Fiat Sees the Introduction of the 500S

Sportier bumpers, side skirts and a rear spoiler all make the Fiat 500S stand out from its regular 500 sister. The Satin Graphite paint applied to the 15-inch alloys, door handles and mirrors among other things is certainly a lot more upmarket than the previous generation of Fiat 500.

Also included as standard on this sporty sibling is a chrome tailpipe, front fog lights, tinted rear windows, black front air intakes and a honeycomb grille. Should you want to upgrade your 500S, 16-inch alloys are a must. Their matt-black diamond finish makes them a great addition, and the £200 price tag isn't too much of a drawback.

Inside, black sports seats and a black roof lining give it a somewhat dark ambience, however this isn't too bad given the overall dimensions of the car. The contrasting door panels and seat edges add a touch of colour to the cabin, and can be finished in blue, white or yellow.

When it comes to technology, a 7-inch TFT display comes as standard in place of a conventional instrument cluster. Another 7-inch display is used for the Uconnect infotainment system which features live services, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, auxiliary input, DAB digital radio and AM/FM. For a further £250, a 3D TomTom satellite navigation can be specified.

Add to that another £300 and Fiat will upgrade the audio system to a brand-new BeatsAudio™ setup. It features 7 speakers with a total output of 440 watts.

Severn airbags, ABS, Electronic Brake Distribution, ESC, Hill Holder and an emergency braking assistance system are all standard safety kit which is great news for a car in this segment of the market, however things like these have become to be the expected norm in recent months.

Don't be fooled by the Fiat 500S's sporty looks, though. It is essentially a Fiat 500, and that's reflected in engine choice. A 69 horsepower 1.2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine sets good foundations for sales, however it's the 0.9-litre 2-cylinder engine that will be of most interest. The 1.2 or the 85 horsepower 0.9 come as standard with a 5-speed manual transmission, with an optional 5-speed automated manual for those who prefer automatic driving. A 6-speed manual is used, however, for the 105 horsepower 0.9-litre engine. It doesn't matter which engine you choose, claimed MPG figures are above 60 across the range. This is true for the only diesel too, which is said to achieve 83.1 mpg. The 1.3-litre MultiJet II produces 95 horsepower yet emits just 89 g/km of CO2.

Pricing for the Fiat 500S is as follows:

• £12,950 - 1.2-litre petrol engine
• £14,250 - 0.9-litre petrol engine (85 hp)
• £14,730 - 0.9-litre petrol engine (105 hp)
• £15,350 - 1.3-litre diesel engine

The regular Fiat 500 starts at £11,050 for entry-level Pop trim. Make that £11,925 for the mid-range Pop Star and £12,950 for top-end Lounge.

Fiat Tipo Trio - Saloon, Hatchback and Estate

Fiat's Tipo was first unveiled in saloon guise last summer at the Istanbul Motor Show, but even today we still don't know if it's coming to the UK.

Tipo Saloon

We do know, however, that the hatchback and estate models will be arriving on our shores.

Fiat claims that the hatchback will comfortably sit three 6-foot rear passengers, with an overall length of 4.37 metres. That's exactly as long as a Volvo V40. The difference between the V40 and Tipo hatchback? Its boot. The Tipo offers 116 litres more (440 litres), with the estate boasting an even larger 550 litres. There is an additional 12 litres of storage space dotted around the cabin.

In fact, the Fiat Tipo Hatchback offers on average more than 70 litres more space than 21 of its rivals, with only the Peugeot 308 (+30 litres) and Honda Civic (+37 litres) offering more.

Tipo Hatchback

Available in 3 trim levels, all models will include air conditioning, electrically adjustable door mirrors, 6 airbags, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, a multifunction steering wheel and electric front windows (with estate models gaining electric rear windows).

Two MultiJet II diesel engines will be available, a 1.3-litre offering 94 bhp and 200 Nm, and a 1.6-litre with 118 bhp and 320 Nm. The later, when paired with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, is said to achieve 76.3 mpg and 98 g/km of CO2.

It's best to avoid the entry-level 1.4-litre 16v petrol with its 94 bhp and 125 Nm, in favour of the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol whose 118 bhp and 206 Nm make it a lot more enticing.

A 1.6-litre e-TorQ petrol engine produces 108 bhp and 152 Nm, using a more conventional 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

Tipo Estate

Fiat 500

The first thing that you notice is that the changes are minor. According to Fiat, its "friendly dimensions" are retained. This is proven true after rooting through the tech specs - the new Fiat 500 grows 2 cm longer and remains of equal width and height to the previous model.

So in the words of the stylish Italian company, the adjustments are "sensitive". But why would you completely redesign a car that's ahead of its game in terms of design, practicality and affordability?

Up front, the lower headlights adopt a more circular design which implies a calm city car, but are on a slant to convey some sort of attitude. Does it have the guts to match its attitude? Read about its engines later on.

At the back, the rear light clusters are 'empty'. Basically, the centre is body-coloured meaning you just have a ring of lights. Something I've never seen before and I think was a bold move that has paid off.

Of course, the 500 is highly customisable, as is any small car nowadays. So what does Fiat offer to attract customers?

A range of new 15- and 16-inch alloys add a bit of pizzazz, and with 13 paintjobs in pastel, solid and metallic colours, there sure is scope for individuality. Two of the new colours are 'Avantgarde Bordeaux' and 'Gram Coral'.

Throw into that the 'Second Skin' option and you're faced with a choice of 2 variants - the geometric pattern along the length of the car or a two-tone paintjob (like what was previewed on the Range Rover SVAutobiography). There are different patterns to choose from too, but we won't go into that in detail or we'd be here all day!

The infotainment system has had an upgrade too. The advanced Uconnect™ system comes as standard with AM/FM radio, multifunction steering wheel, aux-in and USB connectivity and 6 speakers on Pop and Pop Star models. Top-of-the-range Lounge versions have the upgrade to Uconnect™ 5" Radio Live which adds in a touchscreen setup, Bluetooth®, voice recognition and an SMS reader. Ok, that's some pretty cool tech, but don't you think that's encouraging drivers to be in contact with people on their phones whilst driving?

The circular instrument cluster with analogue dials is retained on the 2 lower end trims but is replaced with a 7-inch jTFT display on Lounge models, which is developed in conjunction with Magneti Marelli.

The front seats have been recrafted to be more ergonomic. Offered with a choice of 9 upholstery combinations, you can find the same contrasting "crescent" upper section as before.

Some other improvements are the lidded glove box, revised cupholders, a relocated 12V socket and new electric windows switches that use the more common and practical push-down-pull-up operation.

Now the powerhouses. Your transmission options are the 5- or 6-speed manuals or Fiat's Dualogic 5-speed robotised 'box.

The largest engine in terms of capacity is the 1.2-litre 69 bhp petrol, emitting 110 g/km of CO2. But that's one to avoid, not necessarily because it's bad, but because it's hidden in the shadows of the 2 TwinAir units. These feisty little 0.9-litre engines push out 85 or 105 bhp, with the lesser powered variant said to achieve almost 75 mpg, emitting as low as an impressive 90 g/km.

After launch though, we can hope to see an 'Eco' 1.2-litre 69 bhp engine and a 1.3-litre 16v MultiJet II 95 bhp turbodiesel which emits a refreshingly pleasant 89 g/km.

We've already touched on the trim levels, but to reinforce what we've discussed, Pop is entry-level. Its standard kit certainly reflects this. It comes with the standard Uconnect™ radio and LED daytime running lights among other necessities.

Pop Star adds air conditioning, body-coloured mirror caps, 15-inch alloys and 50:50 split folding rear seats with rear headrests. If your budget won't stretch to Lounge I strongly suggest you completely overlook Pop and head straight for Pop Star.

Talking about Lounge, it comes with a panoramic sunroof, a chrome grille and the touchscreen Uconnect™ system.

We'll be seeing the new Fiat 500 on sale in early September ready for the 65 plate from £10,890 (that's just £200 more than the current asking price).

Of course, the 500C will join the 500 in showrooms with the same engines and equipment.