When the Fiat 500 arrives in the U.S. early next year, it will ride on an all-new platform shared with the Panda utility vehicle and Lancia Ypsilon hatchback. The switch to the new underpinnings will boost the 500's crash worthiness, reduce its levels of noise and vibration and lower the overall weight.
But will it change the looks? Our source says no, the exterior will look exactly the same. One thing that could change is the name. Fiat is considering going with Cinquecento instead of the simply 500, sounds more Italian you know?
IL News: U.S.-Market Fiat 500 Will Be Upgraded
hollowtek says:
09:02 AM, 03/16/10
does it come with the lady?
inlinesix says:
09:25 AM, 03/16/10
"Fiat is considering going with Cinquecento instead of the simply 500, sounds more Italian you know?"
Might not be a great move. Products/brands must be easily recognizable. Mercedes could go with the name...beschleunigen, to sound German, but...
xprojected says:
09:27 AM, 03/16/10
Are they worried that US buyers will be confused, because it is 200 greater than the Chrysler 300?
jeepsrt says:
09:41 AM, 03/16/10
@xprojected
It will be badged a fiat and not a Chrysler, so the higher numeric name should'nt matter I would think.
stovt001 says:
09:56 AM, 03/16/10
But in reality, it probably is 200 greater than the 300.
My wife loves the idea of the Cinquecento name. She loves anything Italian so the more Italian it is, the better.
xprojected says:
10:16 AM, 03/16/10
jeepsrt: it was a tongue in cheek comment.. but then, they will be sold by the same dealers, and the marketers can take the public to be pretty dumb (sometimes they're right).
It's good to know at least one person out there likes the Cinquecento name, although I'd think that a lot of the prospective US buyers are already fans of the European Fiat 500, and might be a bit turned off by the name change.
crowb says:
12:52 PM, 03/16/10
I was just thinking this morning while brushing my teeth that if I owned a fiat 500 I would pronounce the name in Italian because I like the way it sounds. I brush my teeth most mornings incidentally...
cr_driver says:
04:53 PM, 03/16/10
I dig the cinquecento!
greenpony says:
05:36 PM, 03/16/10
Cinquecento ftw. Whenever I see "500" I read "five hundred". It's just not right.