REAR VIEW Mirror: FIAT'S CREDIT CRUNCH BEATER

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Jun 29, 2008 | by Brain Twomey

FIAT are really starting to hit the ground running now; with rising fuel prices and general gloom on the horizon the company has a raft of small, affordable, clever cars to offer customers concerned about the environment and their pockets.

Take the new Fiat 500, it is very clever, very cute and Fiat are hoping the new Dualogic gearbox will ramp up the appeal even more.

Not an automatic in the conventional sense of the word but a "robotised manual", a manual gearbox with a computer controlled clutch to offer all the benefits of a full auto, namely it changes gear itself, but while allowing it to be compact and make the car relatively affordable.

The Dualogic is an extra EUR1,000 on top of the EUR15,995 (ex works) Fiat currently ask for the Lounge model, which is the version that is one up from the base Pop version.

According to Fiat that price is not going to change after July 1 either.

Like other versions of the 500, the Dualogic rides well, handles gamely and is still fresh looking enough to turn a few heads.

Decent packaging means that it can carry more than you would think and it feels far more solidly built than previous small Fiats to boot.

The Dualogic is ideal around town, which is really what it was designed for. During low speed driving it shifts smoothly and makes the 500 a cinch to drive.

Venture out of the city though and the 69bhp 1.2 engine needs to be worked hard to make any meaningful progress.

0-100km/h takes just shy of 13 seconds so it is not gutless but it does need to be thrashed more than the 1.4 versions Accelerate hard and the Dualogic becomes less smooth in its shift action and it is inclined to hold gears a little to long.

Still a breeze to drive though and the 500 remains a comfortable car on the open road, despite its size it can accommodate four adults in reasonable comfort.

The 500 boasts excellent fuel consumption too and it is very well equipped for the price; perfect for the town dwelling driver who wants an attractive car but has better things to spend money on than petrol.

For the urban-based driver this 500 is the pick of the range although the diesel and 1.4 versions, while lacking the Dualogic option, are more rounded cars and more satisfying on the open road.