Fiat 500C Reviews

The fastest growing vehicle segment in Australia is that of medium SUVs. So it comes as no surprise that Fiat, which is currently undergoing rapid expansion in Australia, has entered the arena with a model called the Freemont.Fiat Freemont, shares many components with the Dodge Journey because Fiat took over the American car maker when Chrysler/Dodge went under during the GFC. Chrysler has long been a major designer of what our cousins on the other side of the Pacific call ‘minivans’. Downunder we use the term ‘people movers’.Though Freemont is more people mover than SUV, its styling leans in the SUV direction and Fiat Australia hopes many buyers will compare it with others in the huge range of SUVs now on sale. Despite its appearance, the Fiat Freemont isn’t offered with 4WD, the engine is connected only to the front wheels.There’s no better way to grab the attention of Australian car buyers than with a low price tag. Hence the introduction of the Fiat Freemont with a price list that starts at just $27,000 driveaway. Our road test was done on a 2.4-litre petrol Freemont Lounge which came in at $30,300 plus on-road costs.Fiat Freemont is available in three specification level: Base, Urban and Lounge. The so-called base Freemont ‘Base’ is far from being base when it comes to standard equipment. It even has Fiat’s Uconnect infotainment system with a 4.3-inch touchscreen; CD/MP3; and integrated telephone with voice command and Bluetooth audio streaming. There are USB and Aux inputs.Freemont Base also features 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone air-conditioning and keyless entry and start. Then there are automatic headlights; rear-parking sensors; an alarm system with an anti-intrusion feature; and the added safety of a tyre pressure monitoring system.The mid-range Fiat Freemont Urban receives a larger infotainment screen, at 8.4 inches; a DVD player; automatic temperature control in the air conditioning; six-way electronic adjustment for the driver’s seat; a leather-wrapped gear-lever; and Sunscreen glass.Fiat Freemont Lounge tops off the lineup. It gets 19-inch alloy wheels; satellite navigation; leather upholstery and premium door trims; heated front seats; chromed roof bars; an Alpine audio system with a subwoofer and 368-watt amplifier.Built-in booster seats for children are standard on all models, making the Freemont excellent value for cash-strapped people mover buyers.The Fiat Freemont comes standard with a five-seat layout. A seven-seat configuration is available as an option, including three-zone climate control. The second row of seats can slide forward by up to 100 mm from their rearmost position, giving parents easy access to children sitting in the second row. All seats, including the front passenger one, can be folded down to create a vast flat load area.Theatre-style seating in seven-seat Freemonts ensures good visibility for those travelling in the back seats. Though a lot of luggage space is, naturally, lost when all seven seats are in use it’s possible to fit three cabin bags upright in the remaining space. Cleverly this is supported by nets to prevent it falling when the tailgate is opened.As well as regular crash avoidance electronics the Fiat Freemont also has a trailer sway control, roll mitigation and tyre pressure monitoring. Should a crash still occur occupants are protected by six airbags, with the side-curtain ‘bags extending to coverage of the third-row seat. Integrated child booster seats are another welcome standard feature.Fiat Freemont is powered by either a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine or a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. The 2.4-litre petrol engine produces 125 kW of power, and 220 Nm of torque at 4500 rpm. The diesel has up to 125 kW, and 350 Nm between 1750 and 2500 rpm.Both engines drive the front wheels via either a six-speed automatic transmission when the petrol engine is fitted, or a six-speed manual with the diesel. So if you want the economy and added grunt of a turbo-diesel you will have to do your own gearshifting, which will hamper sales in Australia as local drivers don’t follow the European path of maximising driving pleasure.On the road we like the way the Freemont rides and the excellent insulation from noise and vibration it displays. It really does feel as though it’s as smooth and relaxing as significantly more expensive SUVs and people movers. The vehicle’s Dodge underpinnings show in a slight vagueness in the steering, and handling that’s safe but with no sporting overtones. American roads are pretty rough and ready in many places and they like a soft ride over there in the US of A.The petrol engine in our test car probably had enough power for the typical buyer, but its torque is developed high in the rev range (max is at 4500 rpm) so the six-speed auto is kept busy in hilly terrain and/or when there’s a big load on board. Not a problem as the auto is a nicely responsive unit that’s generally in the gear the driver would have selected manually.Fuel consumption will be in the nine to ten litres per hundred kilometres range around town, falling to seven to eight litres in country running.

Just 499 examples of the Fiat 500 based Edizione Maserati are being produced for global markets, with Fiat Australia securing just 40 units for local customers. The Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati features exclusive style details and special technical features developed especially for the Abarth/Maserati collaboration, based on a host of shared values, including attention to detail, elegance and a passion for performance and sport. It follows the hugely successful Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari collaboration project of four years ago and confirms the authoritative presence of Abarth in the luxury sports segment, this time flanked by a brand with a long history of sporting achievements and great road cars. Heading the list of customised specifications for the Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati is the uprated 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, which produces 132kW of power and 250Nm peak torque. It is teamed with an electrically-operated manual Abarth Competizione gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddle shift controls, which enhances the performance of the engine via quicker gearshifts, while ensuring an experience of superior comfort at the wheel. A variable back-pressure 'dual mode' exhaust also improves engine performance, delivering an inspiring exhaust note above 3000 revs and featuring tailpipes modified to assume the hexagonal shape that is a hallmark of Maserati models. Other mechanical highlights include 17-inch Maserati-inspired Neptune alloy wheels with performance 205/40 R17 tyres, Brembo disc brakes front and rear, and special Koni shock absorbers. The Abarth 695 Edizione Maserati is priced from $60,000.  

Fiat Australia has a plan. It wants to transform the streets of Australian cities so they look like those in Rome, Paris, London, Milan and many other fashion conscious European cities.Anyone who’s visited Europe recently will have seen Fiat 500s by the thousand. The retro shape of the new 500, based on the tiny Fiat 500 Bambino launched in 1957, works brilliantly. Even better, owners customise their Fiat 500s inside and out in many imaginative ways, further brightening up the cityscape.New Fiat 500s first arrived in Australia in 2008, imported by the same company that brings in such upmarket supercars as Ferrari, Maserati and Lotus. The little Fiats were highly priced and aimed to compete head-on with new Mini and New Beetle. Last year Fiat’s head office took over the Australian operation and has decided to bring the little car down to mass market levels.Prices have been slashed. The range now starts at just $14,000 driveaway for the Fiat 500 Pop with a five-speed manual gearbox. This brings the 500 into the same price group as imports from Japan, Korea and Thailand.A stylish Italian machine for the price of a low-budget Asian car is a proposition that seems sure to tempt many Aussies who are keen drivers and/or automotive fashionistas.However, prices climb if you don’t want a 500 Pop manual. With an automated manual gearbox it has a recommended retail of $15,500 to which on-road costs have to be added. Given that the majority of Fiat owners are likely to prefer doing their own gear shifting this may not be a hassle.The Fiat 500 Pop is no stripped down special, having air conditioning, central locking, power front windows and door mirrors, and a trip computer. Communication uses the Fiat / Microsoft co-designed Blue&Me voice-activated system with Bluetooth, USB and Aux connectively.Next up the list is the Fiat 500 Sport. In addition to the Pop gear it has a 1.4-litre engine (up from 1.2 litres), 15-inch alloy wheels, larger brakes, foglights, a sports body kit that includes a rear spoiler, sports seats with red stitching, a flat bottom steering wheel again with red stitching, and dark tinted glass. Prices for the 500 Sport begin at $16,900 for a hatch with a manual gearbox.Then comes the Fiat 500 Lounge. With a starting price of $20,300 it has Fiat’s ultra-economical 875 cc turbocharged twin-cylinder engine. Official fuel consumption is just 3.9 litres per hundred kilometres. Additional equipment over the 500 Sport includes a fixed glass sunroof, climate-control in the air conditioning and chrome inserts in the bumpers.At the pinnacle of the new range comes the limited edition Fiat 500 by Gucci, a collaborative design by two famous Italian brands. Still reasonably priced, from $23,200, the Fiat 500 by Gucci is offered in gloss black or white. It has Gucci’s signature green-red-green colours as exterior stripes; these run lengthways over the top of the roof on the cabriolet, but around the centre of the body on the hatch.The green-red-green theme is repeated in various places in the interior - including on the seat belts. Even the key cover gets that treatment.The Gucci also has 16-inch alloy wheels, chromed door mirror housings, and xenon headlights. Inside there are two-tone leather seats, a leather trimmed steering wheel, and an Interscope sound system with six speakers plus a subwoofer. The Gucci is powered by the same four-cylinder 1.4-litre engine as the 500 Sport.Only 101 Fiat 500 by Gucci models have been allocated to Australia. All models are sold as three-door hatchbacks or two-door cabriolets with a huge fold-back roof.Safety is high on the list of priorities, with a full range of crash prevention electronic assistance items, as well as no fewer than seven airbags to minimise injuries should a crash still occur.We took several Fiat 500 models on extended road tests – as well as having a fang on a go-kart track.We have to admit to a dislike of automated manual gearboxes with their irritating slowing on gearchanges in the lower gears. Give us a proper manual any day. Then again there are many who have no problem with the auto. Try before you buy.Engine response from the 1.2 and 1.4-litre engines is excellent and immediately gives the little Fiat 500 a real sporty feel.The economy 875 cc two-cylinder unit often requires downchanges to give it decent performance. Obviously, that’s more than balanced out by the fact that it’s more economical than many small diesel engines.Handling is excellent with a nice balance on offer by way of the steering wheel and throttle. The Italian Fiat is way ahead of even the best of the Asian cars in this class and is guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of those who love driving.Ride comfort is good on smooth roads, but deteriorates on rough surfaces due to the short wheelbase and the firm-ish setup of the sporty suspension system.

Looking like a chop-shop salvage job, but perfect for the Fiat owner who has nearly everything, the Smeg 500 fridge is the result of a collaboration between the carmaker and the kitchen appliance brand.It was debuted in Paris with press statements touting it as "intended for the most exclusive, contemporary environments throughout the world" -- particularly those wanting to give the impression that the front end of a Fiat 500 car has just crashed through their wall, we imagine.Available in the Italian flag colours of red, white and green, the Smeg 500 has 100-litre capacity and hums along at 42 decibels -- not too far from the stats on the car.The fridge is a novelty, but marks more than 50 years of collaboration between the two brands, with the carmaker having helped with refrigerator production in Smeg's early days.The Smeg 500 joins the carmaker's other ventures into the household -- with the 'Fiat 500 Design Collection' including a sofa and tables.The fridge has an adjustable thermostat, automatic defrosting, three removable bottle holders, and a dedicated shelf for cans. There's no word on whether it will be available in Australia, but those desperate to have something like this in their kitchens could easily pop into a wrecking yard and end up with something even more useful. Anybody up for a Holden Commodore chest freezer?This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Fiat-Chrysler opens with a 500 for around $16,000 next month before opening more boxes with other 500 derivatives and then, in December, the four-door Panda and then the Punto. Panda, a stable-mate Fiat city car in Europe, makes its first appearance in Australia despite being available in selected markets - including the UK - for about 30 years. Now in its third generation, the Panda will compete with similar baby SUVs - including Ford's Fiesta-based EcoSport reviewed last week - and is expected to sell for less than $20,000. Fiat Alfa Romeo spokesperson Karla Leach won't confirm pricing but says ‘it will be competitive’. There's also no confirmation on engine choices though Ms Leach says “there will be a wide range” of powerplants and five-speed manual and the automatic Dualogic robotised transmission. It will arrive as a front-wheel drive though an all-wheel drive version is being considered for launch later. Available powerplants are the 63kW/145Nm 0.9-litre two-cylinder TwinAir engine borrowed from the 500, the 51kW/102Nm 1.2-litre petrol four and a diesel, likely the small 55kW/190Nm 1.3-litre unit. The Panda is 3650mm long and sits on a 2300mm wheelbase, smaller than the EcoSport's 3999mm length and 2521mm wheelbase. But cabin room seats five at a pinch and cargo space is a relatively generous 260-litres to 870-litres with seats that fold flat to take objects up to 2m long. Ms Leach also confirmed the Punto will be added to the Australian inventory. The Punto four-door hatchback goes up against Japanese favourites the Mazda2 and Toyota Yaris and would cost about $18,000. Fiat has previously said that the 132kW/272Nm hot Punto, the three-door Abarth Punto Evo Supersport, may be considered as a halo model. Meanwhile the 500's entry level model, the Pop, gets here early next month with a price that competes with the Volkswagen Up ($14,990) and 20 other equally as voracious light-car manufacturers. The Pop will undercut the price of the existing Fiat 500 TwinAir Plus that sells for $18,800.  

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has knocked a star off an imported seven-seater.

Fiat has pulled out all the stops to be part of a new music video for a track that has already become known as ‘the Fiat song’ from previous ads.All the Sexy People, sung by Arianna with help from Pitbull, looks set to be another Fiat video hit with appearances from Charlie Sheen – his second stint for the brand – a beach full of dancers and a couple of mermaids who lose their tops.The song itself has a retro flavour, and has previously been used for Fiat’s ‘Immigrant’ ad, which saw the little 500 model emerging from the ocean onto US beaches – a stunt reprised in All the Sexy People with a Fiat 500 jetski.A video takes us behind the scenes for the shoot on a Miami beach in Florida, with the expected crowd scenes of women dancing around in bikinis – and Charlie Sheen playing Charlie Sheen (or his former character from Two and a Half Men).Arianna drives a Fiat underwater,  a pod of Fiats skim the waves, Sheen circles two mermaids on his own private island and makes off with their tops, then turns up in a cryovac bed with a pair of lingerie models.Following on from the steamy ads featuring supermodel Catrinel Menghia, this is becoming signature marketing for the Italian car brand.