The Fiat 500 has been one of the most surprising success stories to come along in recent years. It is part of the companies attempt to rebuild its reputation after a period in which it became known for little more than making unreliable cars. The Fiat 500 has in fact been so successful that there are even plans in place to go back to the US market that they left in disgrace two decades ago. The Fiat 500 is a direct competitor for the Mini and it looks to be tough competition.
The reason that I love the Fiat 500 is that it is a fun little car to drive. It is part of that new class of cars, the premium small car. This is a car that is clearly intended for city driving but which has a level of performance that you wouldn’t expect from a car of this size. This car is aimed at young people and they are demanding a sporty car that has some style and is fun to drive. This is exactly what the Fiat 500 can provide.
The market that the Fiat 500 is entering is the one that was created when the Mini was re-introduced. When the Mini came back on the market it wasn’t just a recreation of the old car, they completely redesigned it to appeal to a younger urban crowd. Seeing the success of this Fiat have set out to do the same thing. They have based the 500 on the Cinquecento which was a popular car in Italy from the fifties to the seventies. Like the Mini they haven’t just taken the old car and put it back into production, they have completely updated it. So far it has proven to be enormously successful in Europe.
The Success that the Fiat 500 has had in Europe has encouraged them to introduce it into America. This is a big step for the company since the last time they attempted to break into the US they failed miserably. For anybody in the US who even remembers Fiat they are still thought of as a joke, most famous for their unreliable cars. However the company has gone through dramatic changes since then and they are ready to take another shot at the American market. The Fiat 500 would seem to be the perfect car to do this.
The Fiat 500 is clearly intended to compete with the Mini and in a lot of ways it is a very similar car. It is actually even smaller than the Mini. The performance of the car is very good, it handles great and despite the small engine has more than enough power for its size. The Fiat 500 is also a practical car, despite its small size it has plenty of room inside. You can have four adults in there with no problem and still have room to carry their luggage.