Exterior features include round headlights and chrome finishes while inside there is a gobstopper inspired gear stick and a body colour dashboard.It may be small but with seven airbags there is no scrimping on safety and this is an area where the 500 really shines. It scored five stars on the Euro NCAP passenger protection crash test and is the first car of its size to do so. Today’s 500 has a lot to owe to the Fiat Panda with its four-cylinder water-cooled engine driving the front wheels. There are three choices of engines, including a 69bhp 1.2 litre or 100bhp 1.4 litre petrol engines or a 75bhp 1.3 litre turbo-diesel. The Fiat 500 is also the first car to be launched with a full range of frugal, low emission engines that not only meet Euro 4 standards, but also meet the emissions limits that are expected to be set for the forthcoming Euro 5 standards in 2009. Fiat has a strong commitment to environmental issues and in line with their other cars; the Fiat 500 has impressively low CO2 emissions and petrol consumption.

Although it is most suited to whizzing around cities it is not bad on the open road as well and offers a quiet and fairly smooth ride. With two settings for power steering it can be adjusted to a lighter mode for city driving but switch it up a notch and it handles corners surprisingly niftily. This car is small and charming so you are not going to be expecting a spacious ride. It’s cramped with four adults but would be comfortable for children in the back. The boot space is limited and while it is adequate for everyday life, for larger loads you would struggle. The split rear seats fold down to maximise the space to 500 litres but obviously then you limit yourself to two occupants.

To add to the fun of this 500 re-launch you can customise your Fiat with a wide range of colours, accessories and extras. There are three different levels of trim to start from – Pop, Lounge and Sport and Fiat claims there are over 500,000 combinations including 12 colours, 9 sets of wheels and countless extras. If you are looking for retro style with a modern conscience and a decent price tag then this chic Cinquechento will be difficult to resist.