2012 FIAT 500 Sport Philadelphia PA

See Our New 2012 FIAT 500 Sport Philadelphia, PA

2012 FIAT 500 Sport Design

There are five separate wheel designs of 15 or 16 inches, with at least three of them good-looking and eye-catching, and 14 vivid colors to choose from. Try Nero (black), Rosso (red), Bianco (white), Azzurro (blue), Grigio (gray), Argento (silver), Giallo (yellow), Verde Chiaro (light green), Rame (copper), Verde Oliva (olive green), Rosso Brillante (tri-coat pearl red), Bianco Perla (pearl white), and Mocha Latte and Espresso, which apparently need no translation from Italian.

The original 500 had a canvas roof that's legendary, and today's 500 features an optional dark glass roof that copies the style. The optional sunroof is available as fixed or powered.  Also, we might add that the coefficient of drag is 0.35, which is darn good for a little box of a car.

Driving Impressions of the 2012 FIAT 500 Sport

Passing on two-lanes, in sport mode, there was enough acceleration to work with. Shifting gears to stay in the powerband makes it fun. It's a momentum machine. It comes on at 4000 rpm and redlines at 6800, a point that's unfortunately hard to judge because of the difficulty of reading the tachometer, especially the red numbers and lines over 6000 rpm. At least the rev limiter cuts fuel gently; the engine just flattens at 6800, it doesn't nose-dive.

The Sport's red brake calipers can be seen through the 16-inch wheels in a color called Carbide and make a statement that's backed up by braking performance. Stopping in the Sport is significantly more responsive than in the Pop and Lounge, which is good when you're driving in a sporty manner, but it requires a soft touch around town. The Pop and Lounge do that soft touch for you. With 10.1-inch front and 9.4-inch rear rotors, and so little weight to bring down, getting stopped in time is never a worry.

The Sport, which is truly sporty, with a firm ride, thanks to stiffer springs and shock tuning, firmer brakes, and quicker steering. It all adds up to a wonderfully responsive car, although the ride isn't as relaxing as the Pop or Lounge, especially over bumpy roads or in the city. But if play is what you like, you'll have a blast in the Sport.

2012 FIAT 500 Sport Lineup

The 2012 Fiat 500 comes in Pop, Sport, and Lounge versions. All Fiat 500s use a 1.4-liter engine.

Fiat 500 Pop comes standard with the air conditioning, AM/FM/CD/MP3 radio with auxiliary input, power windows, power door locks, power heated mirrors, cruise control, vehicle information display, fabric seats, 15-inch steel wheels. A 5-speed manual gearbox is standard; a 6-speed automatic with manual shifting is optional. Safety equipment includes seven air bags, reactive head restraints, electronic stability control, and ABS with brake-force distribution, brake assist, and brake override.

Interior of the 2012 FIAT 500 Sport

Legroom in the rear is 31.7 inches, obviously not much; we barely squeezed our briefcase behind the driver's seat. However, with the front seats slid forward, the rear legroom is not half-bad; but that's because the rear seat is a bench, so passengers sit upright. Fiat says it's roomy for two adults, and we wonder what species they mean, certainly not two adult humans. Young people running around town might not mind the squeeze, nor the climb into or out of the rear seat. With the rear seats up, you might be able to get two carry-on bags in the back. Drop the seats and it's a little hatchback with lots of room to throw small stuff in, through the liftgate.

If the exterior is the epitome of tidy, the interior is the epitome of neat. As Roberto Giolito, the head of Fiat Style says, it delivers absolutely everything that is required and nothing more. Also, if the Fiat were as simple as they say it is, the radio would have a dial to tune stations, and not a button that you have to hold your finger on and take your eye off the road to watch the digital number tick along.

Summary

The 2012 FIAT 500 SPort is a stylish subcompact that shows that small can be cool. The FIAT 500 Pop has sports car capable handling, great fuel economy and is suprsingly spacious for two people.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com