Celebrations on July 4, this year was not just restricted to those commemorating the American Independence day. It was also the day on which the much-awaited new Fiat 500 was officially launched from Murazzi in Turin, Italy.

The new Fiat 500 was launched exactly fifty years to the date after the original first model of the iconic was introduced. The Fiat 500 or Cinquecento (Italian for 500) as it was originally called was a cute, much-loved sub-compact that Fiat first produced between 1957 and 1975.

Despite its extremely compact dimensions, the Fiat 500 was a huge success and it went on to define a whole new segment of the European car market.

The car was probably the first of the modern day monoform design sub-compacts. The famous Dante Giacosa designed the original Fiat 500.

The new 500 launched earlier this month was created by the Fiat Style Centre, and has carried forward much of the original’s key style elements. The new Fiat 500 is a small 3-door car and is just 355cm long, 163cm wide, 149cm high, and has a wheelbase of 230 cm.

The first model of the iconic Fiat 500.

The front of the new Fiat 500 combines the family feeling of the most recent Fiat models, with the distinctive, catchy elements of the first 500.

For instance, features like the round upper headlights above and main beam lights below, as well as the familiar whiskers and logo are all there to evoke the same emotions that the original Cinquecento stirred up in the hearts of Europeans in the 1950s.

On the side, the new Fiat 500’s mid-line slopes slightly at the front giving the car an impression of strength and sturdiness that belies its size. At the rear, the highlight is a distinctive chrome handle reminiscent of the number plate light holder found on the original 500 model, and similar in shape to that of a bicycle saddle.

The new Fiat 500, to be also badged as the Fiat Nuovo 500, was first presented as a concept called Trepiuno in 2004, with production being doubtful at that time. Later the production model was finalised and the car is now produced at Fiat’s Tychy plant in Poland.

The new Fiat 500 will be available only in the Italian market for now and will, in a phased manner, be launched in other markets in Europe. The new 500 is being offered with three engine options — a 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol options and a 1.3-litre JTD diesel engine option. Buyers can also choose between a five-speed or a six-speed manual gearbox.

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