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our test drives or view them all

Fiat 500D Sport

THE new Fiat 500D Sport is the cleverest regurgitation of an iconic budget car you’ll find.

I first drove the retro hatch in February and loved the 1.4 litre petrol model with its lively 100bhp heart and 45mpg average fuel consumption. But Fiat insisted on spoiling the pot – by giving it a diesel.

Regular readers will know I’m generally a diesel lover – but I have serious doubts about oil-burners and small cars. They tend to make them noisy and make little sense economically.

And so it is with the fun-packed 500D. The 1.3 litre MultiJet is a cracking little turbodiesel in the right place – but that’s not in the 500. And certainly not when you combine it with a Sport specification.

My 1.3 Multijet-ed 500D Sport was a harsh and hard-riding example of one of the most characterful and clever retro designs on the market.

I had harboured great hopes for the diesel engined 500. I felt let down.

Engine racket was not the car’s big failing, it was its ride and road noise. Fitting 16-inch alloys with wide low 45-section tyres made it skip over rough sections and generated a crescendo that made conversation on a cruise down the A9 impossible. It was just as well the radio failed to pick up any stations south of Kingussie – we couldn’t have listened anyway!

The lesson is this. If you are planning a Fiat 500, and I’d recommend you do if you like fun and practicality, then opt for 1.2 or 1.4 petrol power in high-value Pop (from £8100) or more comfortable Lounge (from £9500) trim. Leave the oiler to our European cousins who will at least have the advantage of cheaper fuel.

Overall I averaged 51mpg. Not bad you might think, but I had hoped to be getting nearly 60mpg from the 75bhp unit. The more powerful 1.4 petrol Lounge was almost as frugal at 45mpg overall – and far more comfortable with lower decibels in the cabin.

Considering you’ll pay the same £10,900 list price for a 1.4 petrol Lounge as you will for a 1.3 Multi-jet Lounge, there’s no contest. It’s petrol every time.

I can’t complain about the little diesel’s performance. It’s strong. Torque of 107lb.ft from just 1500rpm is not to be sniffed at and the 500D scuttled along. Mid-range acceleration is reasonable in the lower rev band but gets really good with excellent pulling power once you get past 3000rpm. Thankfully that’s where you’re best to launch your overtaking manoeuvres.

In the cruise, noise apart, it took even the long uphill drags of the A9 in its stride. The standard five-speed manual is well up to the job, but top is a little long legged and there was a tendency for the engine to sag after changing up from fourth on a wide throttle.

Oh, how I longed for the Cinquecento I first drove in February on rain-soaked Highland roads – the same trim as the 500D Sport but with a sweet six-speed manual and a smooth and revvable 1.4 petrol heart.

I’m also a fan of the smallest Fiat 500 engine – the frenetic 69bhp 1.2 petrol. Like the 1.4 it’s willing, smooth and loves revs. And that’s what’s wrong with the diesel – it lacks what makes the Fiat 500 a Fiat 500: a high-revving terrier of a petrol engine under the bonnet that thrives on being thrashed.

Fiat Auto’s stylists know a thing or two about making cars look good. Designed by Fiat Centro Stile, the 500’s chic styling boasts visual cues from the past. But it is far from a simple, nostalgic interpretation of Dante Giacosa’s iconic Fiat 500 of July 1957 because they have modernised the concept and adapted the character to today’s technology and safety. They’ve done an impressive job.

There’s no mistaking the new car’s pedigree – even though at 3.5 metres long it’s a lot bigger than the original and boasts useful cabin space.

The front end is a faithful reproduction of the old car’s style executed in good quality plastic just like the crisp dashboard that’s also plastic but looks like a sheet of painted metal seen in the first 500s. Dash design is brilliant – switchgear is crisp and works well while the outer rim of the circular main instrument carries speed while a smaller second tier gives you rpm information. The only minor downside is the hard texture of the dash plastics that make it feel cheap.

The car’s beetleback contours follow the iconic original too and put me in no doubt that I was driving a son of Cinquecento. It’s certainly not direct competition for MINI – for a start the 500 is simply too cheerful and lightweight to compete head on and in any event it falls into a lower price bracket than the German-owned icon and will appeal to buyers on a tighter budget.

Diesel engine apart, I lapped up the 1.3 Multi-jet’s excellent front-drive grip and sharp handling.

And if there’s not enough latent power in the 500 1.4 Sport just wait awhile. Heading our way very soon is an Abarth 500 – a "hot" 1.4 petrol in the same suit as the Grande Punto Abarth I drove recently but with a lower price tag.

The 500 is a cracking little newcomer built in a Fiat plant in Poland and will be the basis for Ford’s new Ka city car.

It’s a fun car and it deserves the spotlight that’s fallen on it since it appeared during the winter. At Lounge level it’s well equipped and like all 500s comes with a five-star safety rating. Pity though that ESP is still a £200 option.

It’s not perfect – the boot is tiny at 185 litres and the fuel tank only holds 35 litres.

But remember, the Cinquecento of the 1950s was all about frenetic fun – not tractor power. Diesel development has been dramatic and good and the 1.3 litre Fiat Multi-jet unit is an excellent small oil-burner – in its place. That place is NOT in a Fiat 500.

If it’s fun, fun, fun all the way you’re looking for, stick to the 69bhp 1.2 or the rapid 100bhp 1.4 petrols in Pop or Lounge trim – you won’t be disappointed.

 Rating: 7/10

FINAL THOUGHT

Looking for a frugal three-door supermini with style and handling? The Fiat 500 has it. But I doubt if I’d put my money into the 1.3 litre turbodiesel Sport – simply because Fiat’s outstanding 1.4 litre Fire petrol Lounge is far more comfortable for the same money and a lot smoother. This is a clever, roomy and fun-to-drive supermini that turns heads but is undermined by a diesel engine it does not need. Fun styling, good to drive, excellent safety, spacious and cheap to run and insure – a perfect combination. The MultiJet diesel is not at its best here while 1.2 or 1.4 Fire petrol engines are perfect. Being too liberal with Fiat’s option list can push the price up, but the £10,900 1.4 Lounge is great value in standard guise.

CAR FACTS – Fiat 500D Sport

• Price: £10,900
• Capacity: 1248cc
• Power: 75bhp
• 0-62mph: 12.5seconds
• Maximum speed: 103mph
• Economy: Urban 53.3mpg; Combined 67.3mpg
• CO2 emissions: 110g/km
• ESP: £200 option
• Insurance: Group 4