The 2011 Fiat 500 is cheap and cheerful Cinquecento nature gas car. It will be for sale at North America market, Fiat 500 price in Europe start at about $16,000. Fiat 500 price for the UK market, at £7,900 for the entry level Fiat 500 1.2 Pop. The Fiat 500 1.2 Sport, 1.2 Lounge, 1.3 MultiJet Pop, 1.4 Pop will be priced at £9,300.
2011 Fiat 500 was designed by Frank Stephenson, who joined Fiat after creating the 2002 Mini.the 500 will emulate Mini by adding convertible and long-wheelbase wagon-type spin-offs of an initial 2-door hatchback. Plans reportedly also include a sportier version of the hatchback, likely the Abarth version that’s already on sale in Europe. The wagon may be a reprisal of the classic Fiat 500 Giardinetta; think Mini Cooper Clubman with an Italian accent. Fiat has already confirmed the cabrio for a calendar-2009 debut–the hatch recently launched in Europe as an ’08 model–and says it will have a fabric roof. Other variations, including a demi-SUV, are reportedly under consideration.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. As a 2-door hatchback, which will surely be the mainstay seller, the 2011 Fiat 500 is about 5 inches shorter, over an inch slimmer, and 3.2 inches taller than the equivalent Mini Cooper. It’s also lighter by about 300 pounds. Both cars have front-wheel drive, pert retro styling, and seating for four. But where the Mini is built on a purpose-designed platform, the 500 shares underpinnings with Fiat’s entry-level Panda. That means, among other things, a choice of three 4-cylinder engines, including a base 59-horsepower 1.2-liter unit and a 1.3-liter intercooled turbodiesel with 68 horses and a class-respectable 107 pound-feet of torque. We’d guess, however, the U.S. 500 will come only with the top-line 94-horsepower 1.4-liter engine tied to a 6-speed manual transmission. No word yet on an optional automatic, which will be a must here. Fiat will offer one; perhaps a weight- and fuel-saving automated-manual gearbox.
2011 Fiat 500
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very cute, the turbodiesel at 56 mpg would be a mileage champ in the US, the 6-speed manual transmission would make its performance peppy too…