Auto Channel

Page 1: Manifesto
Page 2: In brief
Page 3: Joint effort
Page 4: Engines
Page 5: Gearbox
Page 6: Safety
Page 7: Experiencing the 500
Page 8: Standard features
Page 9: Specifications

500,000 ways of ‘experiencing the Fiat 500’

To transform an industrial product into a unique item. This was the challenge taken up when Fiat decided to develop the Fiat 500. And this is the goal of a Customisation programme that has no equals in this segment, represented by over 500,000 possible combinations. Designed by the Fiat Style Centre and developed in parallel with the 500 project, the Customisation range of the new car offers all customers, even the most demanding, an opportunity to choose between over 100 items that adapt perfectly to the car’s characteristics, underlining its qualities and the friendly impression it imparts at first glance. They are accessories designed to increase comfort on board, to make free time more enjoyable, and to improve quality of life.

With the dedicated Customisation programme, the new model confirms that it is a stylish Italian car, lavishly equipped and excellent value for money. To start with, to embellish the exterior line, there are 19 original stickers to apply on the bodywork: from the ‘chequered flag’ for the roof to the tricolour or monochrome 500 stripe for the roof, bonnet and tailgate, a barcode and a badge with the Italian flag above the direction indicator. It is also possible to match the chosen stickers with the door trims. Motorists who like chrome-work can order chrome-plated wing mirrors, bonnet trims and the nudge bar on the front bumper.

A motorist who prefers a sportier spirit can add sideskirts and a front and rear air dam. If on the outside the car expresses an attractive style that reflects Italian taste that is famous the world over (with a few elements that hark back to the styling of the earlier model), on the inside, elegance, innovation and practicality merge in an ideal environment, with references to obvious and specific elements of the past reinterpreted in a modern key. For example, there is an innovative ‘fragrance diffuser’, a new system developed by Fiat that offers a choice of three fragrances. The device is positioned inside the glass-holder and supplied by a 12V socket; it is turned on by a button and the intensity of fragrance can be adjusted. The colour of the cover can also be chosen to match the car interior. The fragrances are on sale through the Fiat sales network.

The Fiat 500 debuts with a new ignition key, with a changeable protective cover. Like some mobile phones, the cover can be replaced very rapidly, so that the key matches the bodywork, or simply to reflect the mood of the day. And in total harmony with the spirit of the Fiat 500, there are several useful accessories with an original design, starting from the elegant soft plastic ivory or black jacket-hanger that fits on the head-restraint. Or the cell phone holder and iPod player, USB port and 12V socket, which guarantee calm journeys with no crossed wires. And the car covering tarpaulins decorated with a picture of the Fiat 500 of the Sixties, an original way of recalling the new car’s forebear.

It is also possible to order aluminium pedals or a plate with the 500 logo for the kick panels, and three different types of leather upholstery for the matching gear lever knob and steering wheel. Plus accessories for leisure time, such as the elegant luggage rack that fits on the rear window to carry skis and snowboards in total safety, with an extra touch of styling and originality.

The long list of accessories that customise the Fiat 500 concludes with a practical unit that fits into the loading bay, where you can store items of all shapes and sizes.

‘500 cents’ and ‘50to500’: innovative solutions from Fiat Group Automobiles Financial Services

In perfect harmony with the many ways of customising the new model, Fiat Group Automobiles Financial Services has developed two innovative solutions that also underline the strategic nature of the Financial Services, and its role of captive finance company.

For Fiat Group Automobiles, ‘500’ is both a name and a brand, and the two formulae offered by Financial Services are based on this principle: ‘500 cents’ is the ideal product for the customer who purchases with a loan, while a motorist who usually uses cash, will be able to try out the new ‘50to500’ financial formula.

The new products were designed with the ‘advantages for the customer’ firmly in mind, and the loans include ‘additional services’ offered by Parts&Services, a Fiat Group Automobiles company that specialises in after-sales services and loyalty programmes.

Both financial products include a 5 year/500,000 km warranty and the ‘500 Free’ package at a discount price.

These two products will be available on all European markets, starting in Italy through Sava, and in France through Fiat Crédit, namely in the first two markets where the Fiat 500 will be launched.

• With ‘500 cents’ the customer can customise his car with over 500,000 variants but the instalment remains the same: ¤ 5 a day to buy any version, engine, option or accessory. In Italy the Sava proposal is based on instalment payments (even with no down payment) varying in length up to a maximum of 5 years. In France on the other hand, the Fiat Crédit proposal is based on a leasing agreement with a final repurchase value.

• With ‘50to500’ the customer collects the car, paying just 50% immediately, and the remaining 50% after two years, with no intermediate instalments (in Italy this is an instalment agreement with a large final instalment, while in France it is a leasing agreement).

The concepts of the two proposals took their inspiration from the positioning of the new 500: extreme customisation to reflect one’s own personality. It is the concept of ‘mass exclusiveness’, a car for the people that should be accessible to everyone.

‘500 Free’ from Fiat Group Automobiles Parts & Services

Fiat Group Automobiles Parts & Services has developed ‘500 Free’ for the new car, an exclusive package whose very name evokes a sense of freedom. In fact, the customer does not have to worry about anything: a mobile workshop will be at his disposal 24 hours a day to guarantee complete roadside service, even if he runs out of petrol or fills up with the wrong fuel, has a puncture, a flat battery or forgets his keys; and when it is time for periodical maintenance, the car collection service will pick the car up from his home, and his mobility will be guaranteed by the reimbursement of any taxi fares (bonus up to ¤ 50). To use the service the customer only has to call a freephone number. ‘500 Free’ will be available on all European markets for the customers who choose it, and will be included in the range of financial solutions dedicated specifically to the Fiat 500.

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