street // drift // race // life February 2010

Te s t / /
Road

t 5 0 0 C
F i a
less is more?
As spring knocks on our door, Aaron Weeddell
samples the delights of the dinky Fiat 500C.

The ‘C’ in the Fiat 500 C moniker. However handling does

stands for convertible not seem to be top of
The key reason for the
but as the observant the list of priorities for the
design is history- the 500 C
amongst you will notice, now not-so-diminutive
is a modern reimagining
in side profile with the Cinquecento as it is
of the original 1957 500,
fabric roof section in marketed as a lifestyle
aping its forebear’s
place it looks almost vehicle with no bold
sardine-can fabric roof
exactly like its hatchback claims being made as to
which actually predated
stable mate thanks to its b-road bashing ability. It
the tin top. Not only does
the side pillars remaining would be lazy to label the
the roof provide a clear
unchanged. So perhaps 500 C purely as a vehicle
link to the original model,
not what one would for style conscious lady
it allows the new 500 C to
expect when thinking of folk but Fiat themselves
retain greater structural
convertible motoring as expect 70% of buyers
rigidity meaning that not
it does not offer the full to be female. With their
only does it retain the
al fresco experience but promotional literature
hatchback’s Euro NCAP
as my handy dictionary mentioning a make-up
5-star safety rating but
offers up the definition holder and a Swarovski
it should also handle
of convertible as ‘having embellished key among
somewhat better than the
a folding top, as an the car’s plus-points,
aforementioned pleasure
automobile or pleasure it’s fair to say that tyre-
boat.
boat’ it is an accurate shredding performance

PAGE 02 WWW.STIFFMAGAZINE.CO.UK STREET // DRIFT // RACE // LIFE

Photos// Steven Hall www.stevehallphotography.net
and the ability to pull buffeting becomes an versions (Pop and Lounge)
extreme lateral g are not issue above 40mph or so and three interior trims
key selling points of what is
but this is swiftly rectified with different fabrics or
broadly intended to be a by dropping the top leather, as well as over 100
fun city-car. to its full extent. At this accessory combinations
point, rearward vision created for the 500. In
As with the hatchback,
is hampered by the terms of the oily bits, three
the 500 C boasts the same
concertinaed fabric but options are available from
character-rich interior
out on the road utilising the 75bhp 1.3-litre MultiJet
from the large instrument
the large door mirrors turbodiesel through 69bhp
binnacle to the deliciously
soon becomes second 1.2 litre and 100bhp 1.4
retro colour-coded lower
nature rather than relying litre petrol engines with
dashboard. Everything is
entirely on the rear-view an automatic option
logically presented and
mirror. Reversing can be a available on the last two.
as you get acquainted
chore but parking sensors The 100bhp option has
the dash-mounted
are an option or you can been roundly praised
gearshift falls to hand
simply take a few seconds teamed (?) with the
and the major controls
to partially close the roof Panda and this is likely to
feel of a reasonably high
which brings the heated remain the performance
construction. There are
rear glass window back range-topper with no
some cheaper looking
into place thus restoring Abarth version imminent.
plastics such as around
visibility. It is also worthy
the centre console but In give and take driving
of note that the roof is
these have wisely been the differences between
operable up to a useful
used for the less tactile the diesel and top-petrol
37mph.
areas. variants are actually
In common with the Mini few- the petrol is naturally
Obviously the main
customisation is a key freer revving and would
draw of the 500 C is the
part of Cinq ownership doubtlessly develop a
folding fabric roof which
and as such there is an further appetite for the
electrically retracts in
extensive range of options upper-echelons of the
two stages- a mid-range
distinguished by eleven rev range as it became
sunroof arrangement and
paint finishes (including looser with a few miles
a fully folded position. In
three new convertible under its Continentals. But
the mid/spoiler position
colours), two equipment in-gear times are not a
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PAGE 06 WWW.STIFFMAGAZINE.CO.UK STREET // DRIFT // RACE // LIFE
gulf apart with the diesel’s
75bhp giving way to the
petrol’s 100 but clawing
back ground with its extra
torque. Although neither
is exactly the last word in
performance, each has
its charms. The diesel
develops a decent if
characteristically short-
lived burst of torque in
2nd gear allowing for
reasonable urge out of
lower speed corners whilst
the 1.4 ‘s more incisive
response to throttle inputs
and swifter 0-60 time of
10.5 seconds (against the
diesels 12.5) allows you
to exploit gaps in traffic
more readily. As a result,
the nature of the car is
better characterised by its does get a little out of
comparative zip and brio. phase over continued
Although one shouldn’t high speed undulations,
forget the 1.2 petrol which grip levels are high and
warrants a mention as a the chassis reacts well
compromise between enough to inputs. But it’s
the two models- putting definitely set up for safe
forth a 0-60 time 0.4 of a push-on understeer even
second behind that of the when provoked. Not that
diesel but with a relatively it does encourage one
lowly 69bhp and 75lb/ft to provoke it or really
it is not as accomplished grab it by the scruff of
as the other options when the neck which is a tad
the road opens up. disappointing as I was
hoping for a car that
As I touched on earlier,
would appreciate a bit
dynamically it’s not awe-
of proper cut and thrust
inspiring but then nor is
Italian-style driving should
that intended to be its
the mood take you. But
forte. The ride is compliant
to bemoan this point is
and soft enough to absorb
perhaps to miss the point
bumps and ruts at town
of the 500 C.
speeds but the damping
In the real world each
variant of the 500 C makes
different arguments as an
ownership proposition- the
1.2 Pop starts at £11,300
substantially undercutting
the £12,505 and £12,700 of
the larger capacity petrol
and diesel respectively.
Combined with road tax
of just £30, if you can live
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without the performance engine variants but in
advantages its 55.4mpg terms of smiles per mile for
combined figure beats the a car that remains mostly
1.4’s 46.3 and compares city-bound a few choice
favourably with the derv’s options on the base 1.2
67.3, particularly when Pop is arguably the best
you take into account the choice. In the case of
£1,400 price difference. the 500 C- less can most
Obviously there are some definitely offer more.
standard features that
also differ between the www.fiat.co.uk