The quirky cute Fiat 500C
What is it? The sweetest looking two-door compact car replicating the original and highly successful 500 from the fifties, now with a soft-top, hence the C after the number, for topless motoring.
Who would want one? Any fun loving type of girl that embraces life, lives it to the full and wants to let her hair down all the time.
The exhilarating thrill: Ah! Sadly there isn’t any under the bonnet as this car is rather sluggish on the up take. Where you will get your thrills is when the sun comes out and, by simply pressing a button, the canvas roof rolls back bringing on the pure unadulterated feeling of freedom that only open top motoring gives.
Wow factors to make the neighbours go green: Loads of funky colours to choose from. In addition you can choose either a black, red or ivory colour roof to either match or clash with the black or ivory colour interior plus the different colour fabrics available. Then come 15-inch alloy wheels, body coloured bumpers and body coloured electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors. Just to add salt to wound, dangle the colour coded ignition key fob that lights up and can be further embellished with a key cover made from crystallised Swarovski elements, in their faces.
On the other hand… A car for billy no mates as whist you can get one friend in the front, wow betide trying to get two mates in the back seats unless they are very very small as there is no leg room in the rear.
Where would the sunglasses fit? I cannot believe that a cabriolet car does not have a specified sunglasses holder! So try the tiny door pockets but not in the open glove box as they will slide out. Best keep them on you head – just in case.
Will it take the shopping? Only if you live on beans and toast.
Helping hands come in automatic climate control, electric windows, leather steering wheel with audio controls for the radio and CD player and parking sensors. What? On such a tiny car! Do theses male (well they would have to be) designers really think us girls are unable to park such as tiny car without audible help? Is that why they put in the “girlie” button that when pressed, lightens up the steering for effortless parking?
The Cleverest solution? Blue&Me hands free system with USB that once you have mastered the art of operating and come to terms with the really annoying woman’s voice telling you, sorry commanding you what to do, it even takes the whole contents of your mobile phone contacts list so you can simply speak the name of the person you want to call and hopefully she will understand who you have asked to call and dutifully dial that number.
Its most annoying feature: Its too small inside making it fiddly, bordering awkward from fumbling around getting the ignition key in, to struggling to move the front seats forwards in case you find a friend that wants to be tousled up in the rear.
The quirkiest accessory: Has to be the make up holder albeit a tad too small or am I getting too old thus requiring a larger compartment?
Avoiding the costly repair shop are sophisticated technical solutions such as ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD); an advanced Electronic Stability Program (ESP); Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR), a Hill Holder system – which helps rolling embarrassingly backwards on those pesky hill starts – and Hydraulic Brake Assistance (HBA) to help with emergency stops.
Keeping your precious cargo safe: Are seven airbags (two front, two window, two side and one knee bag), front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters. All seats have an anti-submarining system that stops you sliding underneath the seatbelt during an impact and if you can get to them, Isofix attachments for child car seats in the rear.
Avoiding it being nicked is simply remote central locking. But as you can personalise the 500C thieves may not like your chosen style so wont bother nicking it.
Star rating: 2/5 due to lack of storage solutions for our necessary bits, the irrating awkwardness of trying to fasten the seatbelt and if adjusting the seats you have to take off any rings from your fingers as the gap is so small.
Consider: A bit more gump in the 1.4 litre petrol engine variant
Web link: http://www.fiat.co.uk/
Jackie Violet
Motoring Correspondent
At a Glance
Test Model: 500C 1.2 Lounge
RRP: £ 13,865
Transmission: Five speed manual
0-62mph: 12.9 seconds
Top speed: 99 mph
Combined Fuel: 55.4 mpg
CO2 emissions: 113 g/km VED band
Insurance Group: 10
Horsepower: 69 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 10.4 Nm @ 3000 rpm
Tags: Car Reviews, motoring advice, motoring tips, womens motoring