Automatic Sport Cars

Almost every report on the 2012 Fiat 500 cites BMW's Mini and its highly successful rebirth as a boutique go-kart. While the reborn Cinquecento carries similar luster—European roots, a distant heritage that includes some racing lore, a cuteness factor usually reserved for babies and furry animals--Fiat's four-seat hipster is hardly the mechanical tour de force that makes Mini such a winner.

Our 500 is not exactly the same as the car sold in Europe. To pass more stringent crash regulations in the U.S., the 500 has a new rear structure and a slightly different torsion-beam rear-suspension design. Other differences between the U.S. and European versions are mostly related to comfort: wider and flatter seats, more sound-deadening material, and the addition of an armrest for the driver. Mechanically, a conventional six-speed automatic transmission will be available. Fiat’s tuning of the chassis and electric power steering are slightly different as well, with the latter actually being slightly quicker than the European steering.
 That's not to say the car is a dud to drive. In the run-up to the 500's debut in February in U.S. showrooms, we enjoyed test drives from the winding back roads of New York's Hudson Valley to the hills and valleys surrounding San Diego in Southern California. While that's enough sampling to say definitively that the 500 is no Mini when it comes to carving up corners, the car does corner the market on other redeeming factors.

Pricing, for instance, starts at $16,000 for a well-equipped car, undercutting the Mini by about $4,000 and putting it up against other similarly equipped small entries such as the Ford Fiesta and the Nissan Juke. Content is solid, with seven airbags, active head restraints, antilock brakes, stability control and tire-pressure monitors all standard.
 The suspension keeps the standard 15-inch or optional 16-inch tires planted in hard cornering. The steering can be a little too light in normal driving mode, but when you flick the dash-mounted sport-mode switch, it tightens the steering feel while improving throttle response and transmission mapping (on automatic models). The brakes are excellent, and overall, the car feels reasonably spry and is fun to drive.

Three trim levels will be available. The most basic will be called Pop, and it starts at $16,000. Standard equipment will include air conditioning, 15-inch steel wheels, stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, seven airbags, power windows and locks, and a tire-repair kit. For those who demand more luxury in their tiny Italian cars—and who doesn’t?—Fiat will offer the $20,000 Lounge trim level, which adds a fixed glass roof, 15-inch aluminum wheels, satellite radio, fog lights, a Bose audio system, leather seats and steering wheel, cruise control, Bluetooth, and a USB port for MP3-player integration.

The version we’re most likely to plunk down our lira for is the $18,000 model. Fiat calls it Sport, but it’s not any more powerful than the other 500 models; the moniker comes from the firmer suspension tune. Additionally, the Sport is upgraded from the Pop with 16-inch aluminum wheels, red brake calipers, unique front and rear fascias, a Bose audio system, and Bluetooth. Options available among the various trim levels include heated seats, a removable navigation system by TomTom, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, an $850 power sunroof, and the automatic transmission for $1000.
The 500 coming to the States is powered by a Dundee, Mich.-built 1.4-liter, 101-hp, 98-lb-ft inline-four-cylinder gasoline engine with Fiat's MultiAir--the first U.S. application of a technology that independently manages intake and exhaust valves. A hydraulic system operates the intake valves for a more precise amount of air allowed into the combustion chamber. The management helps return 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway for the manual model, while the automatic returns 27 mpg city and 34 mpg highway. The engine pulls well for such a small-displacement mill, without a lot of collateral racket and without the aid of a turbocharger. Extra boost will come early in 2012, when Fiat brings us the 148-hp Abarth performance edition now enjoyed by enthusiasts in Europe. A battery-electric model will follow by the end of 2012.
The plant in Mexico can build 100,000 cars annually, with half slated for North America and the other half heading to South America, primarily Brazil. The concessions made for the U.S. market--a quieter cabin, larger seats, cup-holders big enough to swallow Big Gulps, not to mention a six-speed automatic transmission not available elsewhere--should all help make the reborn 500 a success here, just as it has been in other markets. To date, Fiat has sold 500,000 of the 500s in 80 countries.

As with the Mini, the 500's tiny-tot styling draws attention and smiles at every turn. While it might take a bit longer to get to those turns and through them than in a Mini, you will be doing so with Italian style, and that's one thing the Mini can't deliver.