New Fiat 500 arrives – but it’s a facelift, not an all-new 500

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A facelift for the Fiat 500 has been revealed with cosmetic and technology tweaks, eight years after the 500 was reborn and 58 years from when it first arrived.

If you were hoping Fiat were ready to reveal an all-new 500, eight years after the current 500 arrived, you’ll be disappointed; this is a makeover for the existing 500, and we’ll probably have to wait a couple more years before Fiat reveal an all-new car.

As facelifts go, the 500’s is subtle but comprehensive, with Fiat claiming no less than 1,800 changes to a car that was reborn exactly eight years ago (on 4 July 2007) as a homage car to the original pocket-sized 500, itself revealed exactly 58 years ago.

Cosmetic changes to the exterior are subtle. with new headlights (with LED running lights), new grill, new bumper at the front, LED lights at the back, the slightest of changes to the chrome trim on the back bumper, new alloys and new colour choices.

What you can also now have – and beware about going daft or your resale value will hurt – is a selection of loud wraps for the bodywork, which can cover the belt-line, pillars and roof or the whole car, with the options on offer  Ethnic (geometric pattern); ‘Lord’ (classic tartan); ‘Comics’ (pop decoration); ‘Navy’ (nautical patterns) and ‘Camouflage’ (fashionably military).

Interior changes (daft wraps aside) are more extensive – although the interior is still recognisably ‘500’ – with a new dashboard centred around Fiat’s new 5″ Uconnect infotainment screen which, on top spec models, comes with Bluetooth, DAB, Sat Nav, TomTom Live Connect and Smartphone integration.

There’s also a new 7″ digital dash (well, on Lounge spec – the Pop trim still has analogue dials) which also displays function and driving mode information along with the required ‘upmarket’ materials and new trim and colour choices. There’s also extra soundproofing to make the cabin a quieter place.

Under the bonnet, engines have been tweaked to make them EU6 compliant, with the TwinAir 0.9 litre and 68bhp petrol both available with stop-start, emissions below 90g/km for the TwinAir engines and emissions of 89g/km for the 1.3 litre diesel.

The more frugal 1.3 diesel won’t be available until later in the year (you should get the TwinAir anyway) as will a more frugal Eco version of the 1.2 litre petrol.

Fiat also say they’ve played with the 500’s suspension to make it handle better and make it more comfortable, although exactly what they’ve done – we assume changes to dampers and springs – they’re not saying.

The new Fiat 500 goes on sale in Fiat’s UK dealers in September, starting from £10,890.