Technical “Downgrading” to Pop steel wheels possible?

[TrevC]

My last 2 cars have had electric parking brakes and I haven't had any issues with them. They give a bit more centre console space and allow my wife to fully apply the parking brake with her arthritic hand.
However, in general I agree with Samuel's rant. They address a problem that didn't really exist, and replace a relatively simple mechanism with a more complex electro-mechanical device in an area that is subjected to lots of dirt and moisture.
Sorry about the drift off topic.

 

[Rocco Reviews]

I’m interested in the new Fiat 500 Hybrid but the trim levels aren’t perfect for me.



What I want:

1. manual twist-dial HVAC controls
   
2. air conditioning
   
3. pollen filter
   
4. 65 aspect-ratio tyres (were 14-inch alloys ever available? They aren’t now)
   
5. preferably steel wheels
   
6. a way to show navigation on the display and play music from an iPhone. Do I need CarPlay for this? Pop trim doesn’t have that but has a 5-inch screen. What’s the screen for if not navigation from a smartphone?
   
7. ideally cruise control.
   

In France where I live, the base Pop trim has air conditioning. Great. And cruise control is an option. But does it have a pollen filter and can I navigate from my phone?



Lounge spec adds CarPlay and cruise control. Great. But also things I don’t care about: body-coloured mirrors, height-adjustable driver seat (not really, it just tilts), and a 7-inch display (I’ve never wished for my Garmin’s 3.5-inch display to be bigger).



But Lounge also adds 15-inch alloys with 55-height tyres: less comfortable, noisier, greater risk of pothole damage, harder on suspension components, slightly higher fuel consumption, more expensive to replace. Hmm.



So what about getting a Lounge car and having the dealer swap on 14-inch steel wheels from a Pop? Since most buyers prefer alloys and low-profile tyres, the dealer might be happy to do that. But is it officially okay from a technical perspective? The suspension isn’t tuned for the wheels the car comes with?



Thanks!

Yes, but you have to make sure it clears your brakes. I would advice getting the 15” ones from the USA instead of the 14” EU ones to be sure they will clear the brakes.