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That icon of Italian mobility, the Fiat 500 has won the hearts and souls of the urban cool, millennials, early adopters and status seekers alike as it continues to offer enduring appeal. Now, the Fiat 500 has been updated with four new trim levels, each receiving a high standard of specification, further boosting the distinct characteristics of each model.

The Fiat 500 was born in Turin, Italy 64 years ago. Now in its third generation, the iconic car is still built there and pays homage to everything that is significant about its heritage, while shining a bright light far into Fiat’s future.

The original Fiat 500 offered mobility and freedom in the 1960s, becoming a veritable social phenomenon and establishing itself as a “love brand”. With the second generation, launched in 2007, the Fiat 500 introduced the concept of coolness and charm to the city car, becoming an icon of Italian fashion and style that conquered the world. It’s an ever-evolving model that has inspired artists and musicians over the past 13 years and has always remained current.

New entry-level excitement for the Fiat 500 is embodied in the new Cult derivative. A striking new Arancio Sicilia orange colour lends new pop and cool to the 500, although many other colours are available. Running on 14-inch steel wheels with hubcaps and black exterior mirrors, Cult models feature LED daytime running lamps as standard, with halogen headlights.

The interior is highlighted by blue fabric seats with Fiat monogram and a body colour dashboard. A new option for Cult is a Techno Blue Matt dashboard, while the standard list of comfort features remains high. Uconnect^TM five-inch radio with DAB, USB ports and manual air-conditioning are all standard, as is a speed limiter.

It doesn’t take much to fall in love with the Fiat 500 Connect. It’s a master of style with cutting-edge technology, tailored to a modern connected life. Adding onto the Cult standard specification, Connect models are identified by 15-inch alloy wheels and specific side skirts plus rear spoiler and bumpers, including foglights. The model gest set off particularly well with the new Silver bi-colour treatment with a gloss black roof.

New “flashy” seats, which are height adjustable, enhance the interior along with a multi-function steering wheel with eight buttons. The dashboard can be ordered in Matt Silver. Other interior upgrades include cruise control, Uconnect seven-inch infotainment with CarPlay and AndroidAuto, and two additional rear speakers.

For the more avant-garde, Dolcevita models epitomise Italian style and flair with bespoke badging and chrome accents on the two-tone paintwork. With bespoke 16-inch alloy wheels, the Dolcevita also gets the Techno-leather multi-function steering wheel, glass roof, Matelassé fabric seats with techno leather details, and a 50/50 split rear seat.

With its sleek, well-defined look, the Fiat 500 Sport wins you over at first glance, bringing a hint of boldness to your everyday life. These more sporty-minded customers will be attracted to the Sport upgrades that include 16-inch alloy wheels, Sport badging as well as specific side skirts, bumpers and rear spoilers. The new Cloud Grey colour looks particularly good against the new “arrow electro” seats and Titanium dashboard with a red 500 logo. The TFT seven-inch digital cluster accompanies automatic air-conditioning.

The Fiat 500 is powered by Fiat’s TwinAir two-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. While this engine incorporates technology and efficiency, it also pays homage to the original two-cylinder engine from the 1960s concept.

The advanced 875cc engine is a high-performance motor designed with major innovations developed by Fiat for petrol engines. The “downsizing” technology reduces the engine power, the number of cylinder and the size of the engine, resulting in a drastic reduction in fuel consumption and emissions levels (up to 30%). However,as it is matched with the turbocharger, its power and performance remain the same. It delivers a healthy 62.5kW at 5,500 rpm and 145Nm of torque at 1,900 rpm, which means the 500 is frugal yet spirited, offering combined cycle fuel consumption of 4 l/100km while still accelerating around town in very respectable times (0-100km/h in 11 seconds).

Particularly useful in this segment is the fact that Fiat 500 is available in manual and automatic. The five-speed manual transmission is a delight and involving to drive. Fiat’s MTA transmission allows the convenience and comfort of two-pedal motoring while remaining affordable and reliable when it comes to maintenance and running costs. Of course, being a Fiat, the MTA remains engaging to drive because the driver can pre-empt gearchanges, heightening involvement and overall fun.

All four trim levels of the Fiat 500 are available in hatchback guise, while the cabriolet 500C is reserved for Dolcevita and Sport derivatives. Manual transmission is available in Cult, Connect and Sport hatchbacks as well as the 500C Sport, while MTA is reserved for 500 and 500C Dolcevita models.

With seven airbags as standard, the Fiat 500 set the benchmark for safety in the segment. Active crash protection includes front airbags for driver and passenger, along with knee airbags, side airbags and curtain airbags. Those daytime running lights – inspired by the zero in the 500 logo – create added visibility on the road, along with their distinctive cool factor.

ABS is standard across the range, as is Electronic Stability Control. For added convenience, the hill-holder will make you look like a pro on every uphill pull off and take away just one traffic stress. Another particularly useful driver aid is the speed limiter. Located under the steering wheel, once set it will not allow the car to exceed the speed you set it at.

Enjoy the Uconnect^TM seven-inch HD touchscreen with “tablet effect” and HD display that includes a range of function, including a hands-free system, Bluetooth technology and voice recognition. Available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto^TM compatibility, the system has a user-friendly interface that will allow you to easily manage maps, music, contacts and more. All safely within reach while you drive.

Uconnect^TM five-inch radio adds a large touchscreen with DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) digital radio tuner in addition to steering wheel controls and hand-free Bluetooth function.

The Uconnect^TM seven-inch system with DAB+ features a large format display with “smart gesture” functionality to have control literally at your fingertips. It can optionally be equipped with HD Navigation that includes the TomTom navigator with 3D maps.

Pricing

Cult Manual - R219 900

Connect Manual - R260 900

Sport Manual - R269 900

Dolcevita Automatic - R274 900

Sport Cabriolet Manual - R319 900

Dolcevita Cabriolet Automatic  - R324 900

www.fiat.co.za