Eastlife Summer 2020 (Web)

Motoring
Fiat 500C Star
Written by Sue Cooke | Twitter: @cookecars
With more sunshine comes the desire to drive an open top cabriolet. I road tested
the Fiat 500C and managed to keep the roof open most of that time. Plus, at
the moment, fresh air is very welcome.
One driving situation where I didn’t take advantage of the ‘wind in the hair’
experience was on the motorway. Not that there is much wind at slow moving
motorway speeds, but simply because it is a small car and in tandem with large
trucks, I just didn’t feel safe.
However, that is just perception because the 500 hatchback was the first car
under four metres to receive a five-star EuroNCAP crash safety rating. There
are driver, passenger and side airbags offered as standard and the brakes are
extremely efficient.
In the interior the two-door cabriolet has a small space at the rear that probably
would better accommodate luggage but is easily accessible for little ones as
the front seats push forward. Cargo capacity with the rear seats in place is 182
litres which was just right for my weekly shop.
I like the short in length, 5 speed gear lever which is at hand height and moves
slickly through the box. The speed you are driving at is shown in large letters
directly behind the steering wheel so there is no excuse for driving at a higher
speed than the road allows. But if you do exceed the speed limit, a polite alert
reminds you. Road and tyre noise meant the radio volume had to increase.
The ‘Star’ version has standard features which include air conditioning, manual
climate control and electrically adjustable door mirrors. Cruise control is also a
standard feature. A radar parking sensor at the rear will let you know when you
are close to the car behind when reversing into a car parking space.
The unleaded petrol engine on my road test car, which was a 1242cc four-cylinder
engine with 69hp was a lot quicker than I expected from the given figures.
I found it very nippy around town, although Fiat says that the acceleration from
standing to 62mph is 12.9 seconds, going on to a top speed of 99mph. Or it
could just be that while driving a small car, everything around me felt as if it was
going at speed, including the huge juggernauts, which I found a little
intimidating when motorway driving.
For the first time Fiat is introducing a new hybrid to the 500. Most of the cars I
road test nowadays are hybrid or electric powered and the Fiat 500 will be the
first city car to be fitted with petrol mild hybrid technology. Fiat says this is the
first step towards the electrification of the brand.
Fast Facts
Model: Fiat 500 C Star
Price: £18,045 otr
Engine: 1242cc 69hp unleaded petrol
Performance: 0-62mph in 12.9 seconds and
on to a top speed of 99mph
CO2 emissions: 108g/km
Combined fuel consumption: 47.1 mpg
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