Fiat 500 review - Practicality & boot space

The latest Fiat 500 is a bigger car than before, with a 60mm increase in length and width, along with a 20mm longer gap between the front and rear wheels. This has created more shoulder room and headroom in the front seats, which will be welcomed by owners.

Fiat 500 interior space & storage

Integrating a battery has taken its toll, however, and space in the back seats is still fairly tight, particularly in the opening-roof version. Both legroom and headroom are restrictive for taller passengers, and like some other city cars, there are only two back seats. The lack of a transmission tunnel brings an improvement in space for feet, but getting in and out of the back seats is difficult, and there isn’t a huge amount of room to fit a bulky child seat, even though ISOFIX mounting points are provided.

One big advantage of the new car is an improved driving position. It's now more adjustable, so while some could find the seating position of the old Fiat 500 unnatural, they're more likely to feel comfortable in the new model.

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Boot space

Boot space remains the same at 185 litres, so the 500 won’t be suitable for luggage for more than a few nights away or trips to the local flatpack furniture store. It beats the 171-litre boot of the Honda e, but even the MINI Cooper manages 210 litres. While the rear seats can fold down, they don’t go completely flat, which can make it harder to load items smoothly and easily. Access to the boot is more restricted for the convertible version, and with less space for luggage, owners will need to travel light.