Item: Fiat 500C Hybrid
Rating: 2
Author: What Car? Team

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The Fiat 500C may look cheap compared to its main rival – the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/convertible/sports/review/n17156">Mini Convertible</a> – but there is a huge gulf in quality between the two cars; the Mini is absolutely worth the extra money if your budget can stretch to it.

The 500C’s mild hybrid engine isn’t as fuel-efficient as you’d hope, nor are its <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/new-official-fuel-consumption-and-co2-tests-explained/n1213">official CO2 emissions</a> particularly impressive.

Avoid entry-level Pop as you don’t get alloy wheels or air-conditioning. Lounge trim is the pick of the lineup, adding that aforementioned infotainment system, as well as cruise control and rear parking sensors. There is, of course, a huge range of style options, from pastel and metallic body colours and contrasting roofs, through to fancy alloy wheels and all manner of decals to add the final flourish; just try not to get carried away as the price can rack up quickly, and you won’t get that extra cash back in resale values.

The Fiat 500 falls down significantly when it comes to safety, and the same is true of the convertible version. <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/euro-ncap-safety-ratings-2019-%E2%80%93-how-safe-is-your-car/n17044">Euro NCAP</a> awarded the hatchback three stars out of five for its overall safety, with a disappointing 27% score in the safety assistance category. Security experts Thatcham rated it poorly for resisting theft and break-ins, largely because you only get an alarm if you add one as a dealer-fit option, although an immobiliser is at least standard. A three-year, 60,000-mile warranty is standard.

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Despite displaying the glamorous trappings of a cabriolet, to drive, the Fiat 500C feels like the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/city">city car</a> it is. Its suspension is quite soft and you get lots of lean through bends, but the payoff is spongy bump absorption that makes for an easygoing ride comfort – albeit with a bit of bobbing about and thumping over scruffy surfaces. It’s wieldy enough to feel completely at home around town, but the vague steering and the rather laid-back performance means that the 500C is definitely most at home in unhurried, slow-speed use.

It might be called the Fiat 500C Hybrid, but this is a bit of a stretch of what that word has come to mean. You can’t plug it in, and it can’t travel on electric power alone. This is a mild hybrid system of the kind that we’ve seen on other small cars (albeit with fixed roofs), such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/suzuki/ignis/hatchback/review/n17225">Suzuki Ignis</a>. The 500C has a naturally aspirated 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, with a tiny electric motor and a minuscule lithium-ion battery to help share the effort, improving acceleration and fuel economy, while lowering CO2 emissions.

In reality, though, any gains in acceleration from the 69bhp engine are minimal. Sure, there’s enough zip to push along through hectic city traffic, but if you need a meaningful burst of pace you’ll find the performance pretty gutless. A <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/convertible/sports/review/n17156">Mini Convertible</a> would leave it for dead in a straight line, and offers significantly better handling, too.

The 500’s six-speed manual gearshift doesn’t have the slickness of its rivals but is at least pleasingly accurate. The steering and pedals are very light in action, though, which takes some getting used to.

The engine sounds rather buzzy at higher speeds, where there’s also fairly substantial wind noise over the windscreen and fabric roof, so the Fiat 500C is not a particularly quiet car for long journeys. You are, at least, kept fairly well protected from any major wind buffeting when the roof is scrolled back, so the optional wind deflector (which is a bit of a job to put up) isn’t worth adding.

Small and sweet; that’s the easiest way to describe the little Fiat 500C’s character. The cooler, breezier sibling of the now-iconic Fiat 500 hatchback, it’s one of the cheapest options you can look at if you’re after a small, city<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/convertible"> convertible</a>.&nbsp;

There’s no doubting it’s a style-focused choice, and it offers a long list of customisation options to continue the fashion-heavy theme, including 10 different seat designs, 12 colours of dashboard, six sets of bodywork stickers and 11 different key covers – plus a plethora of special editions to appeal to your inner style icon. But, while the trims may be many and varied, under the bonnet the only choice you have is a mild hybrid engine.

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Rivals for the Fiat 500C include the more expensive but more premium <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/convertible/sports/review/n17156">Mini Convertible</a>, and other small cars with cabrio-style fabric roofs, such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/c1/hatchback/review/n65">Citroen C1 Airspace</a>. You could also consider the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/smart/fortwo-eq/coupe/review/n18076">Smart ForTwo EQ Cabriolet</a>, if the idea of running a fully <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/class/electric-cars">electric car</a> has piqued your interest over recent years.&nbsp;

So, if you don’t need huge amounts of space but want a bit of the wind-in-your-hair thrills, read on to find out if the Fiat 500C is the car for you. And whichever car you decide to go for, don’t forget to head to our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/city">New Car Buying</a> pages to see how much you could save on a brand new car.

Plenty of drivers will struggle to get comfortable in the 500C. The seats are quite flat, and – more critically – there’s no height adjustment on Pop trims (you can’t add it, either), and no reach adjustment to the steering wheel; it only moves up and down, not in and out. You can add optional leather seating on Lounge trims.

The Fiat’s interior may be as bright and bubbly as a children’s TV presenter, but the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/convertible/sports/review/n17156">Mini Convertible’s</a> interior certainly feels a class above and goes a long way to justifying its higher price. The dash is reasonably easy to use, with conventional rotary switches for the air-con, and you get audio controls on the steering wheel as standard across the range.&nbsp;

In terms of infotainment, Pop gives you an AM/FM radio with USB and aux-in connectivity, while Lounge ups this to a 7.0in touchscreen with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a> smartphone integration as standard.

The system itself isn’t the best in the class – it’s slow to respond, has small icons, and can be hard to see in direct sunlight – but it is fairly easy to get the hang of, and don’t forget you can always plug your smartphone in to use its navigation or media apps instead.&nbsp;

Visibility is pretty poor to the rear. No small cabriolet does well in this area, but the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/fiat"> </a>500s narrow rear window (which is heated and made from glass as standard) offers a more restricted view out than the broader window of the Mini, so you need to be conscious that there’s a big blind spot to the rear three quarters. And, with the roof folded, you really can’t see much to the rear at all. Fortunately, rear parking sensors are standard on Lounge trim and above.

Sports

Modern Fiats fall into two categories: the retro models and those with more functional designs.

Cars in the first camp appeal to the heart and include the 124 Spider sports car and the 500 series: a hatchback, a convertible, an SUV and two MPVs.

By contrast, the remaining models rely on their practicality and attractive pricing, with the Panda city car, Tipo hatchback and Fullback pick-up truck all prime examples.

Fiat can trace its roots back to the 19th century but is now part of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group, along with Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Jeep and Maserati.

FIAT

500C

Desirable image and fun around town, but outclassed&nbsp;by the&nbsp;Mini Convertible.

Those seated in the front of a 500C certainly get a better deal than those in the back. There is reasonable head and leg room up front, and both front seats return to their original positions after being tilted and slid forward to allow access to the back.&nbsp;

As with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/convertible/sports/review/n17156">Mini Convertible</a>, you can also only seat two in the back, but the 500C is even shorter on rear-seat space than that car; even older children will feel cramped and short of leg room.

There’s not much load-lugging versatility, either; the boot is small, but, more than its size, it’s the narrow letterbox-shaped opening that will frustrate. You have to crouch down to see into the boot properly, and loading bulky items is awkward; again, the Mini Convertible offers&nbsp;usefully better access. On entry-level Pop trim, the rear seat is a fixed bench that folds forwards in one awkward lump; Lounge and above get a 50/50 split-folding rear bench so you can expand the limited boot while carrying a single rear seat passenger.&nbsp;

You can put the fabric scrolling roof up or down at any speed, and there’s also a ‘sunroof’ setting, where it scrolls back part way, leaving you well protected from the wind but still with some fresh air factor. For those who want a more versatile open-top city car, though, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/c1/hatchback/review/n65">Citroen C1 Airscape</a> comes exclusively as a five door model, affording far easier access to its three back seats. Among compact, fashion-first convertibles, it’s the car that sets the benchmark for space and practicality amongst these .

The Fiat 500C has a desirable image and is easy enough to drive around town. However, it is difficult to get comfortable in and generally outclassed in all areas by the more grown-up, more expensive Mini Convertible.

What we're looking for:<ul><li>Wind-in-the-hair excitement</li> <li>Roof that’s quick and easy to raise and lower</li> <li>Comfortable seating for four adults</li> <li>Sufficient practicality for everyday use</li> <li>Little wind buffeting</li> <li>Quietness, whether the roof is up or down</li> <li>Minimal shaking and shimmying over bumps</li></ul>

Despite the British weather, UK car buyers are among the biggest enthusiasts for wind-in-your-hair motoring, so convertibles have always been surprisingly popular here. It’s best to be able to react to the fickle climate, though, so we’re after a roof that opens (and closes) slickly and quickly and good top-down cruising refinement.

There are precious few bespoke drop-tops these days, so your choice of models is generally limited to soft-top&nbsp;versions of existing models. Mini will sell you a drop-top version of its style-focused hatchback, if you’re after a bit of flair. The Audi A5&nbsp;Cabriolet, meanwhile, brings all of the benefits of the regular A5&nbsp;– refined engines and a beautifully finished interior. Alternatively, the much more expensive Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet is one of the most luxurious convertibles on sale.

Convertible

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Clever interior space </li> <li>Quiet and comfortable ride </li> <li>Good visibility </li> <li>Plenty of safety tech </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>Outstanding value for money</li></ul>

City cars are all about diminutive size and manoeuvrability because they invariably spend most of their time on our increasingly crowded urban streets.

They do need to be big enough for a couple of adults, with back seats that’ll suffice for occasional use by people – or as a dumping ground for a couple of large shopping bags – but they must also be small enough to nip in and out of traffic, and squeeze into tight parking spaces.

Out-and-out acceleration isn’t crucial, but there must be enough oomph in the lower gears to scoot into gaps that appear in the traffic. Running costs should be low, too.

Fortunately there’s never been a better line-up of city cars on offer. Kia's Picanto mixes a neat, functional interior with tidy handling and a surprisingly big boot, while the Skoda Citigo and Suzuki Celerio are cheaper and even more frugal.

City

Fiat 500C Hybrid review

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Read review covering Fiat 500C Hybrid boot space, size and dimensions, front and rear seat comfort by the expert What Car? test team.

Those seated in the front of a 500C certainly get a better deal than those in the back. There is reasonable head and leg room up front, and both front seats return to their original positions after being tilted and slid forward to allow access to the back. ,As with the Mini Convertible, you can also only seat two in the back, but the 500C is even shorter on rear-seat space than that car; even older children will feel cramped and short of leg room.,There’s not much load-lugging versatility, either; the boot is small, but, more than its size, it’s the narrow letterbox-shaped opening that will frustrate. You have to crouch down to see into the boot properly, and loading bulky items is awkward; again, the Mini Convertible offers usefully better access. On entry-level Pop trim, the rear seat is a fixed bench that folds forwards in one awkward lump; Lounge and above get a 50/50 split-folding rear bench so you can expand the limited boot while carrying a single rear seat passenger. You can put the fabric scrolling roof up or down at any speed, and there’s also a ‘sunroof’ setting, where it scrolls back part way, leaving you well protected from the wind but still with some fresh air factor. For those who want a more versatile open-top city car, though, the Citroen C1 Airscape comes exclusively as a five door model, affording far easier access to its three back seats. Among compact, fashion-first convertibles, it’s the car that sets the benchmark for space and practicality amongst these .,,

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