ROAD TRIP: FIAT 500

THIS year marks the 60th anniversary of the original Fiat 500. The compact forebear to the modern 500 was immensely popular, offering low-cost, affordable motoring to the masses. The new car took on the cutesy styling of the classic 500, bringing it into the modern age with better practicality and a lot more safety.

To celebrate the car’s birthday, Fiat has released this, the 60th. It gets a range of retro touches ideal for anyone looking to stand out from the crowd, though nothing has changed mechanically.

The familiar 1.2-litre turbocharged engine is under the bonnet, linked to a five-speed manual gearbox.

A range of special-edition 500s have been created throughout the car’s lifetime. There was a Riva model, built in partnership with the famous boat builders, as well as a range of cars made in conjunction with several fashion brands. This is the latest specialedition, and as such comes with a host of ‘look at me’ additions.

There are retro Fiat badges dotted throughout the interior, as well as on the exterior of the car.

A unique ‘dolcevita’ two-tone paintwork has been applied to the body, giving it all of the retro looks of the original, while chrome ‘hub cap’ style alloy wheels certainly ape those fitted to the old 500.

A new seven-inch TFT display has also been fitted inside, housing satellite navigation and media functions.

Speaking of media, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have now been included in the 500’s infotainment system, giving drivers a better way of pairing their smartphones to the car’s system.

As mentioned earlier, there haven’t been any mechanical changes made to the 60th, meaning that the 500 is just as compact as the standard car. There’s still a good amount of room for those in the front, while those in the back struggle for leg and headroom.

Both driver and passenger sit quite high too, which will appeal to those who like to confidently sit over the car,

The 60th comes with a folding cloth roof, and to facilitate this system Fiat has fitted it with a clamshell-style boot.

It’s not as practical as the standard car, therefore, which is worth remembering if you’re planning on using the 60th as an everyday vehicle.

Our test route took in the narrow, cobbled streets of Turin – the 500’s home territory. Its swift and nimble handling makes darting in and out of traffic a breeze, while the peppy engine suits the car’s frenetic, eager character.

The ride remains quite firm, though the 16-inch special-edition wheels fitted to this car likely play a large part in this problem.

Of course, the 500’s ‘city steering’ button remains, which lightens the car’s steering

The cobbled streets of Turin were the backdrop for the Fiat 500’s 60th birthday celebrations. The anniversary model gets a host of ‘look at me’ additions, below.