Skip advert
Advertisement

Fiat 500 review - fashion victim or stylish mover? - Design

Retro charm offensive that’s inoffensive to drive

Evo rating
RRP
from £11,050
  • Retro charm, reasonably inexpensive, compact, did we say charming?
  • Too compact, a bit too charming, more fun to look at than actually drive

Design

Iconic, and instantly recognisable, the 500’s a curious mix of retro charm and relative modernity in a compact, fit-for-purpose package. Nothing really touches it for cuteness, which is as off-putting for some as it is attractive for others.

It’s impossible not to admire what Fiat has achieved with it, though where it goes next with it is anyone’s guess. The most recent facelift is truly a blink-and-you'll-miss it affair, with only the tiniest alterations inside and out (for the record: new headlights and driving lights, new alloy wheel options, body-colour inserts in the tail lights, and new instruments and infotainment options inside).

As Mini has discovered with its increasingly bloated offerings and indeed Fiat has illustrated with the ungainly 500L and 500X, there's only so much you can do to such a classic shape before it no longer bears any relation.

Advertisement - Article continues below

That said, we doubt Fiat's customers will have any problem with Fiat's decision to stick with what works - Fiat has sold well over a million since the car went on sale. Maybe we'll one day see the 500 morph into a utilitarian 126, before a retro throwback in the 2040s to the boxy 1990s Cinquecento...

Find used Fiat 500's for sale on the Classic and Performance Car site here.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

£200k is a lot for a new 911 Turbo so here are some used options
Used Porsche 911 Turbo
News

£200k is a lot for a new 911 Turbo so here are some used options

The new 992.2 Turbo S has supercar-slaying performance and a bona fide supercar price. Pay less for a used one and get very nearly as much performance…
11 Sep 2025
Audi R8 V8 (2007 - 2015) review – the Porsche 911’s equal is a bargain super sports car
Audi R8 V8
Reviews

Audi R8 V8 (2007 - 2015) review – the Porsche 911’s equal is a bargain super sports car

The Audi R8’s launch was perhaps one of the biggest moments in 2000s performance motoring. It’s as sweet today as back then
9 Sep 2025
Toyota GR Yaris Aero Performance pack detailed – Japan has all the fun yet again
Toyota GR Yaris with aero pack
News

Toyota GR Yaris Aero Performance pack detailed – Japan has all the fun yet again

We’re not getting the option of an Aero Performance pack in the UK. We’re still poring over the details, though
12 Sep 2025