Fiat introduces a gorgeous new baby, the Fiat 500. It is due to be launched officially 500 hours into 2008, at eight o’clock on the 21st of January, riding high in one of the capsules at the London Eye. A football match between Juventus and Valletta has been decided to be perfect to commemorate this gala event. Fiat are teaming up with Virgin Radio in the UK to promote the launch. As part of the London Eye event, Fiat are also staging a celebrity and showbiz ticketed event, which will feature live bands and ‘fantastic light show’. The Car of the Year 2008 is surely being its much-deserved share of royal treatment.
Let’s take a look back at the glorious history of the Fiat 500. It was first launched 50 years ago, and became an instant hit. With over 3,893,294 cars sold, the 500 was the best selling Fiat at that time and contributed towards making Italy a modern industrialized country.
The Fiat 500, in its new avatar, boasts unrivalled safety levels (the model being the first car of its size to win a 5-star rating in the EURO Ncap ratings), and unbelievable eco-friendly yet potent EURO 5 engines that precede European legislation laws by two years! An infinite number of trim levels are available. The modern, sleek, stylish look of the car is sure to make it a fashion statement in no time. Engines for the 500 are likely to be entry-level 1.1 and 1.2s as in the Panda, plus the 1.3 Multijet diesel (75bhp and, in top-end versions, 90bhp). Sported-up Sporting and even Abarth versions could follow, perhaps using the 1.4 16v (100bhp) and 1.4 Turbo (150bhp) engines as in the Punto Sporting and Panda Abarth.
Cinquecento goes on sale mid-2007, replacing the Seicento, and it’s evident that it will bear a strong resemblance to the Trepiuno concept. Reports had originally suggested a starting price for the 500 at around £5,000, but this is now looking less likely, at least in the UK. It has been estimated to start off at approximately £7,000.
Source: Times of Malta
