Getting in gear: The attractive dash-mounted gear lever works beautifully with short throws

The Fiat 500 has made waves all over the world with its cuteness and capability — everyone wants one, and not only because it won the European Car of the Year award. But how did a basic step up from a Vespa scooter, much like our Nano, turn into a global fashion statement? The lines of the original Fiat 500 were cute and Mickey Mouse-like, and Fiat has done a fantastic job staying with the look on this new car. The smiling bumper, the cute eyes, the spot-on proportions and the truncated rear all work to make it a piece of scrumptious eye candy.

The retro attack carries on inside: Fiat uses a piece of body-coloured plastic on the inside across the dash to deliver the feel of an old car and cream-coloured plastic bits only enhance this. Like the Bakelite steering wheels on old Fiats and Mercs, it lends plenty of retro feel, and this is only heightened by the large steering wheel boss and neo- retro instrument cluster, itself a work of art. Build quality on the insides is very good, with everything having a robust, typically Fiat build. However don’t expect BMW or Merc levels of quality in the interiors, this is, after all, a cheap car after you subtract the import duty.

What is surprisingly good for a tiny car like this one is comfort in the front seats; they are surprisingly large and the car feels about as wide as a Hyundai i10 on the inside. However, you are perched high on the seats and getting the right driving position takes some amount of seat adjustment. The rear seats are not full-sized as in a Palio or even an i10, but they can seat adults. Some amazing packaging is responsible for this feat, because even though the seats are flat, firm and small, you are not uncomfortable. There is sufficient legroom as well once you are seated.

The car we have is a diesel, a 75bhp version of Fiat’s 1.3 Multijet, the same as in the Swift and now the Palio. As seen with this motor, there is a little turbo lag, which takes some getting used to. Still, it pulls well from 1800rpm onwards; the elasticity and verve experienced after that are very good. The 980kg weight of the 500 does play a part, the car after all is only 3.5 metres long. But it is significantly larger than the original 500 of the ’50s.

Though it has enough power to get the job done and does not feel slow, especially on Mumbai’s streets, performance is neither spellbinding nor much better than cars like the Swift. Honourable mention however must be made of the attractive dash-mounted gear lever that works beautifully with short throws.

The 500 also has substantial grip thanks to the wide 195 tyres that hold on gamely. You can turn hard into corners and the 500 will hold on, with body roll well contained. The electric steering can be made much lighter for city driving. However, driving through Mumbai’s streets in the wee hours of the morning isn’t quite as much fun as I imagined it would be.

Yes, the Fiat scoots through bylanes and around roundabouts like a frisky puppy, but that essential something is missing. The steering feels lifeless, even in normal mode; the car has no appetite for speed when cornered. And as you go faster, it drives like the over-tyred basic front-wheel-drive car that it is.

Is this likely to stop the boutique-clad set from putting down hard cash for this car? We think not.What might, however, is the thumpy ride and some amount of road noise. On its short wheelbase and massive 16-inch wheels, the 500 has an inherent disadvantage as far as the ride is concerned. To make matters worse, the tyres have a low profile. The 500 is a so-so ride on most relatively smooth surfaces but it thumps over rutted and potholed sections of Mumbai’s roads.

Of course the expected price, about Rs 13 lakh, leaves most people scratching their heads — who in their right mind would buy an impractical two-door hatchback for this price if they were just looking for transport? The 500 will be imported into India more as a fashion icon rather than a volume small car, and Fiat hopes that its massive appeal will override cold logic and win over hearts nevertheless. Fingers crossed, then…

spec check

Fiat 500

• Price: Rs 13 lakh (estimated)
• No of cylinders: Four
• Engine displacement: 1248cc
• Maximum power: 75bhp at 4000rpm
• Maximum torque: 14.8kgm at 1500rpm
• Transmission: 5-speed manual
• Tyres: 195/45 R16
• Fuel tank capacity: 61 litres
• Fuel efficiency: NAkpl
• Length: 3546mm
• Width: 1627mm
• Height: 1488mm
• Wheelbase: 2300mm
• Vehicle kerb weight: 980kg