Fiat 500 1.3 MultiJet Lounge

Sep 19 2008 Mike Torpey

ITALY has already fallen headlong in love with the car they call ?the little mouse? ? and Britain seems to be following suit.

Already the holder of eight international honours, including European Car of the Year 2008, the Fiat 500 serves up its own brand of La Dolce Vita.

This spiritual successor to the original 500, which ran from 1957 to 1975 and sold 3.8 million cars is a city slicker with bags of appeal.

Prices start at £7,905 for an exclusively three-door range that has achieved a maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating and comes equipped with seven airbags.

The car?s looks are both contemporary and retro, the interiors funky and amount of standard equipment generous, but the 500?s trump card is its upmarket feel.

Rather than being another cheap and cheerful offering from the Italian small car specialist it is actually a beautifully screwed together piece of kit made from premium materials and is well sound-proofed too.

It?s also quite spacious inside, particularly up front, and the foldable boot offers more space than a MINI.

Fiat has kept the line-up simple, its nine versions costing from £7,905 - £10,710 and embracing three trim levels ? Pop, Lounge and Sport ? while there?s a choice of three powerplants.

Most popular, and much the best value, is the 69bhp 1.2-litre petrol model in trendy Pop trim, while there?s also a 100bhp 1.4-litre unit plus the tested 75bhp 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel.

A keynote feature of the 500 is the scope for making each car unique.

There?s no model name badged on the cars? rear so owners of even the cheapest versions can spend anything from £100 for a coloured stripe or arrow to red brake callipers, or £350 for 17-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels.

And there are no less than half a million possible trim, colour and option combinations to ensure individuality.

All 500 models impress on the road as well. It?s easy to find a comfortable driving position, the wing mirrors are huge and the Fiat also feels stable, though its short wheelbase means you feel road imperfections that bit more.

The 1.3 diesel is lively to drive with some decent mid-range pulling power, the dilemma for customers being whether to fork out £1,400 more for an engine that will only return an extra dozen miles per gallon ? 67.3 as opposed to the 1.2-litre Pop?s 55.4 ? while the more desirable Lounge trim adds another £1,400 again.

Standard equipment is comprehensive, with the likes of ABS, remote central locking, seven airbags, electric front windows and door mirrors, an MP3-compatible CD player and Dualdrive electric power steering on every car.

Lounge trim adds air-con, a fixed glass roof, Blue&Me mobile phone and MP3 player connectivity with steering wheel controls, a chrome kit and 15-inch alloys.

I love the diesel, which is both quiet and refined, but the 1.2 Pop is the one to go for ? at the price it represents a value for money chunk of the sweet life.

FAST FACTS

Fiat 500 1.3 MultiJet Lounge 3dr

Price : £10,900

Mechanical : 75bhp, 1,248cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox

Max speed : 103mph

0-62mph : 12.5 secs

Combined mpg : 67.3

Insurance group : 5

CO2 emissions : 110g/km

BiK rating : 18%

Warranty : 3 yrs/ 60,000 miles, 3yrs paint, 8yrs anti-rust