Fiat’s cute little 500 has been with us here in South Africa since 2008, and in that time it has developed a strong niche following amongst high-style devotees, who love seeing and being seen in this snug 2-door city car.
Of course, the new-generation 500 is based on the little car that was Italy’s version of the Volkswagen Beetle in the 1950s and ‘60s, and these little classics today have a cult following that once hailed F1 ace Michael Schumacher as the honorary global president of the Fiat 500 Club.
Initially the 500 was offered here with 1,2-litre and 1,4-litre 4-cylinder petrol engines. A few years after launch the potent Abarth performance versions were introduced, with power reaching some 132 kW in the Ferrari Tributo versions.
Back to economy versions
A few years ago Fiat rationalised its 500 brand with the cars being re-configured with modest 2-cylinder engines. The powerful and expensive 4-cylinder Abarth versions were then sold under the Abarth Division of FCA in this country, and this continues to this day. In this article we are only considered with the Fiat 500, as Abarth customers represent a totally different market.
Current Fiat 500 line-up
Currently the Fiat 500 models all use the 875 cc 2-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that develops 63 kW and 143 Nm of torque. The range was recently given a boost here with the stylised Star and Rockstar derivatives which were introduced in March 2020, and these two models today comprise all the models on offer.
Both the Star and Rockstar 500s are fitted with stylised interiors and distinguished by special 16-inch alloy wheels. Special colour combinations are a feature of the Star and Rockstar models.
These little bug-like Fiats are also popular used-car buys, and AutoTrader currently lists over 150 New and Used Fiat 500 examples for sale.
The 2020 range:
Fiat 500 TwinAir Star. R219 900
Fiat 500 TwinAir Star Auto. R232 900
Fiat 500 TwinAir Rockstar. R260 000
Fiat 500 TwinAir Rockstar Auto. R273 000
Fiat 500 Cabriolet TwinAir Star. R290 000
Fiat 500 Cabriolet TwinAir Rockstar. R300 000
Fiat 500 Cabriolet TwinAir Star Auto. R303 000
Fiat 500 Cabriolet TwinAir Rockstar Auto. R313 000.
Which Fiat 500 model holds its value best?
According to a Fiat sales expert we spoke to, the Auto versions are likely to depreciate the quickest, as this transmission is old-fashioned in today’s market, being an electro-hydraulic automatic-clutch system that was first used on here on Alfa Romeo models, and known as the Selespeed. There is nothing “wrong” with the transmission, which is essentially a manual transmission with automatic clutch actuation. But there are delays between shifts, a tendency that affected all cars that used this sort of system. The Fiat 500’s system was improved in 2016, but by modern standards it is still a bit tardy.
The Cabriolet versions are desirable, but expensive, and these versions will also tend to drop more value than the basic model on the used-car floor.
So, according to our expert, the best model to go for in terms of value retention is the lowest-priced model, the Fiat 500 TwinAir Star, at R219 900. This is also the best-seller in the range, representing affordable stylish transport, with the added benefit of super-low fuel economy, in the region of around 4,8 litres/100 kmh.
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Review: Fiat 500 TwinAir Pop Star
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