► We drive the new 2016 Fiat 500 Twinair facelift
► Minor changes, new head/tail lights
► But have the 500’s shortcomings been addressed?
How on earth do you replace a car as successful as the Fiat 500? Luckily for Fiat, it doesn’t have to – yet. More than seven years after the car’s original (re)launch, and with sales still hot and cake-like, this is the 500’s first major facelift. And an understandably gentle one at that; the headlight inners have adopted a doe-eyed expression and the tail-lights have morphed into rectangular mint-with-the-hole cut-outs, but it’s still definitely a 500.
A new smartphone-fluent multimedia screen (touch-enabled in the top Lounge trim) takes centre stage in the body-coloured dash, and a fresh range of rose-tinted upholstery options make the interior feel more than ever like you’re sat inside a vintage haberdashers. One that’s now got deeper cupholders, incidentally.
Sensible 1.2 four-pot and buzzy two-cylinder TwinAir petrol engines return, with a refettled version of the 1.3 diesel on the way. The TwinAir’s still awkwardly charming, with the narrowest powerband tightrope between its initially laggy response and easily bumped into rev-limiter, but surprisingly potent performance in top 103bhp guise. The 1.2’s still the more sensible choice: smoother and more economical in the real world.
The 500’s shortcomings remain – busy ride, awkward driving position, toppy prices – but it’s still the biggest personality in the small car world. No less retro but now less dated, its appeal remains undimmed. Bet Fiat’s fretting over the replacement.
**The specs: Fiat 500 Lounge 0.9 TwinAir
Price: £14,420
Engine: 875cc 8v two-cylinder turbo, 103bhp @ 5500rpm, 107lb ft @ 2000rpm
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Performance: 10.0sec 0-62mph, 117mph, 67.3mpg, 99g/km CO2
Weight: 940kg
On sale: Now
Rating: ****
Verdict: If you loved it before, you’ll love it