This is that story...
When you step inside the 500, you are visually assaulted by a faux-retro dashboard. It is supposed to be "inspired" by the original, but somehow instead of the very austere interior of the original, the new 500 has a very plush dashboard that has more in common stylistically with a then "futurist" 1950s Kelvinator refridgerator. It's like a reimagining of what the past was when it was looking into the future... it truly makes your head spin.
Whatever the case, the car I drove was cream coloured, and it was nice to see that the interior was also highlighted in cool touch cream as opposed to the seas of indistinct grey plastics that seems to haunt so many car's interiors these days.
I liked the little details like the switches for various things. They were finished in a sort of chrome which added to the overall effect of the car.
It's all fine until you actually have to drive it though. I couldn't get over the fact of how quiet the engine was. I was expecting at very least some sort of happy little burble from under the bonnet, but it didn't even really do that.
To actually drive it is an almost unengaging experience. Perhaps Fiat has realised that the vast bulk of this car's time will be spent in peak hour traffic and as such, they've tried to completely make the car feel totally anonymous to drive.
Admittedly I didn't much of a chance to push the 500 hard (because it wasn't my car) but it just didn't have the same sort of sharp steering that either my Ka had, or that the current Mazda 2 has.
I suspect that like a lot of modern cars, it's had subtle understeer dialled into it in the interests of safety; this in consequence kills the fun. Perhaps something more direct would have been nicer.
It didn't feel as grounded as the new Mini, and it didn't feel as well built as either VW's Golf or Polo. A lot of those things can be changed with different spring and shock settings but if you've just bought a new car, then you're not likely to immediately fix something which isn't broken.
My verdict is that the Fiat 500 is all about the packaging but underneath is as fun to drive as a Yaris. Depending on build quality which has been a problem for Fiat in the past, that also might be an issue.
It seems to me that if you really want the Fiat 500, then it's purely because of aesthetics. If not then you're probably better off getting a Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, Mini or VW Golf or Polo. All of those cars do different things better than the Fiat 500 does.
This is the best view of a Fiat 500 in my not very well paid opinion:
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