Despite a history patchier than 101 Dalmatians, Fiat seems to have cornered the market in cheap chic, mixing good value with wacky design to lasting effect. Rust and reliability problems have gone the way of the Supermirafiori, leaving behind a kind of Latin version of Ford.
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500
$22,990 - $29,990
Modern pastiche of arguably Fiat's most iconic city car. Sassy looks wear thin in a downpour on the Hume Highway, but it's great to drive and staggering value. Unlike the Mini.
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Punto
$19,990 - $27,990
Stroke of genius, making the word 'big' part of the name, eh? It's not a trick, though. The Punto is spacious and foxy looking, and heaps of fun to drive. A contender.
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Ritmo
$24,990 - $36,490
Underplayed Golf wannabe hampered by the crappest bloodline in history. A shame, as it's actually not half bad, and it kicks the butt of its predecessor.

