2017 Fiat 500 Pop Cabrio: A five-speed manual mighty mouse

You don’t need Cinemascope to see the charms of Fiat’s Lilliputian 500C Pop. Technicolor, however, is definitely necessary to appreciate its whimsical red-accented interior. 

When Fiat rolled its 500 stateside for 2012, it expected buyer love. Despite its retro 1957 Nuovo 500 or Cinquecento sheet metal, Americans didn’t fall for it. Fiat’s marketing pros thought we’d pay a premium to create our own Fellini-like moments buzzing around in its tiny city car. Problem: Fiat’s people car wasn’t our people car.

This year, Fiat will slap a turbo badge on the 500’s rump and install a standard 135-hp mill under its hood. For now, let’s review the current 500.

Price cutting is the star of the 500’s 2017 story. The primo ragtop with Pop optional perks sports a $20,365 MSRP. That makes it an affordable “fixed profile” alfresco machine with fully framed doors. As such, it resembles the pride of Kenosha — a 1950 Nash Rambler. Press a button and the top motors back to the glass rear window. Press again and the rear light stacks atop the trunk lid. That window rises slightly when you open the stiffly hinged trunk lid to access its skimpy cargo hold.

The 500 is undeniably chic. But the colorful interior’s human interface includes Lego-rejected plastic seat height levers and hard door panels. Ergonomics, furthermore, need improvement. Inserting and rotating the ignition key could be an Olympic sport. Nevertheless, cheekiness trumps awkwardness.

If you accept its circular logic of round control pads, sofa-like headrests, Whack-a-Mole switchgear, houndstooth fabric seats and tilt-only leather-wrapped steering wheel, your mood changes. This five-speed manual mighty mouse is short on length (139.6 inches) but big on amusement.

Manual transmission is a pleasure

When revved, the 101-hp MultiAir four-cylinder engine sounds like a Necchi sewing machine juiced by Ferrari. It grunts, thrums and hums. Rowing the 500’s transmission is a pleasure. The shift-lever orb is billiard-ball solid. Lever action is mechanically on the spot. One must downshift to third gear at 60 mph in order to make this engine sing like a basso profundo. In fifth, a firm stab on the loud pedal is routinely rebuked; peak torque is modest: 97 lb-ft. at 4,000 rpm. Economy-oriented fourth and fifth gears tamp down engine rpm (2,250 at 60 mph). Fiat recommends premium fuel, although regular will do. I observed nearly 34 mpg overall matching the EPA ratings of 31 city, 38 highway, 34 mpg combined.

While the Fiat isn’t quiet and the ride is jumpy, the machine is surprisingly unruffled on the expressway. It’s easy to aim and stays in its lane. Listening to the Beats-branded sound system proved difficult with the heater fan blasting. The 500’s tidy exterior and good maneuverability turns drive-thru banking into an autocross contest. For thrills, you can depress the “sport” button. This alters the instrument cluster’s graphics ending the upshift prompts and increases steering effort. 

The low-effort clutch pedal produces a satisfying solid thunk when depressed. Hill assist uses the brakes to prevent rollbacks.

Unusually stable

Button pushing tweaks instrument lighting or sets the cruise control. The IP cluster’s contrast and brightness is acceptable with large speedometer digits. Adjusting it and the TomTom 5-inch screen infotainment system’s display brightness to match is futile. The TomTom’s panel lacks contrast yet is beacon bright at night.

Front room is snug width-wise. The rear seat is a suggestion. This 500 doesn’t have a spare tire. Instead, it comes with a tire service kit.

With its to-the-corners wheels, the Fiat is unusually stable. I tried to spin this rig (Daytona-winner-style) on fresh snow with the traction/stability control (ESP) off — but couldn’t do it. That’s because “off” reduces but doesn’t disable anti-slip regulation. That’s a virtue for an everyday motoring. The more powerful Abarth model permits more high jinks.

Entering an address into the TomTom screen requires tapping Chicklet-size virtual keys. Data entered before pressing done are lost if the vehicle moves — a frustration. 

The Fiat 500 has seven airbags including a side array. Prices start at nearly $17,490 plus $495 (Popular Equipment Package including auto climate control), $995 (Pop Cabrio Sport Package with fog lights, side cladding and 16-inch alloy wheels), $695 (navigation and satellite package) and $695 (Beats audio system) — plus $995 destination.

Driving with Italian verve involves quirks and star-gazing perks. You don’t need a blockbuster budget in order to afford it.