Fiat 500
Update: Fiat Announces “Naughty” 2013 Fiat 500 Cattiva
Fiat has announced a new design option for the 500 Sport and Turbo models. Called the 500 Cattiva—meaning naughty and cool, simultaneously—this factory-customized special edition adds a mischievous flair to the diminutive and sporty 500.
Chevrolet Volt Drops Significantly In Price
With lower-cost options entering the electric vehicle market, General Motors has slashed $5000 off the price of the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric vehicle. The 2014 Volt will have a lowered MSRP of $34,995 (including destination charges). Factor in the $7500 tax credit, and the Volt’s entry price sinks to $27,495—which is a lot easier of a pill to swallow.
Update: 2014 Fiat 500e
The best thing about this car, though, were the brakes. Fiat’s “blended braking” system hasn’t been talked about much, and we can’t really understand why. The system essentially uses engine braking down to eight mph, at which point the actual rotors and pads go to work. Not only does this save electricity and greatly expand brake life, but it feels better than any regenerative braking system we’ve ever tested.
Driven: 2014 Fiat 500L
By all accounts, the 500L looks well set up to take on the established crop of style-centric small people movers. It doesn’t beat the Mini Countryman by being more engaging or entertaining, but its blend of size, affordability, and standard equipment are more than enough to make it a compelling alternative.
Update: 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo
You’ll be forgiven at this point for thinking the little 500T is a bit misguided or confused. It isn’t. Get it out on the road, and you’ll discover that Fiat has struck the perfect blend with the turbocharged 500. It isn’t an Abarth for the speed-averse—it’s a 500 for the speed freak.
First Look: 2013 Fiat 500C Abarth
Really, there’s not a lot to tell here. This is the lovechild of a 500 Abarth and a 500C. The powertrain, suspension, and brakes are all the same, as is the glut of scorpion badges. Now they’re just joined by the same, three-stage retractable canvas roof.
First Look: 2013 Fiat 500e
As much as we like the Fiat 500, we’ve always felt the diminutive Italian could be a bit more economical. The standard 500 hatch nets a mere 40 miles per gallon on the freeway, which is a fair bit lower than some of the larger vehicles on sale today. Now, there’s a new 500, that promises to deliver something much better than 40 mpg. It removes gasoline from the equation entirely.
Comparison: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth vs. 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe vs. 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo
A few years ago, we put together a comparison pitting four of our favorite hot hatches against one another. Now, in 2012, we have a new generation of fast, turbocharged hatchbacks that deserve a close look. One brand, the winner from the last test—Mini—is represented here again, this time in the Mini Cooper S Coupe. Also in the race is the new Fiat 500 Abarth, which has garnered a lot of attention from the media and the public. Finally, we threw in the Hyundai Veloster Turbo, which we think is both an interesting and exciting candidate, even if it hasn’t had much time to make a name for itself.
First Look: 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo
Slotting in neatly between the standard Fiat 500—or Cinquecento for the full-blooded Italians in the audience—and the “Look at me!” go-fast 500 Abarth is this, the new 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo. The Turbo arrives sporting the same 1.4-liter four-cylinder turbocharged MultiAir engine that is found under the hood of the Abarth.
Driven: 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo
With the extra power on tap, we found the Turbo to be very forgiving. Shifting too soon and landing too low in the revs was not a huge problem. Just lay into the accelerator, and the forced induction makes up for any errors. Yes, we were surely slower when we did that, but the engine didn’t feel like it was penalizing us too much for a small error or circumstantial necessity.
Quick Drive: 2012 Fiat 500C
Regardless of history or tradition, this is not a convertible in the classic sense. It’s more of a targa top. Now, there’s nothing really wrong with that, but it shouldn’t be sold and marketed as a convertible. Call it a 500T. Don’t get my hopes up and then crush them via a glorified cloth sunroof.
Winding Road Issue 80 Is Now Available!
In the newest issue of Winding Road, we take the Fiat 500 Abarth to the track to see what sets it apart. Plus, we review tons of other great cars this month’s issue.
Driven: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth
Because, from the moment we slotted ourselves behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel, outside of the Hard Rock Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, to the last turn of the last hot lap we ran for the day, we loved driving this car.
Question: Can Fiat Be The Next Mini?
Fiat’s first year in the United States was a tough one. Of the 50,000 expected sales, only around 20,000 were sold. So with the 500C starting to arrive in greater numbers, and the upcoming release of the 500 Abarth and 500L, can the newly diversified Fiat become the sales success that Mini and the Prius family have been?
Detroit 2012: Live Photos Of The 2013 Shelby GT500 Super Snake 50th Anniversary
With as much horsepower as eight Fiat 500s and roughly two Ford Mustang GTs, the 2013 Shelby GT500 Super Snake is one beast of a vehicle. Fortunately, it enjoys being photographed, as evidenced here.
First Look: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth
At the LA Auto Show, Fiat is unveiling the juiced-up Abarth version of the tiny Fiat 500.
Driven: 2012 Scion iQ
With the iQ, Scion is launching one of the few really different cars that we’ll see for 2012. Having spent time driving it on the streets of San Francisco and the highways and winding roads of Marin County, we can report that the iQ is very nearly brilliant in its concept and execution. We can also forecast that 99 percent of you will see the iQ as a curiosity or a bore, not as a real alternative to the 499 other models on the market. The remaining 1 percent, on the other hand, will find the iQ close to ideal, though it takes some mental effort to fully appreciate Scion’s philosophy.
Winding Road Issue 72 Is Now Available!
In this very special issue of Winding Road, we pick the best of all the engaging cars we’ve driven in the 2011 Winding Road Involvement Index Awards.
Quick Drive: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport 6AT
For starters, the automatic gearbox isn’t a bad one, shifting appropriately up and down on its own most of the time, and quick-but-not-jarring when used via the “Auto Stick” lever. Considering that the five-speed manual isn’t a terrific gearbox as far as these things go, the “loss” in terms of enthusiastic driving for the auto isn’t as great as it might be.
Comparison Test: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport vs. 2011 Mini Cooper
When we reported our first drive experience with the 2012 Fiat 500 back in February, the response we got to the review was remarkable. Hundreds of you felt moved to write comments directed at our assessment of the car, about the history and future of Fiat in America, and in response to one another. Of course a massive number of you also questioned, both with genuine curiosity and with already-entrenched bias, how the 500 would stack up in a head-to-head duel with the Mini Cooper.
Base Versus Loaded: 2012 Fiat 500
Earlier, we explored the difference between the base model Mini Cooper S and a fully loaded version, and found that we could more than double the car’s starting price. The Fiat 500, while still available with a fair number of ways to boost the price, doesn’t even come close in terms of expensive add-ons.
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