Fiat 500: Iconic Eco-Friendly 4-Seater Comes Stateside

By HOLLY REICH
Special to Bumper to Bumper

By the time you read this, you’ve probably seen the signage or heard the buzz about the 2012 Fiat 500, the quintessential Italian car, which has finally found its way to North America. For those who remember, the original Fiat 500, also known as the Cinquecento, made its mark more than half a century ago in Italy.

The 2012 Fiat 500 embodies the iconic qualities that make Italian design so intoxicating with smart, sophisticated and colorful styling. The tiny four-seater, which Fiat refers to as the automotive equivalent of an iPod, is entering a market that appeals to millennials, baby boomers and seniors. Plus, this new member of the small car segment embraces all the appeal of a reduced footprint with 10% greater fuel economy (30 city/38 highway for the manual, 27 city/34 highway for the automatic) and decreased CO2 emissions of 10%.

The 500 comes in 14 zesty colors (both new and vintage) that include: rosso (red), giallo (yellow), rame (copper), verde oliva (olive green) and mocha latte (beige). The pleasingly plump 500 still retains the Fiat mustache (signature whiskers and logo face) because, as one designer says, “It's just too perfect.” The look is completed with large wheel arches, touches of tastefully applied chrome and retro inspired circular headlamps.

In the cabin, the 500 stays true to minimalistic Italian design--simple and functional. The interior is bright with shiny color-coded plastics “to keep the visual going on inside,” buttons highlighted with chromed rings, simple chromed hook door handles that mimic the vintage model and a redesigned center console for beefier drinks. The two-toned seats, a throwback to the 1960’s Cinquecento, are designed to accommodate the larger American.

Of course, the 500 is equipped with connectivity technology including Fiat’s BLUE & ME hands free communication with phone and iPod integration and a diminutive TomTom navigation system.

The car comes in three flavors - Pop, Sport and Lounge - with a choice of 14 seat and material combos and 500 additional accessories to amp it up. The Pop model features manual transmission and 15” wheels; the Sport adds red painted brake calipers, chromed exhaust tips, gloss black window trim and a sport tuned suspension; and the Lounge jazzes it up with more chrome, a fixed glass roof and more luxury elements.

But, bottom line, it’s going to be the marketing that will propel this micro car’s success. Laura Soave, Head of Fiat Brand North America, hired in March 2010 to head the company’s return to North America, is intent on blending European culture with the needs of American consumers. She comes by it naturally. Soave is the daughter of Italian immigrants who spent her childhood summers near Rome; the fluent Italian also has cousins and uncles who worked at Fiat's factory in Piedimonte San Germano, Italy.

Soave is invested in creating a small dealer network and positioning the Fiat 500 "Cinquecento" minicar as a trendy brand for the smartphone generation.

In late 2010, Soave delivered half-dozen Cinquecentos to the world-renowned Art Basel show in Miami Beach where a group of Italian artists and University of Miami students decorated the cars. It’s this type of hands on initiative that Soave feels will capture younger consumers.

"It's important for people to touch and feel," she said. "TV commercials are great for entertainment purposes, but it doesn't really get you to experience the brand.

"American consumers want new stuff, and you need to constantly evolve with them.”

In fact, at Milan Fashion Week, Fiat teamed up with Gucci to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy and Gucci’s 90th anniversary.

The Gucci Fiat is black or white with the designer’s trademark green and red stripes festooning gearshift, floor mats and leather on the seat belts. Both fabric and leather seats will also feature Gucci’s Guccissima print. And, oh yes, the Gucci key chain is the necessary item.

It seems that Soave’s position at Fiat was in the stars. After taking the job at Fiat, Soave’s parents found a photo, taken during a trip to Italy, of 3-year-old Laura sitting on a Cinquecento.
"My dad brought it to me and said, 'Look at this, it's destiny,'" she said.