The fuel mileage cars return is such an important factor when buying cars these days due to the price of fuel going up and up. The problem is most of the cars that return the best fuel mileage are rather bland uninspiring vehicles. The Fiat 500 is a little different, offering classic looks with great fuel economy.
BMW's strong sales of their present day Mini has triggered other manufacturers to give new life to classic economical cars of the past. Fiat released
a modern day version of their classic 500 back in 2007 and
its become quite successful, combining both contemporary luxuries
and functionality with retro styling.
The original Fiat 500 was in many ways similar to the original Mini. It was a car that opened up motoring to more people because of its rock bottom price. It was small, efficient and practical. The
relaunched 500 tried to reproduce the same characteristics as the original, and they succeeded, even on price. Whereas the Mini is definitely now a luxury car, the 500 is still affordable. The top of the range 500 dubbed the Lounge costs just 65%
that of the range topping Mini Cooper S.
These days everyone wants to know the fuel mileage cars have. Well the efficient Fiat 500 sips just 6.3 litres per 100 km which makes it one of the highest
fuel mileage cars. The 500 has a turbocharged 1.4 litre 4 cylinder engine producing 74 kW. Performance is not too bad - 60 mph is achieved in 10.5 seconds.
Carbon dioxide emissions are 149g per kilometre.
The Fiat 500 is small and light, weighing only 930kg. However, safety is
still good. The car comes with seven airbags, traction control and a 5 star
NCAP crash rating. The interior of the cabin is a nice place to be unless
you're in the back which has cramped legroom as you'd expect from a car
of this size.
Fiat think it will be important to keep releasing new versions of the 500 to keep it fresh. They added a convertible to the range in 2009
and in 2010 a station wagon version of the 500 will make its appearance. All in all the Fiat 500 is a fine car.