Updated Fiat 500 lands in South Africa with rejigged line-up
JOHANNESBURG - The Fiat 500, in its current form, has been around since 2007 and although there is a newer generation available abroad, this is only available in electric guise. For this reason, the current Fiat 500 soldiers on as a more affordable alternative and the refreshed version is now available in South Africa.
Stellantis SA has rejigged the range, which is now available in four trim grade flavours - Cult, Connect, Sport and Dolcevita - with the latter two also available in Cabriolet guise. Prices range from R219 900 to R324 900.
As before all models are powered by Fiat’s 875cc two-cylinder turbopetrol engine, which produces 62.5kW and 145Nm. 0-100km/h comes up in 11 seconds, says Fiat, while claimed fuel consumption amounts to 4.0 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.
A walk through the range
The Fiat 500 Cult is the new entry to the range, and comes with the basics such as manual air conditioning, a 5.0-inch Uconnect radio and 14-inch steel rims wearing plastic hubcaps. Safety kit includes seven standard airbags, ABS and ESP.
Buyers can add some cheer to the entry model by opting for the Techno Blue Matt dashboard and the Arancio Sicilia orange exterior paint colour.
The 500 Connect, as its name implies, adds a Uconnect 7.0-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and CarPlay connectivity, while ‘flashy’ seat trim as well as standard 15-inch alloys wheels and model-specific bumpers, side skirts and rear spoiler add flash to the exterior.
The 500 Sport also gets specific bumpers, skirts and spoilers, along with unique 16-inch alloy wheels, Sport badging, Titanium dashboard trim with red 500 logo and new ‘arrow electro’ seats. Automatic climate control and a 7.0-inch TFT instrument cluster join the list of interior amenities.
The 500 Dolcevita boasts two-tone paintwork as well as unique 16-inch alloy wheels, while the cabin is adorned with Matelassé fabric seats with techno leather details as well as a Techno-leather multi-function steering wheel and glass roof.
All models are sold with a five-year/100 000km warranty.
2021 Fiat 500 prices
0.9T Cult manual - R219 900
0.9T Connect manual - R260 900
0.9T Sport manual - R269 900
0.9T Dolcevita autol - R274 900
0.9T Sport Cabrio manual - R319 900
0.9T Dolcevita Cabrio auto - R324 900