Fiat 500T is much more than ‘cute’
New turbo engine has power to spare
I have never encountered a vehicle that people who normally don’t care about cars get this excited about. As soon as the word got out that I was testing a red Fiat 500, my Facebook and text message inbox was inundated with requests for a ride in the little runabout.
When I told people I was driving a Fiat, the reaction was mostly a variation of, “Awhhh! Those are sooo cute!”
Did they care that it has an awesome little 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder? Nope. How about the sport-tuned suspension? Nah. That the excellent sound system in my tester was designed by the folks at Beats by Dre? Barely. All they knew is that they wanted to sit in it.
And after driving it, I completely understand why.
It is nearly impossible to be in a bad mood while driving the Fiat 500. It’s the happiest car in the world, and it really rubs off. If the Fiat could talk, it would say, “Ciao, bella! Look at me! Wheeeee! I’m driving! I’m so happy to be alive!”
The people at Fiat have done a magnificent job in making sure people know about the car’s happy disposition. With its clever marketing campaigns, it has diverted attention from the car’s flaws and made it an object of desire, capable of stirring emotion in the most far removed of gear heads.
And the Fiat has many flaws, but because of the sheer joy it brings, it is very easy to forgive them.
While the main complaint with the first Fiat on Canadian shores was that it was underpowered, the sweet turbocharged engine goes above and beyond fixing that gripe. Although 135 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque don’t seem like numbers to brag about, the turbocharged engine is more than capable of moving the light 500 (it’s essentially a tuned-down version of the motor in the mighty Abarth). At idle, the little four-cylinder purrs quietly, but once the throttle is buried, a surprisingly menacing exhaust note fills your ears. The fivespeed manual’s long bite and throws, along with its unique clutch and shifter position took a bit of getting used to, but turned out to be a fine performer, well matched to the sporty 500T.
Things are amped up a notch when you push the Sport button, which quickens throttle response and seems to deepen the exhaust note.
Although the exterior has been essentially the same since 2007, Fiat had to give this turbocharged model some attitude to match the exhaust note and sportier feel, and did so with some meanlooking 16-inch aluminum rims, chrome exhaust tips, red brake calipers, flared side sills and a rear spoiler.
But staying true to the Fiat’s happy personality, the cabin brings the 500 back to its cheery self. The cabin is simple and is characteristic of other cars in its segment, with the exception of a bodycoloured dash panel and retro touches such as round, chrome-trimmed buttons. The retro touches elevate the cabin and add to the car’s never-ending desire to make you smile.
Because of the Fiat’s small frame and barely there rear windows, blind spots were an issue. Fiat addressed this with a blind-spot mirror inside the driver’s side mirror — an extremely helpful addition.
The other problems are issues that plague the entire subcompact segment and are to be expected. These are tiny, front-wheel-drive, small-wheelbase cars, which means twitchy highway driving and considerable understeer when pushed into corners
Rear-seat room is laughable but it makes better storage for groceries than the trunk, which is a wee one.
Of course, being so small, the 500 is perfectly suited to be an urban runabout. Its fuel economy is respectable, it has peppy performance, it’s ridiculously easy to park and it stands out in a crowd.
The Fiat 500 is a charming car that makes me want to take the long way home. It makes me want to match my nail polish to the Rosso red exterior, sing out loud and drive all my friends around because nothing would make them, or me, happier.