The refreshed Fiat 500 has been revealed with a number of exterior and interior changes. Fiat says more than 1 800 changes were made to the car. Let’s take a quick look at what the new Fiat 500 has to offer…

New Look for Fiat 500

The size of the Fiat 500 has remained the same, standing 3.57m long, 1.63m wide and 1.49m tall. The round headlights have been reworked and are now slanted and LED daytime running lights can be seen in the lower cluster. Chrome ‘whiskers’ flank the Fiat badge which is set in a more pronounced front-end. The side profile remains round with large side windows, a short bonnet and minimal overhang with the belt line inclined to the front.

The rear-end features a chrome-plated handle and new tailights with the reverse light and fog lights set in the lower black or chrome-plated grille. The Fiat 500 also sports new 15 and 16-inch wheel designs with a choice of 13 body colors and numerous cutomisation options.

On the inside, the interior is all-new, with the dashboard now incorporating the Uconnect infotainment system with a 5-inch screen. The steering wheel has been redesigned with new buttons and a 7-inch TFT display in the instrument cluster can be had on the top-spec Lounge model. The seats have been redone too, and feature a range of upholstery options and Fiat has also taken the time to apply more sound-deadening materials to reduce noise in the cabin.Three trim levels will be available from launch including Pop, Popstar and Lounge. At this stage, we’re not sure what the South African market will be getting.

Engine Choice

Three choices of engines are initially available for the Fiat 500, mated to either a five and six-speed transmission or a Dualogic robotised transmission. The first engine is a 0.9-litre TwinAir engine available in two states of tune, offering either 63 kW or 78 kW. Fuel consumption on the 63 kW version is rated at only 3.8L/100km.

There will also be a 1.2-litre engine offering 51 kW as well as a two-cylinder 1.2-litre EasyPower engine also offering 51 kW. Additional engines, including a 1.3-litre turbodiesel engine, will be added to the range at a later stage. In other markets, the new Fiat 500 can also be equipped with a 48 kW 0.9-litre TwinAir engine or a 75 kW 1.4-litre naturally aspirated engine.