Test drive Fiat 500 since 2007 hatchback

New "Mouse"

But the first Fiat 500, which was born 72 years ago, cost about 5,000 lire. Or 300 dollars at the rate of that time. It was this little car, which the Italians nicknamed Topolino (mouse), who transplanted the nation from two wheels to four. It all started with the fact that the chief designer was still pre -war Fiat Antonio Fessia turned to engineer Dante Jacosus: listen, Jacose, Senator Anelli wants to produce micro -lines. An economical model that can be sold for 5000 lire. Are you ready to construct a chassis and a motor for her?. So one of the most popular cars in Europe was born.
So the cult was born
Each automobile nation has its own legend car. In France, these are Citroen two horses. In the UK mini. In Germany, a beetle. And in Italy, of course, the Fiat-500.
The first copy was revealed to the world on June 15, 1936. The car had a equipped mass of 545 kilograms, it could take on board two passengers and 50 kg of cargo. The mouse was produced in two modifications in and C, which differed in engine power. And it was produced until 1955. And on July 4, 1957, the first Fiat 500 Nuova, which became a bestseller, came off the assembly line. It was again a double sedan with two doors. A two -cylinder engine with a volume of 0.479 liter had a power of 13 hp. At 4000 rpm. For the first time in this class of cars, air cooling of the motor was used.
To the honor of the Fiat leadership, it immediately understood the prospects of the five hundredth and constantly updated it. Already in the fall, a version with a capacity of 15 hp was released in the fall. and maximum speed as much as 90 km/h. The changes also affected the appearance of the model: the 500th was supplied with a sun visor, lowering side glasses, a light switch on a steering column.
A year later, a Sport version appeared with a 0.5 liter engine and a capacity of 21.5 hp. It could be dispersed to 105 km/h. Soon, instead of the 500 Nuova deregistered, the fiat 500D and 500K GIARDINIIA with 0.5-liter engines was started. In 1965, sales of Fiat 500f Berlina began, the doors of which opened in the direction of movement. The Fiat 500L LUSSO model, which appeared in 1965, was equipped with a more reliable bumper, seat belts, radial tires and an improved instrument panel. From the production of LUSSO and BERLINA were removed in 1972, when new successors of the five hundredth Fiat 126 and Fiat 500R modification of the 126th model with a 0.594 liter engine with a capacity of 18 hp appeared. And simpler finishes.
The small city car Fiat 500 has become a real find not only for Italian housewives, but for the entire post -war Europe, which evaluated practicality, unpretentiousness and low cost of the car. From 1957 to 1975, about 4 million Fiat 500 were sold.
And at the beginning of the 21st century, Fiat decided to follow the path, previously beaten by Volkswagen with New Beatle and BMW with New Mini.
Common forces
The design of the new old car was created using fans of the model who expressed their wishes on the website www.fiat500.com.
The fans saw what the engineers, designers and designers did, the fans saw on July 4, 2007 at the Turin car dealership (the premiere of the new Fiat 500 was timed to the half -century anniversary of the legend). The car produced a splash, and this is still very modestly said. The international independent jury out of 58 journalists awarded the 2008 car of the 2008 car. In the annual European competition Eurocarbody 2007, the Fiat 500 International Automobile Association became the winner for the best body.
What is this new Fiat 500?
Close acquaintance
I received the answer to this question at first on Parisian streets, where Fiat 500 of all rainbow colors is almost the most common car today. Small and maneuverable, in the parking lot, it does not take up just such a megalopolis. And the acquaintance in the parking lot on the editorial office continued, where the White Baby has been attracting the attention of customers and guards for two days now. Multikoklich helped to get into a frostbitten salon, designed in a snow-white tone.
As readers probably remember, the author of these lines has experience in communicating with remarks of the legends according to Mini Cooper Clubman. What can I say? On the one hand, there is much in common. On the other hand, but on the other, well, nothing like that.
The general design of the dashboard. Its center is several concentric circles, on the arcs of which red arrows run. External circle speedometer, digitized up to 220 km/h. Can Fiat baby accelerate to such a speed? Probably cannot. Yes, I would not advise.
The average circle tachometer, marked up to 8000 rpm.
And finally, the inner circle. This, on the one hand, is the screen of the triple-computer, on the other, the electronic fuel boar and coolant temperature. Everything is simple and clear.
Other circles and arcs are inscribed in the interior. This is a visor of the dashboard, and the elements of the control of the media system and the microclimate, and the deflectors finally, the largest circle of a large steering wheel, sheathed with white skin.
It unites more precisely, collects all the details into a single whole insert to the color of the body. Judging by the sound, it is plastic. But 50 years ago, it seems, was metal.
What else to mention? Well, for example, the Blue & Me system, which is installed on some modifications and works like Hands-Free. On more expensive versions, the navigation system allows you to connect the mp3 player and even reads SMS aloud
While investigating the salon, tactile sensations have faded into the background. But soon they reminded themselves of themselves. Yes, unlike Mini, the salon is openly crowded to find its position in my 180 cm is not easy. The right knee rests on the central console, on which a short nomadic of a mechanical 6-speed gearbox is carried out. Left to the driver's door. The seats settings are mechanical, and the front chubby, but a very hard roller frankly presses from below on the hips, which is why the legs quickly flow and get tired. You can fix the situation only by tilting the seat itself. Although I spent many hours behind the wheel, I never found a convenient position for myself. There are few containers for trifles. As such, there is no glove compartment. Instead, a shallow and small pocket. Another under the cigarette pack to the left of the steering wheel. Under the console two round containers, one is busy with a portable ashtray. Understand how you want on the one hand, a car for non -smokers, on the other, smoke, if there is no one else in the cabin. Moreover, there is a cigarette lighter.
Since there are only two doors, you can get back in one way, throwing the back of the front seat and moving the sitting forward itself. And Py-Ta-Em-Sue, if you are not a child, it is very, very problematic to do it.
The trunk is like a mockery, but two or three packets with products will fit there. No more.
However, enough to walk around the bush. Must go. Moreover, the path is not short: the press park of Sollers, which sells fiat in Russia, moved to Golitsyno near Moscow.
To the noise of your wheels
Departure from the center to the Moscow Ring Road stood. Therefore, I decided to get along the Leningradskoye Shosse to Sokol, then to the third ring, on it to Khoroshevka, from it to Krasnopresnensky Prospekt, and already on it on the Moscow Ring Road. The route was similar to huge letters P, where each leg is 20 kilometers long, and a jumper of 10 kilometers.
This path stretched for two hours (only around the city). And then I realized how much the baby is not enough in this configuration at least bad, but an automatic machine! Of course, the round knob of the checkpoint of the checkpoint is literally 10 centimeters from the bagel, but still from the first to the second, rarely to the third. And constantly the clutch-gaz-brand-combination would have to come in handy for the robotic 6-speed dualogic, it seemed to me then (I was mistaken, but more on that in the next issue).
But finally, I managed to go to the Moscow Ring Road. It was more free here, and I decided to accelerate all the more since the new 1.4-liter 16-valve engine (100 hp, 131 Nm) with the VVT \u200b\u200bsystem and Sport mode stood under the hood. So it was possible to light. And I tried. I can’t say that rapid acceleration pressed me into the back of the seat, but I felt the difference between ordinary and sports modes.
But what is it?! Where did all this noise come from, completely clogging music rapped from speakers? This, as it turned out, was a whole ensemble, consisting of engine and four winter tires Kumho. The noise turned out to be a blessed I imagined a long road on Fiat 500 along the winter highway. I generally love long -distance roads to be from 500 to 1000 kilometers. But if on such tires I will go crazy by the end of the first hundred!
Of course, on the other hand, the car turned out to be fast and very maneuverable. With a typical gambling manage, with an informative steering wheel and good brakes. But still he is a southerner. It is easy to imagine on cobblestone bridges of the same Paris or tile Rome but not in snowy Russia.
You can consider the fiat-500 and as a second car in the family. For example, I would not mind buying him for my wife so cool in the summer (in winter I do not let her in).
But the main minus is still not a seasonal purpose of the car. And its price, which starts from a mark of 555 thousand rubles. For comparison, Mini One is most expensive for 130 thousand (or 4.5 thousand dollars). And the top version (so far without a machine gun, they have not yet been supplied) will pull almost 600 thousand. When looking at the price list, the name of the film, made in the subtitle, surfaced in memory.
Still, half a million for this baby in a crisis is a robbery, in my personal opinion. In the first year, the company planned to sell 120 thousand five hundredths. I don’t know whether it was possible or not, but if Russia was able to help. Yes, the replica of the legend, but charming, crumpled. But nothing more. Today, alas, is not the time to play toys.
Dmitry Semenov
Photo fiat
 

 

Source: Magazine Automobile Izvestia [February 2009]