At the beginning of next year, you’ll be able to buy the little 500 in the U.S. for a starting price of $15,500. The Mini Cooper that it will compete against, the 500′s styling is unabashedly retro, harking back to the original that debuted in 1957. While the Cooper and 500 share design similarities, they look different enough that they won’t be mistaken for each other.
The 500′s cabin is mostly similar to its overseas’ counterpart. The heating and ventilation system has been upgraded for U.S. cars, and Michael Berube, product planner for the 500, cited other minor changes like an armrest for the driver, larger cupholders and more storage space. Even though cabin materials are unchanged, they’re still competitive for this class.
The front buckets have a good deal of seat travel to accommodate different-sized drivers, but sliding the seat all the way back eliminates — not surprisingly — most of the backseat’s available legroom. At the 500′s debut, Laura Soave, head of the Fiat brand in North America, connected the 500 to shoppers looking to downsize their cars. It’s a good idea for a car like this, but Fiat is extremely late to the party, as Mini had the same message with the Cooper back in 2002.
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