Fiat 500C unveiled ahead of Geneva
by Damon Lavrinc on Feb 16th 2009 at 2:15AM 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Fiat 500C
The Fiat 500C has leaked out ahead of its Geneva Motor Show debut, and as suspected, the open-top retromobile is equipped with a sliding canvas roof that continues the traditional set by the original 500.
Unlike it's closest competitor – the MINI Cooper Convertible – the 500C retains its roofline and arching C-pillar, which should keep its structural rigidity intact while keeping blind spots at bay. However, with the canvas roof retracted, it looks like rearward visibility is seriously compromised. The power-operated cloth-top will reported come in three colors – ivory, red and black – and a new spoiler, incorporated into the retractable roof, keeps the third brake light visible whether to the top is up or down. Both the 1.2- and 1.4-liter engines will carry over, along with the 1.3-liter Multijet equipped with Start-Stop technology. Expect sales to begin later this year in Europe, with U.S. distribution likely in 2010.
Gallery: Fiat 500C
[Source: Omniauto.it]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JDMlover 2:31AM (2/16/2009)
I think it's nice.
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skipper 2:33AM (2/16/2009)
you would...
GOT 6:50AM (2/16/2009)
Looks great! Glad they went with the sliding canvas.
Yikes 8:18AM (2/16/2009)
Me too.
I really hope these are coming to a dealership in the USA soon.
joe23521 3:16PM (2/16/2009)
Rear visibility is so 1990s.
/sarcasm
sdcarnut 2:56AM (2/16/2009)
It totally looks like the rear visibility is zero with this design, if I would have designed it, I would make the rear glass dissapear into the rear door just like old staion wagons did, or like some trucks that the rear window goes down, that way the left over fabric would have not taken up too much space and you could see out the rear..
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Ligor 9:49AM (2/16/2009)
you can always use the side view mirrors when you're driving with top down, but likely you'll only be top down 10-20% of the time
and the mirror is higher than the fabcir and considering how low this car is you can see out the back just fine, you don't have to see the tires of the car behind you, the windshied and roof will do just as well
Torrent 3:33AM (2/16/2009)
cute, but not my cup of tea. I'll take a mito, thanks.
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Berto 5:51AM (2/16/2009)
That is exactly what came to mind. It's pretty cute but I would never consider this.
Now if you add some Polyglas (a name so different it's registered) wheels to this little thing, then I could totally see this being a hit with most of my female friends.
David 11:23PM (2/16/2009)
Pretty sure the MiTo is based on the 500, so you might have to eat your words.
Mobius_1 7:37AM (2/16/2009)
I can so picture an Italian beauty driving through Rome in that.
I'd buy the Abarth version though, if they make one.
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Raz 8:08AM (2/16/2009)
With the canvas down, the rear view would be a nightmare.
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Davin Black 8:19AM (2/16/2009)
I lol @ the complaints about rear visibility. Everyone knows the First Rule of Italian Driving...
I thought the regular 500C was sweet, and this is even better; having that whole roof just opened up to the sky...glorious. I do agree with Mobius though - the Abarth version is better.
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Carlos 9:28AM (2/16/2009)
It's cute lol!
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RWD fan 9:33AM (2/16/2009)
It's going to ba at least two years before I buy a new car, and really the current Fit would be a great little commuter for me. I would be really happy with a C30 as well, and I would love a MiTo.
That said, this little 500 Cabrio is really growing on me. I'm old enough to remember when you could get a Spider or X19 new, and I had friends with Fiats that were lucky to run for a week straight without a breakdown. I want this little car, even thought I suspect the top's going to leak within 2 years or less, it'll be expensive to maintain, and the performance will be lackluster in the HP dept. Heck, I really want one with the 1.3 Multi Jet, but now that's just fantasy on this side of the pond.
Yeah the Fit would be the practical choice, but who cares, I think I would get plenty of smiles per mile in this little ragtop.
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Rick C. 10:42AM (2/16/2009)
I'm old enough to remember GM's rusting on the showroom floor and Fords exploding upon rear contact. It's was the 70's, everyone's QC was horrible during the period.
As for the power sliding canvas top, what were they thinking? The one-hand manual top employed by Fiat on the 124 Spider is still held up in design studios as the model of a perfect design. I know instructors at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA who use it as a teaching tool.
MajorGeek 10:31AM (2/16/2009)
Its a feminine Mini Cooper if that is possible.
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Ken Stamper 2:13PM (2/16/2009)
Aw, does the cute little car threaten your masculinity? Would a big manly Tonka Truck, I mean Hummer make you feel better?
harlanx6 11:04AM (2/16/2009)
Very nice, but still we wait.
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