2016 Fiat 500

Cute, compact, and unmistakably Italian, the Fiat 500 could very well be one of Canada’s most charming new vehicles.

For 2016, Fiat has given the 500’s standard audio system a big upgrade. Gone is the slim-format stereo in place of a new 5.0-inch display audio touchscreen with standard Bluetooth and voice control. It’s a nice complement to the full-TFT instrument cluster that arrived on most 500s last year. Also new are a handful of vibrant colours: Spitfire Orange, Latte Menta (light green), Celeste Blu (retro light blue), Rhino (dark grey), Grigio Cenre (light grey), while the Abarth is now offered in Giallo Moderno Perla (pearl yellow).

On top of the numerous trims already on sale – Sport, Lounge, Pop – there’s a new 1957 Edition, designed to commemorate the 500’s storied history. On sale sourth of the border since 2014, the 1957 adds vintage-look painted aluminum wheels with chrome caps, exclusive pastel colours, retro badges and interior details, brown leather upholstery, and sport-tuned suspension. It’s a kitchy package, but one that’s sure to melt its fair share of hearts.

Fiat offers the 500 with three different powertrains, all of which are 1.4 litres in displacement. The standard 500 gets a naturally aspirated variant of this engine that develops 101 hp and 98 lb-ft of torque. The Turbo adds a wee little turbine for 135 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque, while the Abarth features the same engine but tuned to 160 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque with a snarling exhaust note (157 hp, 183 lb-ft wih automatic) All use a five-speed manual transmission, with a six-speed automatic as an optional extra.

The Turbo model features upgraded brakes, while the Abarth offers performance suspension, sticky tires, heavily bolstered seats, and a cool flat-bottom steering wheel. Small and light, the standard 500 offers excellent fuel economy: 7.6 L/100 km city, 5.9 L/100 km highway.

The 2016 Fiat 500 starts at $18,995 for the base Pop and goes up to $27,995 for the 500 Abarth.