Fiat 500

The Fiat 500 is the long-awaited and well-received revival of an Italian icon. What it lacks in terms of interior packaging it more than makes up with sheer style and driver involvement. What we’re all waiting for is the hot little Abarth version, due later this year.

• Comfort

  A nicely pliant ride actually makes the 500 surprisingly refined through the manholes and potholes of urban driving. The only drawback is an oddly high driving position that can make taller drivers feel precariously close to the roofline.

  

• Performance

  There's the two-pot TwinAir engine with a claimed 68.9mpg - though thrash it for a day and you'll be doing late 40s - a 69bhp 1.2-litre petrol that takes 12.9 seconds to hit 62mph, and a 1.3-litre diesel returning 72.4mpg. That packs 95bhp and takes 10.7 seconds to go from 0-62mph. Go figure.

  

• Cool

  Expect this to be the new, new Mini. Ubiquitous, and frequently driven by highly punchable estate agents and smug media types.

  

• Quality

  The bespoke and impressively retro-looking cabin in the 500 not only looks great, but also feels fairly expensive. Cheaper Fiats don't have a great reputation for reliability, but the 500 has yet to prove itself either way.

  

• Handling

  Tall, narrow cars like this are bound to suffer from a little bit of pitch and roll, but the 500 still feels sure-footed and, vitally, entertaining when you're slinging it around a bit.

  

• Practicality

  Improvement over the original 500 is not, 60 years on, anything to feel smug about. The 500 is still cramped in the back, a bit too lofty from the driver's seat and not blessed with the ease of access of its cheaper sister the Panda.

  

• Running costs

  The 500 is annoyingly pricey, but desirability ought to keep its secondhand value up. Low insurance groups and great fuel returns mean it's not going to bleed you dry either.