Fiat/Abarth 500

  • Thread starter Moglet
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Moglet
Why does the US market get so many nicer colours than us?! Bloody hell Fiat đź‘Ž The greens and browns will suit the car perfectly, yet the UK market is stuck with shades of white, grey, black, blue and red. On the upside, we get a LOT more wheel choices than the US configurator is showing so far.

I like the optional kit (the heated seats are a neat touch), though the ambient lighting is a tad on the pointless side but I guess some people will like it.

EDIT: Can anyone enlighten me on why you would need an engine block heater? Is it due to the weather dropping to lower temperatures?
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beg pardon on the colors? we should be getting only black, silver, white dark red and dark blue at the most (insurance safe pallette). and I'm seeing orange, yellow, olive green, and two cups of coffee. as for the wheels, that's about normal for the US market. I don't think anyone pays attention to the wheels, anymore.

an engine block heater is, I believe, standard equipment in Canada and northwards. after all, the middle of winter from northern new york and up gets below zero at night, ya know. it'd help if an Alberta clipper hits us this january :P
 
I played with the customizer thing, mine came out to a nice $17,9xx. Looked nice and fun, so this thing will be a nice seller, I mean with the whole "bring Euro cars to America" thing that's been happening.
 
YSSMAN
I believe the original announcement for the 500 said it was getting the 1.4 Multiar that is turbocharged, so I assume that it is the unit from the Abarth.
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I was completely wrong. The 1.4L Multiair engine we're getting puts down just over 100 BHP, and that's about it. The Abarth is on-tap for next year, so if you want a truly sporty version, you'll have to wait. That being said, I got to see the 500 Sport and 500 Lounge versions yesterday in Chicago, and I came away impressed.

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My initial impression was that the 500 is much smaller than I thought it would be. I had figured it would be about the size of a Cooper or a Fit, but this is just a few shades smaller. The exterior really catches your eye, I'd venture a guess and say it is one of the most unique-looking vehicles brought to the US since the Cooper or the New Beetle, and it will turn heads for quite some time, giving Fiat the attention they need to do well in a market they've been gone from for nearly 30 years.

Inside, I was really impressed with the overall quality of the interior. Granted, it isn't going to win any major awards for execution or quality, but it certainly is a bit better than your average American or Japanese entry in the North American market. I'd put it on par with the MKVI Golf, at the very least. The Sport model I sat in and tinkered with was comfortable, with more than enough room for a full-sized adult up front. The back seats appear to be somewhat usable, but it seems to depend on where the seats are positioned. The trunk was a bit smaller than I expected, but it would be more than enough to cram some gear in to head out for a long weekend. The Lounge model they had was very nice, but came off as a borderline over-styled, definitely targeting young women and hipsters alike. I liked the chocolate/white contrast on the inside, but it just seemed like too much compared to the Sport.

For the money, the Fiat 500 makes a lot more sense than the Cooper. For those who live in an area where you can get one, I'd highly recommend checking one out. I don't know if it would special enough in my mind to make the jump ahead of having the network around you. I'd have to take the car to Detroit or Chicago for service, and that just isn't worth it right now. Still, if this is Fiat's main way of reintroducing themselves to the American market, they're going about it the right way.
 
I'll be in Chicago next weekend, so this will definitely be worth poking around. I'm curious as to how good it is, and it seems good so far.
 
YSSMAN
I was completely wrong. The 1.4L Multiair engine we're getting puts down just over 100 BHP, and that's about it. The Abarth is on-tap for next year, so if you want a truly sporty version, you'll have to wait. That being said, I got to see the 500 Sport and 500 Lounge versions yesterday in Chicago, and I came away impressed
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Yeah, just found out about the engine myself. Puts out about the same power as my Panda, and taking a wild stab in the dark as to the performance and economy, I'd guess it'll be slightly more economical than my 1.4 but slightly slower (mine is around 9 seconds to 60, I'd expect about 10 for this). Longer gears for economy, though the MultiAir engine should also be good for decent economy.

The interior does seem quite high quality but I've recently gone off the styling a bit. It doesn't help that they're everywhere now in the UK.
 
I got a chance to sit in one yesterday at the Chicago auto show. Even smaller than I thought they were, I'm not really a big guy and I barely fit. Even though the new one dwarfed the old 500 they had sitting close to it.

The EPA mpg estimates for the 500 are 30/38. Seems a little unimpressive considering it has 100hp and is the size of a college dorm refrigerator. But thats just me.
 
I like the 2 cylinder multi-air 900cc turbo petrol engine in the 500 here in the UK.
Produces 85bhp, 105bhp maximum in other models.
It must be so light-weight. Also it has more torque than the 1.4 engine.
I think the 85bhp model should outperform the 1.4 NA engine in performance terms, unless they are adding more weight to the newer models. Obviously one could tune their car upto the 105bhp spec very easily for best performance.
70mpg official figure.
 
homeforsummer
The interior does seem quite high quality but I've recently gone off the styling a bit. It doesn't help that they're everywhere now in the UK.
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I think that'll be the big bonus in the USA for a little while... Even though Fiat has a lot of dealers signed up to sell their vehicles, less than half are ready to go. So, if you're getting your 500 as we speak, you are in a very exclusive club.
 
Seems like the sticker options aren't QUITE as garish as they are in the U.K., where I typically configure 500s, but you can still get racin' stripes if you want 'em.
 
YSSMAN
I was completely wrong. The 1.4L Multiair engine we're getting puts down just over 100 BHP, and that's about it. The Abarth is on-tap for next year, so if you want a truly sporty version, you'll have to wait. That being said, I got to see the 500 Sport and 500 Lounge versions yesterday in Chicago, and I came away impressed.
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Any word on what these Abarth's may go for or if another model will come after it (like the SS)? The Abarths, afaik, are supposed to be a bit more sporty & a little more track-oriented, so I think they'd make a fun little car to replace the Civic with.
 
Adamgp
I got a chance to sit in one yesterday at the Chicago auto show. Even smaller than I thought they were, I'm not really a big guy and I barely fit. Even though the new one dwarfed the old 500 they had sitting close to it.

The EPA mpg estimates for the 500 are 30/38. Seems a little unimpressive considering it has 100hp and is the size of a college dorm refrigerator. But thats just me.
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Out of interest, how tall are you? I consider myself below-average height and i'm about 5'8", and my Panda (which is essentially the same car underneath, slightly larger inside) is very comfortable inside for me. I'm also not tall enough for the dash-mounted gearlever to get in the way of my knee like it seems to for taller people.

As for MPG, it doesn't surprise me that it's not that efficient. I don't think it's a problem with the engine so much as it's just not a particularly aerodynamic shape, and it's a smallish naturally aspirated engine that probably needs a bit of revving to get the best from.

Again, my Panda with an engine the same size but slightly older tech and with much shorter gear ratios is currently averaging 34mpg (US):

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The EPA mileage in the graphic is basically the Euro MPG figure translated to US gallons. It's the first car I've owned where I've not immediately averaged over the claimed combined MPG figure, though admittedly it's also a car that positively goads you into revving the hell out of it too (and I've not driven a full tankful of being saintly yet either). Which makes it a proper small Fiat, really. I suspect what you lose in MPG in the 500, you gain in fun.
 
homeforsummer
Out of interest, how tall are you? I consider myself below-average height and i'm about 5'8", and my Panda (which is essentially the same car underneath, slightly larger inside) is very comfortable inside for me. I'm also not tall enough for the dash-mounted gearlever to get in the way of my knee like it seems to for taller people.

As for MPG, it doesn't surprise me that it's not that efficient. I don't think it's a problem with the engine so much as it's just not a particularly aerodynamic shape, and it's a smallish naturally aspirated engine that probably needs a bit of revving to get the best from.

Again, my Panda with an engine the same size but slightly older tech and with much shorter gear ratios is currently averaging 34mpg (US):

graph4367.gif

The EPA mileage in the graphic is basically the Euro MPG figure translated to US gallons. It's the first car I've owned where I've not immediately averaged over the claimed combined MPG figure, though admittedly it's also a car that positively goads you into revving the hell out of it too (and I've not driven a full tankful of being saintly yet either). Which makes it a proper small Fiat, really. I suspect what you lose in MPG in the 500, you gain in fun.
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I'm about 5'11 and ~200lbs. I am kind of broad shouldered though and that is where I lacked room. I had plenty of head and foot room, but shoulder room was very tight.
 
McLaren
Any word on what these Abarth's may go for or if another model will come after it (like the SS)? The Abarths, afaik, are supposed to be a bit more sporty & a little more track-oriented, so I think they'd make a fun little car to replace the Civic with.
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Just as a rough estimate, it's about a 15% jump between the 1.4 Sport and the Abarth. So, if we're pegging the 1.4 Sport in the US at $17,500... That'd work out to about $20,125. Not a bad place to start for a 130 BHP hot hatch.
 
Adamgp
I'm about 5'11 and ~200lbs. I am kind of broad shouldered though and that is where I lacked room. I had plenty of head and foot room, but shoulder room was very tight.
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Well I'm only about 150lbs too so along with my height it's why I generally have absolutely no problem in smaller cars. I reckon four people my size could probably fit in a 500 fairly comfortably. Four people your size and up would probably struggle.

I guess it's effectively competing in the same market as the Smart though, so might be attractive to people who rarely carry passengers but appreciate the extra luggage space.

And of course, it's "cute" too so it'll get sales pretty easily that way. Not everyone will need performance, I guess.
 
It isn't as though the performance is that bad. Sure, it's right around 10 seconds to 60 MPH, but that's fairly typical for cars that size. Although I know Fiat is really keen on going after the Cooper in terms of sales, I feel like it is more of a Mazda2 competitor than they'd like to admit. If there were a way to strap another $1500 worth of improvements to the Mazda to compare it fairly to the arguably well-trimmed 500, it would be an awesome comparison test.
 
Oh yeah, by reasonable standards 10 seconds isn't bad to 60 for a small car. Having travelled in both, I'd even say the Fiat is more spacious inside than the MINI, probably marginally smaller than a Mazda2. I'd certainly rather sit in the back of the 500 than I would in the back of a MINI.

What you guys often forget is that "Cooper" is just a trim level really (and don't get me started on how it's just become a trim level rather than something that means anything...). In the UK we have "One" and "First" below Cooper, and the performance of those models is more on par with the 1.4 500 - I think the basic gasoline MINI First has 75bhp and the One has 90bhp (diesels are also available).

The Cooper is comparable to the Abarth, and the Cooper S is on par with the Essesse. And I'd say the 1.5 Mazda2 is roughly on par with the basic 500 you guys are getting.
 
YSSMAN
Just as a rough estimate, it's about a 15% jump between the 1.4 Sport and the Abarth. So, if we're pegging the 1.4 Sport in the US at $17,500... That'd work out to about $20,125. Not a bad place to start for a 130 BHP hot hatch.
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That's not bad, really; cheaper than the Civic Si & should carry a bit of "rarity" with it.

I know this is the 500 thread, but are there any talks of Fiat bringing the Punto here? Figuring that if it came, maybe it's Abarth version would too.
 
The Cooper isn't thought of as a trim level in the US market. You have the Cooper & Cooper S, then the Clubman and Clubman S, then the Countryman, Countryman S and Countryman S All4 (which is a stupid name). Sure the back of the Clubman still says Cooper on it if it's the standard level, but the dealer, the marketing team, etc doesn't view it as a trim. I assume it's different in Europe?

If the 500 wants to compete with the Cooper in terms of sales it needs to have better quality. I rode in one the other day and it felt like I was sitting in a cheap knock-off iPod. I don't know if this is because Chrysler just took the European version of the car and thought "you know Americans tolerate 🤬, so lets cheapen it up a bit" or if the car is just like that world wide. With the way journalist worldwide fawn over the car I can't imagine it's such crap inside.

The doors felt like I was slamming cardboard too. They didn't sound like a dead bird falling from the sky, it was kinda weird and unexpected.

It felt like it would be a great car to drive though and I wish I could have. It was surprisingly roomy inside too, I figured with it being smaller then my car the interior would be smaller too but it felt just as "roomy".

The whole car just felt cheap and I didn't like that. I was hoping for another solid, small car in the US market. I know the one I was in was considered "pre-production", so I'm going to hold out hope it was made intentionally crappy for testing purposes.
 
Joey D
The Cooper isn't thought of as a trim level in the US market. You have the Cooper & Cooper S, then the Clubman and Clubman S, then the Countryman, Countryman S and Countryman S All4 (which is a stupid name). Sure the back of the Clubman still says Cooper on it if it's the standard level, but the dealer, the marketing team, etc doesn't view it as a trim. I assume it's different in Europe?
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Essentially, yes.

- Here you've got hatchback MINIs in First, One, One Diesel, Cooper, Cooper Diesel, Cooper S and Cooper S Works trim;
- Clubmans in One, One Diesel, Cooper, Cooper Diesel, "Soho", Cooper S and Cooper S Works trim;
- Cabrios in One, Cooper, Cooper Diesel, Cooper S and Cooper S Works trim and;
- Countrymans in One, One Diesel, Cooper, Cooper Diesel and Cooper S trim.

Cooper in the states just seems to refer to every hatchback (I heard a podcast recently where the whole company was referred to as "MINI Cooper"), so the name "Cooper" is kicked around in the dirt even more than it is in the UK where it's become just a trim level you can have on any variant.

The R53 was less confusing. You got One, One D, Cooper, and Cooper S. Simple as that. And obviously, the classic Mini was even simpler. You had bog standard ones, Coopers with more power and better chassis settings, and the Cooper S was much rarer (another reason why it's a bit of an insult to John Cooper, since vehicles badged "Cooper" and "Cooper S" are common as muck now and not even slightly special) and had even more power.

But I digress. The 500 isn't as much a quality product as the MINI, but it's easily comparable with any other modern small car and better than most of the stuff coming out of Japan or Korea at that level of the market.

Really, you have to compare it to previous Fiat products. Before the current shape Panda appeared in 2003 which changed everything, Fiats were really pretty shoddy things even if the actual products were good (which they were, a lot of the time). The Panda marked a step up in quality and reliability and was a huge success, and every subsequent Fiat product has been of much better quality.
 
McLaren
I know this is the 500 thread, but are there any talks of Fiat bringing the Punto here? Figuring that if it came, maybe it's Abarth version would too.
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It all depends on how well the 500 sells, and how many dealers pick up franchises. My understanding of Fiat's plans were that, first and foremost, they have to get a foothold with the 500 before going anywhere. After that, I think they were planning on introducing their work vans, and eventually going with more of their automotive portfolio. The Punto would probably be the next car, and then I assume most of the rest of the car lineup would come from Alfa Romeo.
 
Written about this for a few sites now. Find it rather ugly, and it bears even less relation to the regular 500 than a MINI Countryman does to a MINI.

Oh, and in Fiat nomenclature, "L" stands for Lusso (luxury), not Large. Or at least it did until now. So they've "done a MINI" and given it a historically confusing name.
 
So it's a Punto or Panda with a 500 face stuck onto the front end?

Errrrrrrrrrrh....
 

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