Fiat Reveals the New 500

New Fiat 500 (Credit: © Fiat)

As promised, Fiat has unveiled its new 500. Oddly enough, Fiat promised the new model would show its face on July 4th, but it actually debuted on the 3rd. Regardless of the semantics of its release date, the new 500 is here and the updates are fairly significant.

The exterior of the new 500 retains its familiar shape and size, with the latter checking in at 140.5 inches long, 64.2 inches wide, and 58.7 inches tall. This compact body sits atop an equally tiny 90.6-inch wheelbase. What have changed are the headlights and taillights.

Up front, the headlights retain their general positioning, harking back to the 500’s predecessors, but they now have more of a slant. The taillights are the neatest of the updates, as they are now simply rings of light with body-colored inserts in the center. This gives the back end a striking pair of zeros in the dark t0 match the zeros formed by the LED daytime running lights up front. These new taillights required Fiat to reposition the backup lights to the outer edges of the bumper.

New Fiat 500 (Credit: © Fiat)

Besides the lighting, there are a few other changes to the 500’s exterior. These include a new three-dimensional front grille, a new rear bumper trim that comes in either black or chrome, and new wheel options that include 15- and 16-inch rollers.

There are plenty of upgrades inside the cabin too, but the most noticeable one is the redesigned dashboard. This redesign includes new air vents, a revised dome, and an integrated Uconnect infotainment system on all trim levels.

The steering wheel is also fully redesigned, giving the 500 a more upscale look, and resting behind this wheel is an updated gauge cluster that is easier to read at a quick glance. Rounding out the updates in the cabin is a revised center console with new cup holders, new power window switches, and a repositioned 12-volt power source.

New Fiat 500 (Credit: © Fiat)

For now, Fiat has only revealed its global engine lineup, so its confirmed U.S. lineup remains unknown. The global lineup will include 0.9-liter TwinAir engine with 85 horsepower and a 74.3 mpg rating, a 0.9-liter TwinAir engine with 105 horsepower, a 1.2-liter engine with 69 horsepower, and a 1.3-liter Multijet II diesel engine with 95 horsepower. When the new 500 launches in September 2015, only the 0.9-liter engines and the 1.2-liter engine will be available; the 1.3-liter and the “Eco” version of the 1.2-liter engine will come later.

In the U.K., the Fiat 500 will start from just £10,890 OTR ($17,004). There is no mention of U.S. pricing or release date.