What A Cute Little Bambino
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday April 25, 2008
The car Fiat 500.
The price From $22,990 to $35,540.Vital statistics There are three engines available: a 1.2-litre petrol, 1.4-litre petrol and a 1.3 turbo diesel.HE The Bambino is back, 50 years after the original was born. As with other retro cars, it's designed to add some polish - and profits - to Fiat. I'm going to out you, Jaedene, as a huge fan of the classic Mini - what do you think of this Italian job?SHE Aw, it's so cute.HE I knew you were going to say that.SHE I'm serious. I reckon Fiat has done a really good job of staying true to the original formula. It's small and relatively affordable, although I do emphasise relatively.HE It's cheaper than the other retro cars but Korean and Japanese cars of this size cost between $15,000 and $20,000.SHE That may be true but I bet they don't have seven airbags standard and a five-star safety rating.HE The Toyota Yaris has the option of seven airbags (which elevates it from four-star car to a five-star NCAP rating) but you have to wait for the special order to come in, which can take up to three months. SHE But the Fiat is so much cuter. I love the retro look of the details in the cabin.HE And, cleverly, Fiat has fitted a modern audio system, although I was a bit frustrated that, rather than an auxiliary input, there is a USB input that didn't work with my iPod.SHE Yeah, you have to download the songs you want onto a USB flash drive but I didn't get around to it either.HE I guess some of the price difference between the Mini and the Fiat boils down to some of the finer details. The Mini has retro-style toggle switches and better detailing. But both turn heads from the outside.SHE And it drives well, too. I was surprised. It's nimble and the 1.4 engine gets along well enough.HE I enjoyed it. I also got to spend a little time in the diesel, which was pretty good. The 1.2 petrol is pretty sluggish, though. I found the ride a bit jiggly in the 1.4 Fiat but the diesel rode better because it had different tyres. That said, I prefer the Fiat's suspension to the Mini's too-firm ride.SHE I was also surprised how roomy it is inside, although it is only a four-seater whereas most other light cars can carry five.HE You spent some time with some Fiat owners at a recent photo shoot for this car. What did they make of the new one?SHE They loved it. The only thing they baulked at was the price. But they thought most people would pay a little bit extra for something unique.HE Funny you should say that. It's sold out locally for the next few months but the distributor hopes supply will improve in the second half of this year. So would you buy one?SHE I'd happily recommend it but I'd probably go for a Mazda2, with optional curtain airbags and stability control. You?HE I love it but I'm waiting to see what the turbocharged Fiat 500 Abarth is like. Apparently it's an absolute scream.
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