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Road Test: Fiat 500S TwinAir (103bhp)

By / 9 years ago / Road Tests / No Comments

Sector: City car Price: £13,850 Fuel: 67.3mpg CO2: 99g/km,

You’d be entirely forgiven for missing the subtle updates to the Fiat 500 last year. Now almost eight years on from its glitzy launch event in Turin, it’s managed to remain one of the most desirable cars in its segment, despite also being one of the oldest, and has even spawned its own model range. Understandably, that’s not something Fiat wants to disrupt.

The changes cater firmly for the driver, which is a positive. Fiat has ditched the dated orange display in the centre of its instrument cluster for a slick TFT screen, and there’s a new petrol engine too. It’s a 103bhp version of the two-cylinder TwinAir turbo, as fitted to the 500L and 500X, and makes the 500S the quickest 500 without an Abarth badge.

Actually, it’s exactly what this particular version always needed. Priced at £150 over the Lounge, the 500S wears 15-inch split-spoke alloy wheels and a bodykit which swaps large chrome strips for gaping air intakes, while the interior features a flat-bottomed steering wheel from the Abarth 500 and sports seats to go with it. The end result is easily the most masculine of the Fiat 500 range.

The new TwinAir engine isn’t mandatory, the 500S is available with the full range including the diesel, but it means the sportiest-looking 500 can also be one of the quickest cars in its segment. Its extra power cuts a second off the sprint to 62mph, delivered with the same frantic urgency and flat growl as the 85bhp version. Press the Sport button, and that new TFT screen also shows you how much turbo boost the engine is using.

However, this isn’t a hot hatch. City-tuned steering and suspension help the 500 to feel agile on the road, and it is fun, but it’s still behind the MINI as a driver’s car. The large wheels can also be a bit merciless on the UK’s battered road surfaces.

There are downsides to the TwinAir engine, too. Like the 85bhp version, it’s near impossible to come anywhere near the claimed fuel economy. Admittedly this isn’t helped by the over-eager power delivery, which makes it difficult to resist squeezing the throttle to wake the engine, but even 60mpg is hard going with a steady right foot.

However, this isn’t likely to appeal to long-distance motorway drivers, and there’s over £500 between the TwinAir and the MultiJet diesel. As the petrol is more fun to use, particularly in town, still relatively fuel efficient and yet powerful enough to be suitable for longer trips too, low-mileage drivers could overlook the economy and view this as a tax-efficient warm hatch. They wouldn’t be disappointed.

And that says a lot about the Fiat 500. Already older than a normal vehicle life cycle and still a strong proposition, it’s only details like the complicated menus to operate MP3 players or navigate through a phonebook that show its true age. For the style statement and the driver enjoyment this offers, they’re details many will be happy to overlook.

Verdict:

Though there are signs that it’s an older product than most, Fiat’s effortlessly stylish city car is still a great option for low mileage drivers and the lively new TwinAir engine is a fun addition to it. Albeit one best considered for its tax benefits than its fuel economy.

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Alex Grant

Trained on Cardiff University’s renowned Postgraduate Diploma in Motor Magazine Journalism, Alex is an award-winning motoring journalist with ten years’ experience across B2B and consumer titles. A life-long car enthusiast with a fascination for new technology and future drivetrains, he joined Fleet World in April 2011, contributing across the magazine and website portfolio and editing the EV Fleet World Website.