The 56 MPG Fiat 500 Returns
By Bill Siuru
Fiat offered the Nuova 500 for nearly 20 years, from 1957 to 1975. It proved very popular as a city car and today is considered a cult car in Europe with many still in service, or in collectors’ garages. The Nuova 500 replaced another automotive icon, the 1935-55 Fiat 500 Topolino, or “Mickey Mouse.” Finally, after a long hiatus and 50 years after the Nuova 500’s debut, Fiat has introduced its long awaited successor, the 500.
There are many parallels between the earlier Fiat 500 and the latest version besides its obvious retro styling. The new 500 is a three-door, four-seat hatchback that’s 139.7 inches long, compared to the 1957 model that was only 116 inches long. Unlike the previous 500s, the latest version is produced at Fiat's plant in Tychy, Poland.
There are three four cylinder engines choices that comply with Euro 4 emission requirements and were designed to meet the for Euro 5 standards. The Fire 1.2-liter 8v (8 valve) delivers 69 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and peak torque of 75 lbs-ft at 3,000 rpm. It has a top speed of nearly 100 mph and fuel economy of 46 mpg, with CO2 emissions of 119 g/km. Interestingly, the catalytic converter is welded directly to the exhaust manifold flange so it heats up rapidly in order to reduce emissions during cold starts.
For greater performance, there’s the Fire 1.4-liter 16v (16 valve) engine that produces 100 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 97 lbs-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm. Top speed is 113 mph with fuel consumption of 37 mpg. The 1.3-liter 16v Multijet Turbodiesel features a diesel particulate filter (DPF), Borg-Warner fixed geometry turbocharger, and intercooler. The turbodiesel variant is rated at 75 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 107 lbs-ft of torque at 1,500 rpm. Fuel consumption is 56 mpg with CO2 emissions of 111 g/km. Three transmissions are offered – a 5-speed manual for the 1.2 and 1.3, 6-speed manual for the 1.4, and an automated manual Dualogic for the 1.2 and 1.4 models.
For comparison, the earlier 500 had a rear mounted, air-cooled two-cylinder engine. At introduction, the 479 cc engine produced 13 horsepower, which ultimately grew to 594 cc and 23 horsepower by the time the final 500R model rolled around. It came with a non-synchronized, four-speed “crash box” transmission. The Nuova 500s were able to eke out 55 mpg long before advanced technology was at hand to help along the process.
Fiat plans to offer an Abarth SS badged version as a competitor to the BMW Mini. This upscale minicar will feature an engine tuned to produce as much as 150 horsepower from a turbocharged 1.4 liter engine. It will also have wider wheels and a stiffer suspension. In years gone by, Carlos Abarth offered the Abarth 595SS and Abarth 695SS models with 594 cc and 695 cc engines, which respectively produced 28 and 38 horsepower, and up to 55 horsepower in racing versions. Keep your fingers crossed, because rumor has it that the new Abarth SS may be sold in the U.S.
Want to know more about more exciting small cars? Be sure to check out these articles on GreenCar.com:
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