The 2016 Fiat 500 has broke cover ahead of its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The Italian marque claims it’s made over 1,800 small adjustments in moving to the refreshed 2016 500 from the 2015 car, including changes to the model’s styling, powertrain revisions, an updated cabin and more.
For many customers, the most glaring difference between the 2015 500 and the 2016 model will be the styling. As we suspected when we saw spy shots of the new city car, the 2016 500 gets new headlamps with optional Xenon lights, LED daytime running lights, a new grille and a redesigned lower bumper and air dam. Out back, new ‘ring’ taillights are joined by a redesigned rear bumper with a slim chrome detail strip.
Building off the car’s fun and style-centric attitude, Fiat is offering bold new customization options for the 2016 500. Optional ‘Second Skin’ decals allow customers to equip their car with everything from small belt line graphics to entire car wraps, while new alloy wheel designs and additional body and interior colors grow the possibilities for customization even further than before.
Occupants of the 2016 500’s cabin will immediately notice a newly designed dashboard centered around Fiat Chrysler’s revered Uconnect infotainment system. Entry-level ‘Pop’ models have the system as standard, however top-trim ‘Lounge’ models add a more comprehensive version with a larger screen, Bluetooth, SatNav, smartphone integration and more. Lounge models also come standard with a seven-inch TFT screen in place of the traditional round instrument cluster.
Fiat has also updated the 500’s engine lineup to meet Euro 6 emissions standards. The 1.2-liter four-cylinder and the 0.9-liter TwinAir gas engines now come with start stop and both are more economical and friendlier to the environment than before. The 1.3-litre Multijet diesel will be available down the road, also in a more economical form. Rounding out the powertrain changes is Fiat’s ‘Dialogic’ semi-automatic transmission, which now comes with steering column-mounted shift paddles.
Pricing for the 2016 Fiat 500 has yet to be announced, however more information on the updated hatchback should become available as its September debut date nears.
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