2012 Fiat 500 beefs up looks but not price

A "wicked" Fiat 500? It's hard to imagine the Fiat 500 as anything but cute and Italian stylish. Yet, here it is, the performance version, that will broaden the 500's appeal to more men. To heck with "cute."

Fiat says it's faithful to the "small, but wicked" saying coined for Karl Abarth's cars in the 1960s, where this one gets its designation.

"Bringing the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth to the U.S. enables us to reach out to driving enthusiasts who want Italian performance at an attainable price," said Olivier Francois, head of Fiat brand for Chrysler Group. "With its lightweight, track-tuned handling and purpose-built design, the Fiat 500 Abarth brings to life the legendary racing heritage of the brand and becomes the Italian high-performance car for everyday driving."

To earn its performance cred, the 500 Abarth has a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine. It also has a tuned suspension and brake, a race-inspired design and extra technology features.

2012 Fiat 500 Wins Top Safety Rating in Minicar Category

Just the Facts:

• The 2012 Fiat 500 cleared a critical hurdle on Tuesday, winning a top safety rating in minicar crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also announced that the 2012 Fiat 500 will be among the 74 vehicles it will crash test for the new model year.
• The Fiat 500 and Ford Fiesta are the only minicar to earn the top safety rating thus far by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

ARLINGTON, Virginia — The 2012 Fiat 500 cleared a critical hurdle on Tuesday, winning a top safety rating in minicar crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The award applies to Fiat 500s built after July 2011 because the driver's seat structure was modified to improve occupant protection in frontal and rear-end crashes, the IIHS noted in a statement.
The announcement is reassuring news to consumers who might wonder if they're trading safety considerations for fuel savings. The Fiat 500 with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission returns 27 mpg in city driving and 34 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. The AAA Daily Fuel Gauge on Wednesday said the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline stood at $3.47.
The Fiat 500 and Ford Fiesta are the only minicar to earn the top safety rating thus far by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also announced that the 2012 Fiat 500 will be among the 74 vehicles it will crash test for the new model year.
The Fiat 500 will be tested as part of the agency's five-star safety rating program. As of Wednesday morning, those results were not yet posted at Safercar.gov.
Word of Fiat's safety accomplishment was greeted by the headline "J.Lo's Famous Booty in Good Hands," by USA Today — a reference to Fiat's new high-profile advertising campaign starring Jennifer Lopez.

Fiat 500 Gets Five Star Euro NCAP Safety Rating

Fiat's iconic bestseller of the year, the new 500, has been awarded the Euro NCAP five-star crash safety rating. The 500 received an overall score of 35 points and is the third Fiat - after the Bravo and Grande Punto, to get the top rating. The 500 boasts more airbags than it can seat passengers - it offers two dual stage front airbags, two front side airbags, two window-bags and a driver's knee airbag, all as standard equipment. It's also got all the standard three-letter acronyms seen in most cars; ABS, ESP and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution).

Euro NCAP announced that Kia's Pro-cee'd and Peugeot's 308, both premiering in Frankfurt, also received the five-star rating. Renault's Twingo received only four stars in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 28 points.

Adrian Hobbs, Secretary-General at Euro NCAP, said that "I am particularly happy to see the adult occupant protection results for the Fiat 500 and the Kia Cee’d. It is encouraging to see another small car offering high protection for its adult occupants," and continued by congratulating Kia for its first five-star result, ever.