The New vs the Old Fiat 500
Ever manufacturer paid special attention to the fact that the new Fiat 500 must look akin to the fabled old Fiat 500 models. However, they incorporated augmentations on certain characteristics such as the overall length and width of the car. For the sake of comparison allow me to list it - the Fiat 500 released in 1957 was 2.97 meters long. However, Fiat 500 launched in 2007 is approximately 3.546 meters. In addition, the new model is heavier than the older version (which was just 1100 pounds).
Ardent auto enthusiasts may realize that the new Fiat 500 dons a sportier look (in comparison to the other cousins released by the same company). The sporty look helps in staying ahead of the competition. In the older days, the competition was just among the three - the Volkswagen beetle, Morris mini from England and the Citroen 2cv from France. The 1957 model had its engine on its rear end as that was the trend at that time. However, the new model has the engine transversely mounted on its front. The Fiat 500 when it was first released housed a 479cc engine that gave the car its name Fiat 500. The engine was an inline two cylinder of the type overhead valve or OHV. The base model of the new Fiat 500 has a 1244cc engine, which boasts of the new age “multijet” series.
The new car has a beautiful classic interior with a new massive steering wheel and gear lever. The instrument cluster is completely designed in one large circle just as the display set up in the old fiat 500. Nevertheless, unlike the older model the display is featured in front of the steering wheel instead of the centre of the dashboard, which was where they were used to be. Moreover, the new model certainly has some cool modern tech gadgets like digital LCD displays, which come with the needles for rev-counter and speedometer.
The recreated version of the Fiat 500 has a fine 5-speed manual transmission. The diesel engine, in particular, has a nice sporty rhythm when you rev it hard enough. Then there is the obvious difference in the suspension and safety as the standards and technology have increased considerably over the 50 years. The maximum possible speed of the Fiat 500 released on 1957 was merely around 95kmph, a very good highest possible speed at that time for a city car. The new base model of the Fiat 500 has a highest possible speed of 160kmph.
The fiat has tried to honor the history of the car by staying true to the design created by Dante Giacose but drastically changing the performance part by improving the car with modern technologies. It is also viable to note that the new Fiat 500 boasts as a zero emission car. Since the demand for environmentally friendly vehicles is on the demand, the company sales will exceed the expectations.