Fiat 500 officially arrives in the US

Fiat is celebrating its official comeback to the North American market at the Los Angeles International Auto Show between the 17th and 28th of November. The first Fiat presented for the American market was the new 500, the heir of a legendary and iconic car.

"The Fiat 500 has always been the right car at the right time," stated Laura Soave, manager of the Fiat brand in North America. "With the new Fiat 500 a truly exclusive car in one of the most rapidly growing segments in North America is being introduced. It offers prestigious Italian design, value and efficiency, all smartly calibrated for our market."

The Fiat 500 was chosen for the return to the American market because of its ability to satisfy the new generations of Americans who want a captivating, customised, ecologically sustainable and technologically advanced vehicle that reflects their image.

“At a time when America is returning to simplicity with renewed attention focussed on the environment, the new car identifies with the current minimalist bent and offers an advanced and eco-sustainable technology enveloped by an aura of top quality, precision and style," added Soave.

The 500 for the American market will be built in Mexico and will have a starting price of $15,500 and will feature the brand-new 1.4 litre MultiAir engine, innovative Blue&Me hands-free communication system and seven airbags supplied as standard.

The Fiat 500 will be offered in three trim levels, with only one engine type, 14 colour combinations and materials for the seats, two interiors (black or ivory) and a complete line of exclusive accessories made by Mopar to further customise one's car.

Fiat 500 customers will also be able to make use of the free eco:Drive software application that collects the journey data through the Blue&Me interface of the car and analyses them to give the user handy personalised tips to cut travel costs and the environmental impact of his driving style.

Adapting the Fiat 500 to the North American market

In order to fully satisfy the North American customers and obey to regulations, the Fiat 500 suffered several adaptations. They include a redesigned body structure to increase resistance, suspensions made to measure and exclusive for the U.S.A. market, more than 20 specific modifications/additions to the body components to reduce noise, vibrations and harshness and new anti-lock braking system (ABS) on the four wheels with front calipers redesigned.

The fuel tank has also been increased to extend the Fiat 500 range, the heating and cooling system have been perfected for the extreme North American climates and seats for the driver and front passenger redesigned with a new armrest and new cushions to improve comfort over long distances.

Finally the 500 features new front seats fitted with the "Easy Entry" system, new steering wheel controls and steering effort calibration optimised to increase stability at highway speeds and new BOSE® Energy Efficient Series audio system with six speakers and subwoofer of excellent quality.