TURIN, Italy — It was only a matter of time before Fiat brought out a soft-top version of its monumentally cute 500. The Fiat 500C will debut at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show and arrive at dealers in Western Europe in May.
The 500, or rather, the Cinquecento, has been the cherry on top of Fiat's huge post-GM-put-option resurrection that was going well until the world economic crisis intervened. After being named the 2008 European Car of the Year and winning a wall full of other awards, the 500 outdid the company's sales plans by nearly 50 percent, selling 190,000 units in 2008.
Understandably, the Fiat 500C is set to become this summer's hottest city-to-beach car in Europe. Built at the Fiat plant in Tichy, Poland, the 500C will launch with the same three inline four-cylinder engines first used in the hardtop 500 in 2007: a 1.2-liter gas engine worth 68 horsepower, a 1.4-liter gas unit at 99 hp and a 1.3-liter Multijet diesel good for 74 hp.
The Pop, Lounge and Sport trim levels from the 500 hatchback also remain. Later on, there are firm plans to have a turbocharged 1.4-liter Abarth edition with 133 hp. All manual-five-speed-equipped 500Cs will have standard Start & Stop fuel-saving technology.
This electronically retractable ragtop look, as opposed to a full convertible top, retains much more of the car's rigidity, not to mention greater safety, as well as much more of the heritage feel. Fiat says the engineering behind the parallelogram roof hinge means the cargo space is practically unaffected when the roof is open. Another nice item is the glass rear window.
The original Fiat 500L in 1957 came with a half-retractable ragtop and started the cult craze. Now we get to see if the new 500C ragger can solidify the new 500 legend and keep causing troubles for the Mini. And if this whole Fiat-Chrysler deal actually happens, U.S. buyers could be able to get their hands on this adorable thing by 2012.
Inside Line says: Cuteness like this is as recession-proof as the car industry gets. — Matt Davis, Correspondent
Add A Comment »