the 500's interior is the glossy body-
coloured dashboard. Running the width
of the car, it's similar to the design which
worked so well in the Fiat Coupe of the
1990s, and in the 500 it looks fantastic.
The instrument binnacle is also a work of
art. A speedometer runs around the outside,
and a concentrically mounted rev counter
sits within it. Inside that is a digital readout
which displays fuel and temperature
readouts, plus date, time, mileage and
probably a host of other things as well � it's
an excellent mix of design and functionality.
Inside out
There also more room in here than in
the new Mini; quite a feat when you
consider it's both shorter and narrower
than its Bavarian rival.
The rear seats are fine for adults and,
unlike the 1957 car, you can fit a couple
of fully grown people in the back.
They might not have much headroom,
but they'll fit. Just.
You're well looked after inside, too. ABS
and brakeforce distribution both feature,
plus ESP with emergency brake assist. In
our test car there was also a pleasant
Italian lady in the dashboard who spoke to
us when we went around roundabouts
quickly. She was probably remonstrating,
but even that sounds great in Italian.
Quality competition
Like the exterior, the interior has some
lovely little touches like the chrome
doorhandles and the stylised `500' logo on
the coloured dash, and it's these that add a
real feeling of class. Quality is high � it's
got to be if it's to compete with German
rivals � and it feels solid and durable.
Our test car was fitted with the 98bhp
16v 1.4 from the Fiat Panda 100. While
the acceleration is unlikely to do lasting
damage to your internal organs, (0-62 in
10.5sec) it does make the 500 a
thoroughly fun car to drive and its playful,
rorty note encourages you to have fun
with it. The six-speed gearbox is precise
with a short action, and it feels every bit
like the small, nippy car it is.
The 500 is sitting on a modified Panda
platform, which will form the basis for
the next Ford Ka. The track has been
13
widened from its siblings, and as such it
corners with more stability and less body
roll. In short, it handles exactly the way it
looks like it should.
Push the Sport button, and throttle
response and steering weight are
adjusted to give a more involving drive,
and to be honest, you might as well keep
this on all the time because the throttle
response in standard mode isn't great,
and pretty much the only criticism of
the 500's handling is the lack of feel in
the electric steering.
If economy is your biggest concern,
there's also a 1.2 petrol and a 1.3 multijet
diesel, the latter of which Fiat claim will
do 67.3mpg on a combined cycle. The
1.2 should achieve 55mpg and the 1.4
about 44mph, so all models are fairly
frugal on fuel.
The 500 is everything it should be and
more � fun, cool, easily customised,
great to drive and a genuinely modern
interpretation of the original.
I don't have the space here to list all the
reasons why you should buy one. But I
can't think of a single reason not to.
THE ROADTRIP
Destination: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Covering 300 acres, this leading centre of
botanical research has the largest compost
heap in the world and houses collections of
Cacti, carniverous plants, orchids, roses and
pretty much everything else that grows out of
the soil. And water. In short, everything
garden-themed you ever wanted to see.
Tel: 020 8332 5655
SatNav postcode: TW9 3AB
Eat at: Petersham Nurseries
Keeping with the botanical theme, why not take
lunch at Petersham Nurseries? Using fresh, local
produce, head chef Skye Gyngell has created a
simple and well-priced menu, to be enjoyed in
the delightfully imaginative surroundings of the
plant-stocked nursery. Oh, and it's also a great
place for local celeb spotting...
For more information, tel: 0208 6053627
Also stop at...
Richmond Theatre, (0870 0606651) for a bit
of culture. Built in 1899 as the Theatre Royal,
there's always something interesting going
on. If you're after something a little more
stately, why not drop in on Hampton Court
Palace, (0844 482 7777) and just soak up
the atmosphere.

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