Fiat 500C Reviews

Fiat is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the unveiling of the original Abarth 595 at the 1963 Turin Motor Show by launching a tribute edition based on its latest 500 hatch.  And we can expect to see the newcomer here next year."We are hoping to get some of the Abarth 595’s in Australia, but exact volumes are still to be confirmed," Fiat-Chrysler spokesperson Karla Leach says.  "We expect to have them in Australia by mid-year,  2014."The modern version will don the famous red and white livery of the original but will make its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show this week, following which just 299 examples will be built.The modern Abarth 595 carries the same engine as the current Abarth 695, a 132kW/250Nm turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder matched to what’s referred to as an “Abarth Competizione” gearbox -- an automated manual unit that channels drive to the front wheels. Other specs include 17-inch alloy wheels, uprated Brembo brakes and new shock absorbers. There’s also a sports exhaust system dubbed the Record Monza.Just as the exterior has been designed to match that of the original, so has the cabin, which sports red leather trim, red stitching and a dashboard that is also red. The historical logo adorns both the black leather steering wheel with red inserts, and custom door sills have also been fitted.The original Abarth 595 helped put the Abarth brand on the map. It proved an immediate success thanks to its strong performance, unusual for such a small car, and helped deliver many race victories.www.motorauthority.com 

The Townsville dealership of China's Great Wall Motors is to have a new showroom. The Motoco Group, operated by Jason Collins and Alan Baxter, has confirmed its purchase of the former BP service station site at the corner of Bowen Rd and Balls Lane, Mundingburra, for $1 million.The firm will spend about another $500,000 converting the property into a showroom and car yard for the dealership, which it has operated for about four years. It will also sell Foton light trucks. Motoco dealer Jason Collins said the Great Wall team, which had traded almost opposite on Bowen Rd alongside its used car business, had earned its new location.“They should have their own stand-alone facility,” Mr Collins said. “We are consistently in the top 10 in Australia with Great Wall.” There are about 80 Great Wall dealerships around the country and the number is growing. It is one of the largest manufacturers in China, where the auto industry has exploded in recent years to become the world's largest vehicle maker.Work to fit out the new Townsville showroom has just began. “It will be gutted and turned into a showroom with a new glass facade and a modern awning,” Mr Collins said. He said they were confident about the prospects for business in Townsville despite a difficult market recently.“Townsville has been very good to this business,” Mr Collins said. “Talking to the Gold Coast dealers, they are still doing it tough and there's a general feeling that we have it far better in this area.” Peter Wheeler of Colliers International Townsville, who negotiated the sale of the 2233sq m property, said the purchase opposite Motoco's Audi Townsville Centre was a logical extension of their business.But with interest rates at their lowest levels for some 50 years, it was also a well-timed move. “Now really is the time to be buying. It's a good time to be getting into the market,” Mr Wheeler said. The Motoco Group which also operates in Cairns was formerly Honeycombes Cars. It has dealerships in Audi, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, Great Wall, Peugeot, Winnebago and Millard. It is also involved in Rising Sun Marine and Townsville Suzuki Marine dealerships.tony.raggatt@news.com.au 

Fiat is no stranger to special editions. First, there was the “So Pink” version of the 500, which titillated Mary Kay representatives around the globe. It was followed by the “Pink Ribbon” edition, which promoted breast cancer awareness. And then we saw the “500 by Gucci” model -- a model that proved so popular, the company recently brought it back from the fashion grave.Now, we have the Fiat 500c GQ edition, which is, according to a press release, “designed for the athletic yet style-conscious lifestyle of the modern man”. On the “athletic” side, the GQ edition comes with the same 1.4-litre MultiAir turbocharged engine found in the 500 Turbo. Mated to a five-speed manual transmission, that engine churns out 120 kilowatts and up to 230 Newton Metres of torque.Most of the other features on this special-edition fall into the “style-conscious” category. The 500c GQ features snazzy new 16-inch aluminium wheels finished in Hyper Nero (i.e. black), with a Rosso (red) accent in the middle.Subtle sills along the side boost the city car's sporty appearance without looking gimmicky. The headlamps, tail lamps, and parking lamps are finished in a Glossy version of Nero, and at the bottom of the B-pillar, you'll find a “GQ 500” badge.The interior echoes the exterior's understated, manly vibe. There's a three-spoke steering wheel trimmed in black leather -- leather that continues along the top of the dashboard, hopscotching onto the shift knob, and landing comfortably on the car's sport seats.Those seats are accented with inserts of Alcantara (a featured fabric on Lincoln's new “Black Label” models), with spiffy leather rings in Steam (aka white) and “GQ” logos on the back. To give the whole look a bit of polish, the interior is dotted with accents of satin chrome.The Fiat 500c GQ edition will come with four exterior paint options: Nero, Bianco (white), Argento (silver), and Granito Lucente (granite crystal). However, the fabric roof appears to come in one colour only: Nero. Pricing isn't available just yet, but the Fiat 500c GQ is expected to appear early next year as a 2014 model-year vehicle.www.thecarconnection.com 

.star {width:135px;}#article-corpus {width:100%; padding-right: 0;}Kia Rondo SLi and Fiat Freemont Lounge go head-to-head in this comparative review. 

The first Fiat to be produced in partnership with the Chrysler Group, the Freemont has a touch of the quirkiness of Italian cars of old, plus the practicality of a modern family vehicle.  Starting at a little less than $26,000, it aims to attract buyers across the recreational and family segments.Available in three specification levels - Base, Urban and Lounge - Freemont is powered by a petrol or diesel engine, it comes in two-wheel drive guise only, with power put to ground up front via a six-speed automatic (petrol), or six-speed manual (diesel) transmission.Base, Urban and Lounge models come with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated with a six-speed automatic transmission, while the Urban is also available with a 2.0-litre diesel motor putting power through a six-speed manual gearbox.The 2.4-litre petrol engine produces up to 125 kW of power, and 220 Nm of torque at 4500 rpm while the turbo-diesel engine achieves 125 kW at 4000 rpm and 350 Nm between 1750 and 2500 revs. Both engines were developed by Fiat, which is one of the world’s leading engine designers.With a standard five-seat layout and up to 1461 litres of cargo space, Freemont comes with the option of seven places courtesy of a third row of seats. This Fiat is the poster boy for passenger cabin storage with more than 20 compartments, making it one of the most family friendly vehicles around.Passenger convenience is paramount. From the word go the Freemont is welcoming, the rear doors fitted with a new three-stage 90-degree hinge, which when fully open, offers space to load a child seat into the second row or to provide easy access to the third row.Initially opening to 26 degrees, the door allows passengers to get out without smashing the door against another vehicle parked close by. A second 58-degree position is wide enough to allow passengers to enter the cabin easily.Access to the rear cargo area, or optional third row of seats where fitted, is made all the more easy by a ‘Tip ‘N Slide’ system, with one simple movement of a conveniently placed lever on the side of the backrest.Ambient lighting sets the scene for occupants who are offered a good all-round view no matter where they are positioned thanks to stadium-style seating which rises in height from front to back row. Rear storage space is set off by a front passenger seat cushion that can be moved forward to reveal a compartment which can be used to store personal belongings. The back of the seat folds forward to transport long objects.The backrest of the second row of seats is foldable in a 60:40 ratio, the central section can be folded separately to form an armrest and includes two cup holders and a compartment for storing small objects.There’s even storage under foot with the floor of the second row housing two lidded compartments with removable and washable bins offering more than 12 litres of space.There is no argument about the Freemont’s safety features with more than a third of the vehicle's structure including high strength steel sheets designed to optimise the body's weight and structural resistance.The extensive use of dual-phase steel in the front and rear side members and tunnel reinforcement mean these components can handle larger loads with relatively limited dimensions, thus saving weight without sacrificing structural strength.Active safety systems include anti-skid braking with electronic brake force distribution, electronic stability program and traction control, electronic roll-over mitigation, plus the aforementioned hill holder.Tyre pressures are constantly monitored and the driver warned of any problems, and rear parking sensors alert the driver to objects in the way.Passive safety is in the hands of six airbags, fitted as standard on all vehicles in the range, along with active headrests and three-point seatbelts for all seats. The front seatbelts are also equipped with pretensioners and load limiters. Isofix attachments and child boosters ensure children are seated correctly.Our Freemont Urban test vehicle was powered by the 2.0 MultiJet 2 diesel motor equipped with a variable geometry turbocharger and state-of-the-art second generation MultiJet technology earning a top-rate Euro 5 emission standard.With maximum torque of 350 Nm coming in at a low 1750 rpm and constant up to 2500 rpm, performance was impressive. During normal usage up to 3000 revs, with torque not falling below 300 Nm, gear shifts were kept to a minimum and uncomfortable downshifts avoided. Acceleration was leisurely, but who cares? This isn’t a sports wagon.Our test car with the diesel engine clocked just 5L/100km at a steady 100km/h on the highway and straddled 7L/100km in day-to-day city work.It scored well with acceptable engine noise in the cabin during normal operation. However, the hill holder function was reluctant to let go, giving the driver cause to over-rev the engine at times. When the brake was finally let loose, the Freemont surged, the wheels at one time spinning with an embarrassing squeal. My solution was to blip the throttle to release the brake, then move off.Reverse gear tended to be a bit hit and miss, needing firm handling of the gear lever, while headlamps suffered from a narrow lateral arc of operation, with predominant illumination limited to straight ahead, leaving the driver in the dark on turning corners at night.

.star {width:135px;}#article-corpus {width:100%; padding-right: 0;}Toyota Yaris YR and Fiat Punto Pop go head-to-head in this comparative review. 

Fresh from the excitement of slashing prices and therefore greatly increasing sales of the Fiat 500 in Australia, the new importer has reintroduced its Punto hatchback.Now that Fiat Australia is controlled by the Italian head office, rather than a private importer, the Italian marque is pushing to become a mainstream player.Punto came to Australia between 2006 and 2010, but sold in modest numbers as it was expensive and not promoted with any real vigour. That’s about to change as the ‘new’ Fiat Australia has dramatically reduced prices and is about to launch a major advertising campaign.Almost nine million Fiat Puntos have been sold globally in the past 20 years and the new president of Fiat in Australia, Veronica Johns, is confident she can play her part in helping it reach the magic figure of 10 million in the next year or so.Unlike the cute Fiat 500, and the trendsetting Fiat Panda that’s due in Australia late in 2013, Fiat Punto is aimed at relatively conservative buyers. Hence it has neat but somewhat subdued styling. While the Punto has lines that are smooth and likely to prove timeless, it certainly didn’t create any visual interest from during our introductory test drives out of Brisbane.In Europe the Punto’s chief competitors are Volkswagen Polo, another vehicle that leans in the conservative direction so there’s no doubt the Italian designers are on the right track.However, Fiat dealers carry an extensive range of customisation gear so your Punto can take its own direction in the styling stakes. More about this in a moment.The engine in the Punto is the basic version of Fiat’s 1.4-litre four-cylinder unit. With only two valves per cylinder it has a power output of just 57 kW. Peak torque is 115 Nm at 3250 revs.The recommended retail price of $16,000 driveaway for the Punto Pop five-speed manual is significantly lower than that of Polo, Yaris, Mazda2, i20, Rio and a host of other cars in an exceptionally crowded market segment. Should you want an automatic transmission, Fiat’s Dualogic, which is an automated manual not a full auto, costs $17,500 driveaway.Be aware that these driveaway prices are only for the Punto Pop, you have to factor in on-road costs in the other two models in the Punto range.Far from being a stripped down ‘get-them-into-the-showroom’ special the entry level Punto Pop has a fair bit of gear; the denim inserts in the seats make a statement, the six-speaker radio/CD/MP3 audio system has steering wheel controls, and the Fiat Blue&Me hands-free Bluetooth phone setup reduces the dangers of driver inattention.Next up the line, the Punto Easy has 15-inch alloy wheels, a fancier design of dashboard, a leather wrapped steering wheel and gear lever, a front seat armrest, and rear parking sensors.The range-topping Fiat Punto Lounge has 16-inch alloys, a pair of sports seats in the front, a soft-touch finish to the dash, climate control air conditioning, ambient lighting and automatic windscreen wipers.A huge range of accessories and custom features is on offer. Some of our favourite dress-up items are checkered-flag covers for the door mirrors, Italian national-colours decals on the B-pillars, a twin-tailpipe extension on the exhaust and Fiat embossed covers for the tyre valve caps. Not to forget a huge choice of side stripes and alloy wheels.Major active safety items are ESC and ABS and hill-hold. Passive safety is by way of seven airbags on all models with the exception of the Pop, which misses out on a driver’s knee bag.It comes as no surprise that this low-power engine is no ball of fire and requires frequent use of the gearbox to keep it working in a reasonable manner. The change action of the manual is better than average for a front-drive car and driving a car like this can be fun for those who love their manuals.The Dualogic generally changed down promptly under its own volition, and has manual overrides should you decide your driving skill need to be called upon. Having said all that, if you’re looking for a performance hatch you should probably shop elsewhere.

You've got to hand it to Fiat for having another crack at the Aussie market after a number of previous half-hearted attempts under private importers. They're serious this time with a factory owned local operation.First cab off the rank, the tiddler-size 500, recently came in for some "repositioning" (price reductions) and now the Italian manufacturer is re-introducing the Punto, a biggish light car now offered from a start price of $16,000 drive away for the base model Pop.Before the end of the year we'll see the practical little Panda coming in to compete against a rash of similar size small SUVs from left, right and centre. Fiat also has two light commercial vehicles in the Ducato and Scudo vans and there's also the Freemont people mover (aka Dodge Journey).But focus this month is on the rebirth of Punto, a model that's been around since 2006. The local Fiat outfit has opted for Punto in five door hatch configuration only in Pop, Easy and Lounge grades. All share the same naturally aspirated 1.4-litre petrol engine while the Pop is the only one to get a five-speed manual with optional five-speed Dualogic automated manual transmission ($1500)  standard on Easy and Lounge grades.The engine passes Euro 5 emissions regulations despite having a single camshaft and only eight valves. It's an old plonker for sure but sips 91 octane fuel lightly on the way to achieving a modest 57kW/115Nm output.This is adequate to push the one tonne Punto along at a respectable clip provided you don't expect anything remotely sporty. In Dualogic mode, it's even more relaxed and has the annoying trait of lurching between gear changes. Get the manual every day unless you want to turn into a nodding dog.Punto has auto stop/start, gear shift indicator and eco:Drive software to help drivers learn economical driving techniques.It's all adhoc stuff that skirts the real issue  a lack of powertrain technology to assist efficiency.Punto scores a five star ANCAP rating and comes with a reasonable amount of equipment in the base model including a multi-function wheel, Bluetooth phone, USB connector, decent audio, aircon, power front windows, remote headlight height adjust, daytime running lights, folding rear seats, full size spare and other stuff.But you only get plastic wheel covers for the cheap 15-inch steelies, a hard plastic dash, wind up rear windows, drum rear brakes and modest rear seat legroom.The Punto is old school hatchback, innocuous but not exciting at all. It looks a little like a Nissan Micra at the front and an earlier Ford Fiesta at the rear.  It won't offend anyone that's for sure. It's the same in the cabin -- small econobox, nothing flash but it's functional and has a pleasing appearance to the dash.We drove Punto Pop in a city environment and it proved quite a handy tool nipping through tight laneways, parking in small places and using as little as 7.4-litres/100km in the city. That drops to 5.4L on a combined city/highway circuit for the Dualogic cars.The ride is comfortable from a strut front and torsion beam suspension system and the electric steering is light and has some 'feel.' But you have to row through the gears to get it going with any purpose. With Dualogic, that means using the manual selector system.We kinda like the Punto because it's something different to the rash of Japanese and Korean cars in this segment. We'd have one over something like a (cheaper) Suzuki Alto or Mitsubishi Mirage every day because Punto has a proper four cylinder engine and doesn't look like a Noddy car. But it needs a turbodiesel engine option -- possible down the track.

The Fiat Punto is back with a fresh face and a $4000 price cut. The Italian five-door hatch now starts at $16,000 drive-away, making it one of the cheapest Europeans on the market.The Punto disappeared from Australian showrooms three years ago after slow sales. But it’s back with a revised model line-up that takes in some minor visual changes to the lights and bumpers and an updated interior.Priced from $16,000 drive-away, the Punto now comes with Bluetooth phone connectivity but still lacks wireless audio streaming. The Punto Pop comes with a USB port located in the glovebox (hidden behind a little rubber bung type protector) while the Easy and Lounge have their Aux in and USB ports exposed in the centre console. The Punto also has one of the cheapest satellite navigation upgrades in the business. The $595 optional touchscreen plugs in to the top of the dash.The 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine produces 57 kW and 115Nm. There's a choice of either a five-speed manual or five-speed robotised manual transmission.Armed with six airbags and stability control the previous generation Punto scored a five-star safety rating from ANCAP. The new one has not been tested but it’s unlikely to have gone backwards.The Punto has been around since 2006. As it approaches its eighth birthday (old age in the car world) this is its third update. It still drives well, soaks up the daily grind with ease and visibility is good all around because of the large glass area (at a time when car windows appear to be getting smaller).But the 1.4-litre petrol engine is a little underdone even in small car terms. When matched to the optional five-speed robotised manual ($1500 more) it can be downright frustrating. Unlike the more modern twin-clutch automated gearboxes, this is an older design and the shifts are slower and more pronounced.In practical terms it means the Punto is slow to grab a new gear and it can feel like an eternity, even if it does only take a few seconds to respond. Modern automated twin-clutch gearboxes shift in milliseconds. Three-point turns come with a new level of anxiety with one of these gearboxes. You have been warned.The reason the Italians are slow to embrace twin-clutch or even conventional automatic gearbox technology is because manual gearboxes still account for the majority of sales in Europe. In Australia it’s the other way around.Sharpening the purchase price makes the Punto a more attractive position than before but Fiat does not yet have capped price servicing, so be sure to shop around.Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first) and the warranty is three years/150,000km (the distance sounds generous but in reality Fiat know most drivers rarely do more than 50,000km over three years).This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling