Fiat 500 C

By: Dave Leggett - 6 July 2009 17:16

The Fiat 500 C press event I went to at the end of last week was worth going to. Thankfully, I didn't find myself listening to an over-detailed presentation about the technical specs of the car (that stuff should all be available in the press pack). Most journalists appreciate a to-the-point presentation that highlights what's important rather than a methodical ploughing through of everything about the car.

In fact, the Fiat UK MD, Andy Humberstone, stuck to the basics of the car and talked more broadly about Fiat UK's business (here's a link to the article I was able to write before breakfast, pleasantly hangover free - no need for an Audi-style corporate-manslaughter-avoiding press launch breathalyser).

The car? I hate to sound kind of sexist, but I think it will appeal particularly to young professional females. I like what Fiat have done with the soft top and there's a 'girlie' feel, especially inside. Nothing wrong with that. After seeing BBC Top Gear last night (they did a comparison of small premium cars and admitted afterwards that they had overlooked the best of the lot – the 500), Fiat can perhaps be excused a bit of a bask in the good reception the car has had. The new variant should do well. With small cars all the rage in Europe, it looks like the right product at the right time.

Maybe not a car for thrashing, but it certainly provides enough fun around town for the target customer.

How would it do in the States, I wonder...

Some pics below. Dorset coast was pretty and the hotel was just off Poole quay where we could see the Sunseeker boat yard and some rather large yachts. A jolly chap called Dennis fom a Bridport radio station told me over a beer that a worker there once tried to make his own Sunseeker 'One piece at a time' Johnny Cash Caddy assembly line style. They caught him, but he'd got quite a long way to getting his own boat...

Comments on this blog post

How would it do in the States, I wonder... The newly reconstituted Chrysler Group LLC can't find that out soon enough. The timing is right and the look is right for the target demographic. The retail support better be bulletproof right out of the gate... that will make all the difference for "intenders" who are not early adopters but want to wait and see before committing.

Robert Blakely, United States