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Mar 21, 2007 07:07 AM
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Tue Feb 9
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Fiat launched its new 500 officially today, indicating neither a rear-mounted engine nor wicker seats were in the offing (not that anyone was expecting either of those). With the Nuova 500 in the can, Fiat's not the first European automaker to trade on past romances. The New Beetle beat it by several years, though the 500 still made it to market before the Nouveau Citr en 2CV (not that we're holding our breath). Nonetheless, the new bearer of the Cinquecento torch will get a range of three tiny engines, including a 69 hp 1.2-liter, a 100 hp 1.4-liter 16v burner and a 75 hp version of Fiat's 1.3-liter Multijet turbodiesel. But despite their size, they still make the 500's original, 13-hp 479 cc look like something from Mssrs. Briggs and Stratton.
Press Release:
The new Fiat 500
On July 4, 1957, in Turin, Fiat presented the Nuova Fiat 500, a real icon of our times, with which Fiat concluded a revival that had begun straight after the Second World War. On July 4, 2007, exactly 50 years later, again in Turin, Fiat will present the new Fiat 500 which will be marketed immediately after the launch. And the new car will conclude an equally important cycle of revival for Fiat Automobiles SpA.
Developed by the Fiat Style Centre and manufactured in the plant in Tychy (Poland), the new 500 is a 3-door model with very compact measurements: it is 355 cm long, 165 cm wide, 149 cm tall and has a wheelbase of 230 cm. The car is extremely entertaining to drive, due to its three engines: a 75 bhp 1.3 16v Multijet turbodiesel unit and two petrol engines, the 69 bhp 1.2 8v and the 100 bhp 1.4 16v, all of which are available with five or six speed mechanical gearboxes.
The model confirms Fiat Automobiles SpA's undisputed leadership in this category - a result of its extraordinary heritage of technical, design and human experience accumulated in over a century - and it takes a quality leap forward in terms of comfort and safety, technology and equipment for this segment. The new 500 is the most up-to-date solution for the motorist who 'enjoys' his car in complete freedom, appreciates it for day-to-day use, but also wishes to drive a car that is entertaining and practical, environmentally-friendly and accessible, but also appealing and full of fun.
Related:
Cinquento Nuovo! New Fiat 500 Pics Arrive [internal]
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