Fiat 500 verdict

It’d be fair to observe that the Fiat 500 now really does feel its age: in the way it drives, the space it affords, and the way its cabin is finished - although perhaps less so in the impressive economy of its new hybrid engine.

And yet it retains plenty of charm and fun factor still; a bit like an impromptu ride in a shopping trolley beyond the supermarket aisles. And the style it exudes on the outside is still carried through to its cabin in some ways - even if most small cars now offer considerably better practicality, and in the 500C cabriolet there are even larger practicality compromises with which to contend than in the hatchback.

Age takes a toll on any supermini cabin. Get out of a mid-spec Dacia Sandero and into this, and I don’t think you’d feel like you were sitting in the more upmarket car. But there are still things to like: not least Fiat’s clever inset analogue instruments, which save space. 

Matt Saunders

Road test editor

In a market increasingly hostile to small cars, though, this one remains a singular, likeable thing - and worth rooting for.