifty years of history behind it, offering the best in terms of technology, onboard comfort and environmentally friendly solutions. Brilliant, innovatively advanced and reliable to even the highest safety standards, the classic model now comes in a convertible version expressing the very essence of its personality. The Fiat 500C is a smiling, fun car with plenty of character. In a few words: a carefree car. With such a fun, carefree car, how can you resist opening up to the world above? The Fiat 500C will make your dreams come true: here is a convertible that will make every trip even more pleasurable. Open up and let the sunshine in along every road you travel. The sky travels with you The exclusive roof is what makes the Fiat 500C instantly recognisable. A true design feature, it comes in different colours (red, ivory and black) and stands out for its innovative movement with electric roof control and its use of cutting-edge technical solutions, from the glass windscreen to the built-in third brakelight. The special sardine-tin folding system, which may be opened in 3 different positions, means you needn’t give up precious centimetres of luggage space in the boot or the comfort of the 4 seat interior. Great, as with such a cool car you’re never going to be short of friends!

How can you fail to notice it every time it goes by? The unique style of the Fiat 500 is meant to be seen and enjoyed, again and again. Outside, inside, in every little detail. Likewise the new Fiat 500C is a car really worth discovering! Every way you turn, you’re sure to be pleasantly surprised. Fiat 500 fans know there are many ways of adding character to the car. This is why the whole range, including the new convertible version, offers a choice of 10 different alloy wheels depending on how you feel: sporty or elegant?

 
Always looking good. A car as lively as this one won’t settle for just one look. With the Chrome Kit you can give any Fiat 500 a different look, turning the bumper inserts and window surrounds into stylish features, whilst the A-bar on the front bumper reflects the original feature of the earliest Fiat 500 models. When you travel with the Fiat 500 you’ll have as much light as you want, even at night: thanks to bi-xenon headlight technology for safer driving and even brighter style.

So enjoy your trip in style The whole range has a great history behind it, a history of details that continue to travel with the car. Features in the style of the first Fiat 500, such as a dashboard to match the body and the instrument panel, and steering wheel in either black or ivory. The smooth lines of the interior make life on board even more cheerful. A choice of interiors are available for the hatchback (Pop, in 3 colour schemes, and Lounge and Sport in 2 colour schemes each) and for the convertible (Pop and Lounge both in 2 colour schemes). The option of leather upholstery is also available in a choice of 3 colours on both the hatchback and the convertible. Finally, there is even a choice of 2 coverings for the steering wheel and gear lever knob to match the rest of the interior.

Ironic, chic, joyful, sporty, eccentric, elegant: whatever your personality, the Fiat 500 expresses it to perfection. Whether in hatchback or convertible form, the Fiat 500 has a truly open character. That’s why it’s so eager to get to know you and express your personality through a vast range of options, including unique and original body stickers. You’re sure to be recognised wherever you go - there are so many original, imaginative ways of customising the Fiat 500C. In addition to stickers, you can choose key covers, side badges, make–up holders, iPod holders, a blackboard on the dashboard and fragrance dispensers so you can change your Fiat 500 to reflect your mood. All the Fiat 500s you could possibly want - a different one every day!

On board a Fiat 500, every trip is a pleasure. From little details to major mechanical solutions, everything about the Fiat 500 is designed for enjoyment and to make life on board feel great. Like Stop&Start, which shuts off the engine automatically if you’re held up by traffic, helping to reduce emissions and make driving even more carefree. It certainly makes itself heard. The Fiat 500 means music, company and togetherness. That’s why the Fiat 500 comes with Blue&MeTM, the innovative telematic system based on Bluetooth connectivity, that lets you use your mobile and listen to music without ever having to take your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road. And because the Fiat 500 is music to your ears, a HI-FI Interscope Sound System is available for all models in the range and standard equipment on the byDIESEL versions for a unique surround sound experience. And to make sure you always reach your destination, there’s even the innovative Blue&Me TomTom touch screen infotainment system, combining Blue&Me functionality with a TomTom satellite navigation system. Blue&Me TomTom also incorporates Fiat’s exclusive eco:Drive Info function that helps you drive more economically and ecologically. With Blue&MeTM TomTom, your audio system, mobile phone and sat-nav system are always accessible in the easiest and safest way possible via voice commands, steering wheel controls and touch-screen. To make sure you’re always in the right place at the right time. Just like the Fiat 500.

Freedom of choice is never a bad thing. The Fiat 500 offers you a wide range of engines to choose from. For a start, there’s the new TwinAir, Fiat’s revolutionary twin cylinder engine that downsizes everything from displacement to emissions and consumption – but not performance. The TwinAir 0.9 Turbo delivers 85 HP thanks to electronic airflow control and fuel injection, and gives better performance than far bigger engines as well as less fuel consumption. A turbocharger ensures maximum efficiency even at low engine speeds to give elasticity and responsiveness. Compact, lightweight, sporty and fun to drive, the TwinAir engine is the ideal choice for the Fiat 500: nippy and agile around town, and ready for adventure on the open road.

The range includes another three engines (1.2 69 HP, 1.4 16v 100 HP and 1.3 Multijet 16v 95 HP). The turbodiesel engines are paired up with 5-speed mechanical gearboxes, while the petrol options give you choice of a mechanical gearbox (5-speed for the 1.2 and 6-speed for the 1.4) or a DualogicTM robotised gearbox (with a steering wheel paddle shift option). Whatever engine and gearbox you choose, and whatever the route in front of you, one thing is certain: behind the wheel of a Fiat 500, it’s hard not to feel happy, free and that little bit brighter.

Fiat 500 and Fiat 500C by DIESEL - The Fiat 500 loves meeting new people and showing off. Here it is, for example, in the stylish by DIESEL limited edition jointly created by Fiat and Diesel. Exclusive, informal and a bit on the chic side, the unique 500byDIESEL is instantly recognisable thanks to attractive body colours (Diesel Green, Diesel Brown and Crossover Black) and dedicated trim elements. The side, front and rear trim elements are decorated with the Diesel logo; the 16” wheels are branded, too; there is a fixed glass roof; and the mirror covers, rear spoiler, bumper inserts and front trims are all finished in burnished metal. The Fiat 500 by DIESEL is just as exclusive on the inside with its leather covered sports steering wheel, Diesel brand denim upholstery, front seat pocket styled like the 5th pocket on a pair of jeans, height-adjustable driver seat, Blue&Me and manual air conditioning system. The Fiat 500 by DIESEL Hatchback can be equipped with a TwinAir 0.9 85 HP Turbo, 1.2 69 HP or 1.4 100 HP petrol engine or a 1.3 Multijet 95 HP diesel engine. The Fiat 500C by DIESEL is also available with a TwinAir 0.9 85 HP Turbo, 1.2 69 HP or 1.4 100 HP petrol engine or a 1.3 Multijet 95 HP diesel engine. On both hatchback and convertible versions, the petrol engines can be paired with a mechanical or Dualogic robotised automatic gearbox.