Fiat 500 range revised for 2014

Fiat has announced a number of changes to the Fiat 500 range, in an attempt to keep the model competitive against cars such as the all-new MINI. The revisions mean the 500 can now be had with a TFT display, in place of conventional dials and a new, more powerful version of the company’s frugal 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol engine.

The option to spec a seven-inch TFT display, in place of a conventional instrument binnacle, is a first in the segment and the new piece of kit comes standard on the Fiat 500S and Fiat 500 Cult. The new screen can be configured to display information from the car’s trip computer, including data such as range and fuel consumption, but it can also display detailed sat-nav information, when equipped with the optional TomTom 2 sat-nav system.

The other big talking point is the addition of a new TwinAir engine – one of Fiat’s line of extremely cheap-to-run small petrol engines. It’s more powerful than the existing TwinAir, with power rising from 84bhp to 104bhp in Sport mode. That’s enough to get the Fiat from 0-62mph in just 10 seconds and on to a top speed of 117mph. Select Eco mode and power drops to 96bhp – helping the 500 get economy of 67.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 99g/km for free road tax. Models fitted with the new engine also get rear disc brakes for quicker stopping.

All new Fiat 500s get start-stop technology (which turns off the engine when the car is at a standstill to save fuel) seven airbags, electric windows and mirrors, remote central locking, as well as height adjustment for the driver's seat and steering wheel.

Prices start at £10,160 for the basic 1.2-litre 68bhp Pop that, as with the rest of the range, gets new upholstery for 2014, while you’ll have to pay £10,960 for the next-in-line Colour Therapy model. It gets a pool-ball style gear knob, unique wheel trims and white detailing.

If you want the new TFT instrument binnacle then you’ll have to go for the Fiat 500 Lounge, but even then it’s a £250 option. Starting from £11,560, Lounge is also the cheapest model to be available with the new TwinAir engine. Spec wise it gets 15-inch alloy wheels, a Bluetooth phone connection, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, heated door mirrors, chrome detailing, and a fixed glass sunroof as standard.

The Fiat 500S bridges the gap between the standard 500 range and the sporty Abarth models. It has unique front and rear bumpers, side skirts, tinted glass and 15-inch alloy wheels. Inside, it gets a flat-bottomed Abarth sports steering wheel, sports seats with ‘500S’ logos, and a sports gear knob. In the 500S, the seven-inch TFT instrument cluster is standard and, when mated with the new TwinAir engine, it displays a turbo-boost gauge in Sport mode to show you how hard the turbocharger is working. The model is priced from £11,710.

Sitting at the top of the new range is the Fiat 500 Cult, which starts at £13,060. It gets the seven-inch TFT display as standard and adds to the Lounge model’s spec list with climate control, 16-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, a black roof panel with a fixed glass sunroof, and a leather interior designed by Italian furniture maker Poltrona Frau.

The new model keeps the old car’s high levels of customisation, which means that at extra cost you can spec items such as exterior stickers, contrasting mirror colours, and chrome trim.

The new model is on sale now and selected models can also be had in new shades of paint including Urban White (Pop, Lounge, Cult Convertible and S), Smooth Mint (Pop, Lounge and Cult) and Electronica Blue (500S).

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