Well the new Fiat 500 USA model has finally launched with prices. Go check out the configurator here http://www.fiatusa.com/en/build_your_own.html

The USA model has a glove box, bigger cup holders, better colour choice (with proper Italian names), MultiAir engine and improved ride comfort suspension. Also, you get some nice options like ambient lighting, BOSE sound system etc.

You can see images of the new interior (inc glovebox) with the configurator, similar to the UK website...I do hope we get this improved version soon

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

eleganza said:

Well the new Fiat 500 USA model has finally launched with prices. Go check out the configurator here http://www.fiatusa.com/en/build_your_own.html

The USA model has a glove box, bigger cup holders, better colour choice (with proper Italian names), MultiAir engine and improved ride comfort suspension. Also, you get some nice options like ambient lighting, BOSE sound system etc.

You can see images of the new interior (inc glovebox) with the configurator, similar to the UK website...I do hope we get this improved version soon

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Better? Huh? I think what you mean to say is that it's different.

How can a car that no member of the public or motoring press has ever driven have better ride, comfort and handling?

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

improved ride comfort in english means its floppy like being in a boat, they like their cars that way over there, here it would be useless on out twisty little roads

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

dave said:

improved ride comfort in english means its floppy like being in a boat, they like their cars that way over there, here it would be useless on out twisty little roads

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You can have both. It may handle well and be comfortable. Anyway, it's not just about the ride, the car has some nice touches. The Sport model has abarth like bumpers, more aggressive than our Sport model.

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

Just had a peek at the site - the options available are certainly very impressive; standard air con on the Pop for example and a massive range of free colours to choose from!

Guess though this is what the American market wants, it's all about choice and so there's no point having some spartan economy machine on sale, even if it looks great.

For some weird reason I really don't like the colours being in Italian, it just looks...well....a bit cack. I usually like things to be in their original languages where possible, but it doesn't seem right here. Dunno why!

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

It is interesting that they get armrests and a glove box and "stuff" - much less "low rent" than ours.

I'm particularly interested in the roof mounted bike racks even on the sunroof equiped lounge.

I bet none f it comes to the UK though.

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

a lot of americans would not even look at a car with no aircon, don't forget a lot of places over there are a lot hotter than here and for more than a week a year too

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

Colours are better, much more limited range of options, interiors and engines (although heated seats and ambient lighting might be nice I suppose, Bose sound system might be nice but the standard system (once tweaked) is good enough to be limited by 192kbps MP3s which is what 90% of people play over bluenme I guess) so all in pretty meh.

I certainly shan't be getting excited or jealous over a glovebox or larger cup holders, that's for sure. New colours are the best thing they get over us though, or is it our range of colours is sh*te?

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

Don't you all get it?

Glove box for the hand gun, bigger cup holders for the XXXL milk shakes, it all makes sense

On a serious note, is the Bose system better than the Interscope?

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

if you have larger cup holders you will have to buy larger cups of coffee all the time, will end up costing loads

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

As others have said, I suspect that the suspension is different rather than better. The suspension on the 500 was revised earlier this year and IMO is very well balanced between comfort and performance. American cars are rubbish, and they handle badly.

Some of the features are interesting though:
Keyless entry
Block heater
Autonet Wi-FiSatallite Radio
Speed control (Cruise control?)
Heated mirrors

Ambient lighting is just stupid though (the Americans will probably like it).

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

On a little car like the 500 the arm rest sounds like a health and safety issue - I can imagine some Americans getting wedged in...

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

306maxi said:

Thanks Dave. It'll be different for US roads but does that make it better? Possibly, possibly not.

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Ok so maybe I should rephrase..."better drive for the Americans" as you seem so focused on that aspect alone.

Advanced Driver said:

... American cars are rubbish, and they handle badly.

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So are you saying that they have modified the fantastic current suspension to make it handle worse?

what a waste of time and money

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

eleganza said:

So are you saying that they have modified the fantastic current suspension to make it handle worse?

what a waste of time and money

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Not really a waste of money, and not strictly speaking "worse". Different tastes. And you have to sell what the people want. A large number of cars have different suspension settings for different markets, driven in part by taste and in part by driving conditions.

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

eleganza said:

So are you saying that they have modified the fantastic current suspension to make it handle worse?

what a waste of time and money

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I would have thought it's more to do with being more softly sprung for the american market since they don't have corners so don't need cars to handle aswell as we do in europe since.

So I'll go out on a limb and say it will handle worse than a euro model.

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

RobinPJ said:

On a little car like the 500 the arm rest sounds like a health and safety issue - I can imagine some Americans getting wedged in...

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I'm pretty sure you can lift it, if not, it may well cause problems

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

Venters said:

I would have thought it's more to do with being more softly sprung for the american market since they don't have corners so don't need cars to handle aswell as we do in europe since.

So I'll go out on a limb and say it will handle worse than a euro model.

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I'm not really that bothered about the ride aspect. Soft, hard, whatever. Our model isnt that fantastic IMO. Yes it may handle worse here, however it will ride better on American roads. Or maybe it will be good at both? Who cares? I'm more interested in the improved interior/options/colours

So maybe it's best to say from an American's POV its better. much better

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

Advanced Driver said:

Ambient lighting is just stupid though (the Americans will probably like it).

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My Vectra had that.
It consisted of a yellow LED shining out of the rear view mirror. Useful if you lose the gear stick in the dark I suppose.

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

eleganza said:

I'm not really that bothered about the ride aspect. Soft, hard, whatever. Our model isnt that fantastic IMO. Yes it may handle worse here, however it will ride better on American roads. Or maybe it will be good at both? Who cares? I'm more interested in the improved interior/options/colours

So maybe it's best to say from an American's POV its better. much better

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Well yes but in that case surely the euro version is better from a european perspective.

I'd also say larger cup holder would just mean our cups fall about and spill over so USA Fiat 500 worse than Europe would be a better thread title unless your in America?

I also personnally dont think the colours are better but that's personal preference.

Re: USA Fiat 500 better than Europe

The Italian side stripe is now red, white and blue. so I guess it becomes the American side stripe