Fiat drops limited-run 500C Dolcevita

FIAT has continued its long run of releasing special-editions of its 500 city car, with the Italian car-maker enhancing the 500C convertible to create the Dolcevita Edition which hits local showrooms priced from $30,750 plus on-roads.

 

Limited to 30 examples, the Dolcevita (or good life in Italian) adds a range of style-focused visual enhancements to give the pint-sized drop-top a stylistic edge over its regular counterpart.

 

The changes are immediately identifiable by the Dolcevita’s white-and-red design motif, with a pair of red pinstripes that run around the circumference of the vehicle, offset by the Gelato white exterior paint colour.

 

White diamond-finished 16-inch alloy wheels give the 500C an extra level of pop, while chrome mirror covers replace the body-coloured items and a red ‘Dolcevita’ badge can be seen on the rear.

 

A unique design has been applied to the fabric-top roof, with a white-and-blue striped design with red liner that is centred by a red ‘500’ logo.

 

Inside, a number of classy touches have been added including a wooden dashboard trim with grey liner and exclusive ‘Dolcevita’ floor mats.

 

The seats are finished in frau ivory leather, contrasted by red piping and an embroidered 500 logo.

 

No changes have been made to the 500’s tiny 1.2-litre aspirated petrol engine, which develops a modest 51kW of power and 102Nm of torque.

 

Power is fed exclusively to the front wheels via a five-speed ‘Dualogic’ automated manual transmission.

 

The 500 may hold the record for the most special-editions of any car model on sale in Australia, with over 30 limited-run offerings introduced over the last 11 years covering the Fiat and Abarth brands.

 

Covering topics such as fashion, luxury and connectivity, the 500 has partnered with brands such as Gucci, and has released the Collezione Fall/Winter Edition, Spiaggina ‘58 edition, Collezione Spring Edition and Anniversario within the last three years.

 

The current generation of 500, which has carried on largely unchanged since early 2008, will be phased out next year in favour of an-all new generation that will be underpinned solely by EV power.

 

Developing 87kW from its 42kWh battery, FCA Australia is yet to lock in the new, zero-emissions 500 for the Australian market.

 

Through the first quarter of 2020, Fiat and Abarth have sold 122 combined examples of the 500, down more than half from the 250 it managed to the same point in 2019.

 

It is only one of three contenders in the micro car segment, with competition coming from the Kia Picanto and Mitsubishi Mirage.