Fiat 500C Sees the Light in Geneva - video

It doesn't seem like a car is properly launched without a press conference and a dramatic unveiling, does it? The pictures and numbers have been available for a couple of weeks now, but Fiat's adorable new ragtop 500C has made its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The live music and dramatic moving pedestals made for a proper introduction for the latest addition to the Fiat family.

The full-length cloth top follows the resurrected 500's retro-influenced styling, with full-length roof rails just like those of the 1957 original. Modern touches to the canvas top include power operation and a glass window, and the trunk can be accessed even with the top down. The 500C is available in three colors with a choice of two complementary canvas hues.

The 500C shares its basic dimensions with the hardtop, and the engine offerings are the same as well; a 1.3 liter turbodiesel with 75 horsepower, a 69-horsepower 1.2 liter gasoline engine, and a 100-horse, 1.4 liter unit. A choice of five-speed manual or Dualogic automatic transmissions is offered. The 500C is also available with fuel-saving stop-start technology.

Fiat's ragtop city car made its Geneva debut accompanied by live music, rising slowly out of the floor once the drapes were pulled up. For a vehicle that's all about making an unmistakable entrance, the 500C made an equally distinctive debut. Check out the video.