Fiat is reentering the U.S. market in a sector that is booming & the opposite of tiresome, & in to which its infiltrator fits perfectly. Small-car segments are growing speedy, & a few of the most daring bodies in the business are among the smallest: the Nissan Juke & Cube, the smart Fortwo, even stuff like the Ford Fiesta & upcoming Chevrolet Sonic & Spark ooze persona in a way few larger vehicles do. &, of work, the Fiat 500’s small, cute, & affordable approach is a close copy of the strategy that worked so well for Mini. If the 500 can match Mini’s average of about 40,000 U.S. sales a year, Fiat will be mighty pleased.
in case you think you understand the Italians, consider the take of Roberto Giolito, the head of Fiat styling. He compares the original 500—or, in Italian, Cinquecento—to Bibendum, the Michelin spokesthing that, in his words, is “a overweight synthetic from several tires.” He says this without a hint of irony & without the slightest consideration that a overweight synthetic from tires might not be a nice design aim for a automobile. It’s not the original, either. He sees the same thing in the modern 500. We don’t see the same disarming heftiness, but must admit that the automobile is cute.
