FIAT 500 1.4 SPORT
£10,710
MILES PER GALLON: 44.8
SEATS: 4
GOOD FOR: BAMBINOS
BAD FOR: GODFATHERS
Fiat's irresistibly elfin Nuova 500 is a diminutive superhero with the special power to turn any street corner, any grimy urban alleyway, into the backdrop for a Fellini film. It is so loaded with retro Roman glamour it's a surprise not to find Sophia Loren in permanent residence in your passenger seat. Sit in it and your mind wonders to espressos, sunglasses, polo necks and illicit escapades. How many other cars gain you an immediate round of applause when you park outside a café? (I thought it was an ironic hand clap for the hash I'd made of reversing into a tight space, until a smiling waiter kissed his fingertips and said, 'Bella' - I'm not joking.)
The 500 is the 2008 International Car of the Year and has already garnered enough gongs to fill its surprisingly roomy boot. It's had buyers swooning across Europe since its launch last year - and now that it is finally available in this country, the feisty Fiat is setting hearts aflutter quicker than doing star jumps in a sauna.
It's exactly 50 years since Fiat first unveiled its original Cinquecento and the Italian maker has gone back to its archives to give that much-adored 500 the Lazarus treatment. Its new 500 manages to walk the very thin line between retro cliché and modern chic. It is so covetable, so perfectly dinky, that it makes BMW's Mini look bloated and overwheening in comparison. The 500's design touches are a delight. From the flattened exhaust, to the circular headrests and the '500' logos spinning at the centre of the wire wheels, the designers haven't put a foot wrong. But be sure to set aside plenty of time if you are thinking of adding one to your driveway. It comes in a choice of eight pastel and three metallic colours, including the 'Funk white with pearlescent effect' you see here. Then there's a choice of seven alloy wheels and two hubcap designs. Once you've settled on a colour scheme there are eight sticker kits giving 19 further possible customisations. And that's the easy stuff... Which of the 10 badges will you go for? Which of the nine different key fobs take your fancy? And how about some chrome inserts or bumper kits? To be honest, the 500 is so freighted with 'want-one' pedigree that if Fiat offered it only in beige with a biscuit interior it would still be an instant classic.
So far so good, we now know Fiat can design a cool car. What we didn't know was whether the hubcaps would fall off at 50mph or the electrics fizzle out at the first sniff of rain. And this is where the real surprise is - the 500 exudes quality. The doors close with a meaty thump, the interior finish is plush and feels well-appointed. There is no sense of corners being cut. To drive it is as cute as it looks. A trip down the A2 in heavy rain could have been unsettling in a car so dinky, but the 500 manfully held its own.
Don't be tempted by the 1.4 Sport. It claims 45 miles to the gallon, but achieved barely 30 the week I had it. The diesel will get you close to 70 - which is the sort of espresso-cup-sized consumption a city car should have.
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