Fiat has released photos of the new Fiat 500C, a ragtop model of the Fiat 500 reboot. Before showing it to the public in person, the company is giving out info and pics to people who registered in advance on the car's official website.
As we noted last week, the new cabriolet looked back to the 500's history, drawing inspiration from the 1957 model-year convertible. And unlike rival MINI, which ballooned in size when it was rebooted, the 500C has the same dimensions as its classic car counterpart. At 3.55 meters x 1.65 m x 1.49 m, the tiny 500C is angling to be the perfect weekend-adventure city car.
No new engines have been introduced for the cabrio. Current choices include a 1.2-liter petrol that gives off 69 horsepower, a 75 hp 1.3-liter turbodiesel, and a 1.3-liter 100 hp petrol engine. It is unclear if Abarth will get to toy around with the cabrio, to give it a sportier look and more powerful engine. The Abarth 500 utilizes a 135 hp turbocharged petrol, that produces up to 206 Nm of torque.
Fiat is touting the car's green cred as well. Their StartStop system comes standard on the cabrio, allowing for a temporary engine shutdown during full stops. The system shuts off the engine when the driver shifts into neutral, and releases the clutch after coming to a complete stop. The engine is reignited when the driver selects a gear.
The company claims the car will have a relatively untouched luggage space, even with the top down. They say they are using a "clever parallelogram hinge device" to fold the ragtop over the luggage compartment, keeping your gear untouched. You'll also notice the center brake light mounted to the roof, which should be more visible than a center light integrated in to the body.
Purchasers of the convertible will be able to choose between ivory, red, or black for the top, with several other body color choices. Two of these, Pearl Red and Warm Grey, were created especially for the cabrio. The new Fiat 500C will be introduced to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
A worldwide preview of the Fiat 500C presentation will take place at the next Geneva Motorshow, before its launch throughout Europe this spring. Evocative of "freedom and emotion", this original 'cabriolet' pays homage to the open-top 1957 model whilst offering leading-edge solutions for mechanical units, powerplants and interior comfort. All this in authentic Fiat tradition giving access to higher segment engineering and technology hitherto unheard of.
Featuring an innovative softtop - a fully fledged window to the sky - the new 500C comes in the same size as the basic model (3.55 m x 1.65 m x 1.49 m) and the same three powerplants: the 1.3 liter 75 HP Multijet Turbodiesel coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission and the two 1.2 liter 69 HP and 1.4 liter 100 HP gasoline engines, available with either manual or robotized Dualogic transmission. Providing different features, all three engine types are generously sized, have a brilliant temperament and offer high performance based on sophisticated technology. Standard features include stubborn reliability and environmental friendliness.
Moreover, as proof of Fiat Automobiles commitment to ecology and sustainable mobility, the new 500C incorporates the innovative “Start&Stop” system, a device controlling momentary engine shutdown and subsequent reignition. To this end, at every stop when shifting to neutral and releasing the clutch, the engine is switched off and then restarted simply by selecting a gear.
Created by the Fiat Styling Center and manufactured at the Tichy plant in Poland, the 500C is of the “open source” design, implying the addition of new functions to a highly successful existing product. Indeed, the Fiat 500C incorporates all the strong points of the basic model, namely top-of-segment safety features, 4-adult seat habitability and generous luggage space combined with excellent loadability also with the soft top fully open, thanks to a clever parallelogram hinge device.
A highly original exercise in design, the softtop of the Fiat 500C stands out for its refined electrically operated linkage and engineering solutions of great quality and finish, such as the glass backlight and the built-in center high mounted stop light. Available in three colors (ivory, red and black), this original soft top will be matched with several bodywork color schemes, two of which have been conceived specifically for the new car, i.e. a brilliant Pearl Red and a special Warm Grey typical of sports supercars. Last but not least, thanks to the adoption of the innovative sliding softtop combined with a styling concept which retains all-round protection, the Fiat 500C offers a delightful ride in any season of the year. All told, its many special features make this new car one of the best turned out cabriolet models currently on offer in the city-car segment.
The 500C is further proof of Fiat's undisputed leadership in this vehicle class where continuous innovation ensures that its position as the industry's standard is maintained. In fact the car sets new levels of in terms of comfort and safety, engineering and appointments whilst maintaining that unique and inimitable "Italian style". A new cabriolet is born which gives great excitement and utmost driving pleasure, combining captivating lines with the performance of flexible, environment-friendly engines.
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