Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 84%

Retro is the new modern when it comes to designing funky cars, and there are few more retro than the Fiat 500.

Unashamedly harking back to the original car from the 1950s, the new Fiat 500 is bigger in every way, but still manages to retain some of the old car's cheeky charm, whilst avoiding becoming a nasty pastiche.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks

The production version of the Fiat 500 stayed true to the car's concept, the Trepiuno, and its looks immediately identify it as something rather special. Its cheeky face and dinky dimensions allow it to thread through crowded city streets bringing smiles to passers by. The round headlights and front indicators are a direct evolution of those from the original car, as is the bulge where you'd expect a front grille to be. Even the bonnet shut line which runs along the front wing, rather than hidden on an angle, is homage to the 1957 masterpiece.

The side profile is the most different elevation, with a more steeply-raked windscreen and the rear slopes away a little quicker, thanks to the engine being moved from the back to the front.

There's plenty of scope to create a unique 500, with a huge range of sticker, badge, wheel and colour options. Buyers can even specify a coloured or patterned key to match the bodywork.

10/10

2. Looks inside

With an exterior like a fashion show, anything less than retro chic would be a disappointment. Fortunately, Fiat has done a great job of making the cabin a really nice place to be. The retro Fiat badge on the steering wheel beams back at the driver, while the instrument cluster features a rev counter around the outside, with a speedo inside it and the trip computer in the centre. On the move it's as though the speedo needle is chasing the rev counter. The main dash facia is colour coded and stretches from door to door, interrupted only by some retro buttons.

9/10

3. Practicality

The Fiat 500 is a remarkable city car. Its dimensions mean it can thread through crowded streets with ease, and is possibly one of the most simple cars to parallel park thanks to its short overhangs.

Considering its size, the Fiat 500 is remarkably spacious. Its 185-litre boot is just big enough for the weekly shop, and far bigger than that of the far larger Mini. The boot lip is a little high, so loading bulky objects could prove a little tricky.

There's enough space up front for two adults, albeit in close proximity; and legroom in the rear is surprising for such a short car. Rear headroom is less impressive, although it's enough for a pair of adults for a short journey.

8/10

4. Ride and Handling

Few will buy a Fiat 500 for its handling prowess; its appeal is far wider than that. But body roll is reasonably well restrained, and it feels surprisingly taut through the bends. The steering is a little too light for masses of feedback, but that makes it ideal for winding through tight urban streets. And if any extra steering assistance is required, a 'City' mode lightens the steering even more under speeds of 44mph. The ride is firm, but rarely uncomfortable, and even with the tiny 1.2-litre engine we tested, not too buzzy at motorway speeds.

8/10

5. Performance

Fiat offers the 500 with a choice of two petrol and one diesel engine. We tested the lowest power model – the 1.2 petrol – and it was well suited to the urban crawl, offering sufficient low-down power from its 69bhp engine. It also proved capable of sitting in the outside lane of a motorway for hours on end. It can reach 62mph in 12.9 seconds, before reaching 99mph. The 1.4 petrol offers more performance, with its 100bhp dispatching 62mph in 10.5 seconds before reaching 113mph. The 1.3 MultiJet diesel is the choice for extra frugality and offers up a 12.5 second 0-62mph time and a 103mph top speed.

7/10

6. Running Costs

Two out of the three engines in the Fiat 500 sips fuel, with the 1.3 diesel covering an average of 67.3mpg, the 1.2 petrol 55.7mpg. The 1.4 petrol covers just 44.8mpg however. Emissions for the diesel are a lowly 110g/km, which places it in tax band B, which costs £35 a year. The 1.2's 119g/km places it in the same band, while the 149g/km 1.4 is a band higher, which costs £120 a year. Insurance groups between 2 to 6 shouldn't break the bank either. And its cutesy looks should make it a good long term buy, with it shedding just 50 per cent of its value over the first three years/36,000 miles.

8/10

7. Reliability

The Fiat 500 is built at Fiat's modern plant in Poland, alongside the second generation Ford Ka. It shares plenty of parts with the generally-reliable Fiat Panda, and the engines have been around long enough for most niggles to be ironed out. Only a couple of pieces of interior trim let the 500 down.

8/10

8. Safety

The Fiat 500 scored a full five star rating in the EuroNCAP crash test programme, with three stars for child protection and two out of five for pedestrian safety. Standard safety kit includes driver, passenger, side, curtain and drivers' knee airbags and ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD).

9/10

9. Equipment

The entry-level Fiat 500 Pop is sparsely equipped, although fans may claim this is in keeping with the spirit of the original. It features 14-inch steel wheels (15-inch on the 1.4), electric door mirrors, MP3-compatible CD/radio, ISOFIX rear child seat mountings, 'City' steering mode and body coloured bumpers. The Sport model adds tinted windows, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, sports body trimmings, sports seats, 15-inch alloys, body coloured electric mirrors, air conditioning and Fiat's clever Blue&Me Bluetooth integration and USB-equipped MP3 connectivity. The Lounge range-topper adds chrome trimmings, fixed glass roof and split/folding rear seats.

8/10

10. X-Factor

The funky Fiat 500 is a chic fashion accessory as much as it is an excellent city car. It manages to pull off the retro look and feel without appearing as a shameless rip-off too.

10/10