The Fiat 500 name goes all the way back to 1936, and has never deviated from its mission to offer drivers a superb city car. Compact, cheeky and with low running costs, the retro reinvention of the 500 in 2007 was a brilliant addition to the Fiat range and it’s been the best-seller in the company’s line-up ever since.
The reimagined 500 has spawned both the Fiat 500L MPV and the Fiat 500X SUV; larger cars that share similar styling. However, it’s the small hatchback 500 and 500C convertible models that captivate buyers most. Fiat has maintained interest and sales in the car with multiple special editions and new engines to keep it relevant to buyers.
The biggest recent change was the launch of the 500 Electric in 2020, which has a 194-mile range on a full charge. Alongside this, Fiat still offers the earlier model of 500, but now with the addition of a petrol-electric hybrid model.
As with previous generations, the 500 hatchback has a sporty side in the Abarth range. These go from zesty to downright fast, offering hot hatch fans a real pocket rocket with pedigree.
Generations: 4
Fiat 500 Electric (2020-)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
- Two-door convertible
Notable features and facelifts of the Fiat 500 Electric:
- New Fiat 500 Electric is longer, wider, and taller than other 500 city car models
- Revised looks keep the retro charm, but are thoroughly modern
- Available with two sizes of battery that offer a range of up to 194 miles
The Fiat 500 is a car that has always moved with the times, which is why we now have the 500 Electric. It’s available with two different battery packs to power the electric motor, so you can choose between the 24kWh item in the entry-level Action trim or a 42kWh pack in the upper Passion and Icon models. The smaller battery gives a range of around 115 miles, while the larger can cover up to 194 miles on a full charge.
Whichever 500 Electric you drive, it’s quick off the mark (like most electric cars), cruises happily at all speed limits, and is easy to zip through town traffic. You can pick from three driving modes – Normal, Range or Sherpa. The Range setting increases the regenerative braking, while Sherpa conserves battery power by reducing the drain from accessories such as the climate control.
Inside, the 500 Electric has a look and appeal similar to its petrol-powered siblings. However, its larger size offers little more rear seat room, although it’s still snug compared to most superminis.
The Action trim comes with a 7.0-inch digital instrument display and smartphone cradle in place of an infotainment screen. You also get safety features such as Lane Control, Attention Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, and Autonomous Emergency Braking. The Passion trim has an 85kW fast charger for the battery, Fiat’s Connected Services, and a 7.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The top Icon trim benefits from satellite navigation, keyless entry, and a larger 10.25-inch infotainment screen.
Fiat 500 Electric Review
Search for a Fiat 500 for sale on CarGurus
Fiat 500 mk3 (2007-)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
- Two-door convertible
Notable features and facelifts of the Fiat 500 mk3
- TwinAir petrol engine has character, but is less frugal than claimed
- Convertible has fresh air appeal but an even smaller boot than the hatch
- Abarth models offer punchy performance and a raw hot hatch experience
- New petrol engine added in 2010, facelifted in 2015.
- Refreshed again in 2019 with mild-hybrid power
In 2007 Fiat hopped on the retro bandwagon with the 500 line-up, and it did so in serious style, to massive commercial success. The 500 was immensely popular as a new car, and that means there’s now lots of choice for people looking for one as a used car.
Offered as just a hatchback to begin with, the charmingly styled Fiat was a rival for contemporary city cars such as the Kia Picanto and Renault Twingo. A Fiat 500C convertible version was added in 2009. Its full-length fabric roof slid back, leaving the side windows intact for a draught-free experience. That meant it wasn’t really a proper cabrio, and the driver’s rear vision was obscured, but it was close enough to the real thing to still be appealing, so much so that a similar approach was adopted by rivals such as the Citroen DS3 and Toyota Aygo. Fiat also added the 500L MPV in 2013 and 500X SUV in 2015, both of which offer considerably more practicality. Neither shares the city car’s engineering platform; they're 500s in name only.
To keep things simple, Fiat initially sold the 500 in three trim levels, comprising Pop, Pop Star and Lounge. The entry-point Pop has Fiat’s Uconnect infotainment set-up with USB connectivity. The Pop Star gains air conditioning and split-fold rear seats, while the Lounge enjoys DAB radio and Bluetooth, rear parking sensors, fog lights, and a glass sunroof in the hatch.
The engine range is also simple. Fiat offered the 500 with 1.2-litre 69bhp or 100bhp 1.4-litre petrol engines, the larger engine available with a Dualogic automatic gearbox as well as the usual five-speed manual. There was also a 1.3-litre Multijet turbodiesel with 94bhp.
More interest arrived in 2010 with the 0.9-litre two-cylinder TwinAir turbo petrol that gave a nod to the earlier 500 Cinquecento. This engine has character, but some will find it too noisy and it rarely matches the claimed MPG figures, and so it was phased out in 2019.
There are also the Abarth hot hatch models, which use a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine in various power outputs from feisty to downright wild.
Various special editions came and went, but bigger changes happened in 2015 when Fiat said it facelifted the 500 with 1,900 improvements. Most noticeable are the new bumpers and lights, while the 1.2-litre petrol engine was now offered with lower carbon dioxide emissions of 99g/km.
Another major update arrived in 2019 as Fiat added a mild hybrid 1.0-litre petrol model to improve fuel economy. You’ll be hard-pressed to spot the effect on a test drive, as the car cannot run on battery power alone. A 1.2-litre petrol model remained but only with an automatic gearbox.
This latest 500 comes in Sport, Hey Google, Dolcevita, Connect and Pop trims. All versions of the Fiat have daytime running lights, while the Connect gains a 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Sport has 16-inch alloy wheels.
Fiat 500 mk3 Review
Search for a Fiat 500 mk3 for sale on CarGurus
Fiat 500 (1957-1975)
Bodystyles:
- Two-door saloon
- Two-door estate
Notable features and facelifts of the Fiat 500 Cinquecento:
- Tiny two-cylinder engine is mounted in the rear and boot is in the front
- Estate model is called the Giardiniera and was launched in 1960
- Almost 4 million 500 Cinquecentos built in Italy during its lifetime
One of the most iconic cars in the world, not just Italy, the 1957 Fiat 500 Cinquecento can still be spotted in large numbers in its native country in daily use. This is despite the last 500 of this generation rolling off the production line in 1975 and the car being considered a desirable classic by many owners.
The reason the 500 is still used by many as their regular transport is it fulfils its brief to a tee. By the time of its launch in 1957, Italian drivers were clamouring for a four-seat family car that was affordable to buy and easy to run. Fiat nailed it with the 500 two years before the Mini arrived and the 500’s design freed up cabin space by placing the tiny 479cc two-cylinder engine behind the rear axle line, just like the Volkswagen Beetle did.
Most 500s came with a simple fold-back canvas sunroof to let in plenty of fresh air, and Fiat went on to offer a two-door estate model called the Giardiniera in 1960.
In 1958, a more powerful 499cc engine was introduced for the Sport version, boosting top speed to 65mph. This motor became standard across all Fiat 500 models in 1960 when the 500D was introduced, while the rear-hinged doors were replaced with more modern front-hinged items in 1965 with the F model. 1968’s L trim added some extra interior trim and a new steering wheel, while the R arrived in 1971 using a 594cc from the Fiat 126 that eventually fully replaced the 500 in 1975.
Fiat 500 Topolino (1936-1955)
Bodystyles:
- Two-door saloon
- Two-door convertible
Notable features and facelifts of the Fiat 500 Topolino:
- Launched as a step up from a motorcycle
- A small car that made an unlikely but surprisingly effective racing machine
- More than half a million Topolinos sold in its lifetime
The Fiat 500 Topolino was Italy’s answer to the Austin 7 in the UK and Germany’s Volkswagen Beetle. Unlike the Austin, which was coming to the end of its life, and the Beetle, which would have to wait until after the Second World War to find success, the Fiat arrived just as many Italians could afford a small car.
It was a great success from the start and was powered by a tiny 569cc four-cylinder engine, so it was very cheap to run. It could seat four people, just top 50mph and was surprisingly comfortable on Italy’s rough countryside roads. This rugged strength also helped make the Topolino an amazingly able car for long-distance motorsport events, even winning trophies up to the time production ended in 1955.
Proof that Fiat got the recipe just right for the Topolino is the fact that the car hardly changed throughout its near-20-year lifespan, when it was supplanted by the Nuova Cinquecento, or New 500.