Fiat 500 Colour Therapy

The Fiat 500 has been on sale since 2008, but in 2013 the Italian company introduced a set of Fiat 500 Colour Therapy models – boasting bright colours and additional accessories in an attempt to rejuvenate the range attract new buyers.

Each car features a choice of bright paint colours, white hubcaps and a pool ball gear knob. Air-conditioning, white mirrors and a CD player are also standard – as well as stop-start to help keep running costs to a minimum.

Engine choices for the Fiat 500 Colour Therapy are limited to a pair of petrol engines, with the more economical diesel not available on these cars. The 1.2-litre petrol engine is fine around town, but it feels sluggish on the motorway so is best avoided if you do a lot of miles. If your budget can stretch to the more powerful TwinAir engine, that’s the one we’d pick as it’ll do 0-62mph in 11 seconds (compared to the 1.2-litre’s 13 seconds) yet return more than 70mpg. It feels more at home on the motorway, too, thanks to its increased power and the addition of a small turbocharger.

Good points

To be honest, the Fiat 500 Colour Therapy sums up exactly what the Fiat 500 is about. Style-conscious buyers will love the cute looks, bright colours and pool ball gear knob, while features like air-conditioning, CD player and stop-start technology will make it easy to live with on a day-to-day basis Its tiny dimensions make it easy to drive around town, and the small engines ensure running costs are kept to a minimum regardless of which one you go for. It’s actually relatively comfortable too, with plenty of room in the front for a pair of adults and various places to store bits and bobs.Both the 1.2-litre and smaller 900cc engine suit the Fiat 500 Colour Therapy well, and the latter is actually a very competent motorway cruiser thanks to the addition of a small turbocharger. It feels nippy around town and stable on fast roads, too.

Bad points

As with every Fiat 500, the Colour Therapy models are not only tiny on the outside, but small on the inside too. There’s plenty of room up front, but it’ll be a tight squeeze if you want to carry passengers in the rear. The boot isn’t exactly huge, either, offering just 185 litres of carrying capacity, which is somewhat smaller than the new MINI and a whopping 66 litres short of the VW up!.In terms of equipment, all Colour Therapy models miss out on alloy wheels, while if parking isn’t your strong point, you’ll be disappointed to learn that sensors are optional too. You get seven airbags as standard, but ESP stability control with set you back a few hundred pounds, which isn’t too impressive in this day and age.

What you get

• Manual air conditioning
• Front electric windows
• Single CD player
• Stop/Start

Recommended optional extras

• Sticker packs
• Sliding sun roof
• Alloy wheels

Our choice

If your budget stretches to the brilliant TwinAir engine, then we’d go for that. However, the standard 1.2-litre engine is fine for nipping around town.