Fiat 500 to Open up in Australia in 2010

HOMEBUSH, AUSTRALIA – June 22, 2009: Fiat has announced more details of the open top version of its award-winning baby, the Fiat 500C, which is set to arrive in Australia in mid-2010, and brings with it a car that plays homage to the original 1957 open top 500, yet with a unique blend of innovative technical solutions that provide safety, economy and low emissions alongside the pleasure of driving an open top Fiat 500.

Starting from the hard top version of the Fiat 500, the introduction of the soft top does not change the winning character that has made it worldwide success or its practical nature, such as its four comfortable seats and boot capacity, but it does add new functions that heighten enjoyment. These include easier access to the boot even when the soft top is fully open, thanks to a clever system of parallelogram hinges.

Another strong point of the original cabriolet version is its exceptional climate and acoustic comfort. Thorough aerodynamic research means that the turbulence experienced with the roof open has been reduced to a minimum, allowing full enjoyment of the fresh air and the company of fellow passengers.

The decision to re-interpret the original design in modern key, with an electric sliding roof but a stylistic design that retains the shape of the classic car makes the Fiat 500C less of a seasonal product and one that can be enjoyed the whole year round. In short, all these features make this new vehicle one of the most successful convertibles in the modern city-car segment.

A true object of design, the soft top of the Fiat 500C stands out for its elegant electrically controlled movement and its impressively finished and carefully selected technical features, from the glass rear window to the third brake light built into the soft top itself. Available in three colours (ivory, red and black), the clever soft top is matched with various paint finishes including three unique creations: a pearlescent Ragamuffin Red, a Tech House Grey so typical of sporty super cars, and Goth-Metal Blue.

The Fiat 500C has an exclusive feel to its interior, which is embellished with top quality and highly desirable fabrics, including Frau leather upholstery, and a long list of market-dependent standard and optional features: from automatic climate control to the innovative Interscope HiFi System, from the Blue&Me Map portable navigation unit to the smart wind-stop, and from the Start&Stop system to the new collection of customisable options.

A free and emotive expression of the automobile, the Fiat 500C retains the same dimensions as the base model (355 cm long, 165 cm wide and 149 cm high) and shares all three of its power units: the 55 kW 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel engine combined with a five-speed manual gearbox and the 51 kW 1.2 litre and 74 kW 1.4 litre petrol engines, both available with manual or Dualogic robotised gearbox.

Each engine offers different qualities, but all three are defined by generosity and a lively temperament, as well as high performance and sophisticated technology. Among their common qualities are great reliability and respect for the environment (all are Euro5-approved). To confirm Fiat Automobiles' commitment to environmental protection and sustainable mobility, the 500C includes the innovative “Start&Stop” system, which controls the temporary cutting out of the engine and its subsequent restarting. When the vehicle stops, putting the gear lever in neutral and releasing the clutch will switch off the engine; to restart, simply put the car back into gaer.

With the commercial launch of its latest convertible, the Fiat 500 continues to be talked about and confirms its status as a real Italian style icon, able to win over the public and critics worldwide. The best evidence of its success are the 30 awards it has won across the globe, the 11 million internet users that have visited its website (viewing a total of 200 million pages) and the more than 360,000 orders so far received across the 59 markets in which it is being sold.