85: Fiat 500 – Holding its own as we wait to see what happens next

Top 100 cars for 2020: Despite its age it’s still got a lot of panache and street-cred

It’s not especially roomy, so don’t go for a 500 if you’ve got kids to raise, but it is still fun and engaging to drive
It’s not especially roomy, so don’t go for a 500 if you’ve got kids to raise, but it is still fun and engaging to drive

We have been promised that an all-new Fiat 500 will appear by the end of next year, but even if it does that will mean that this current model is one of the longest-serving cars you can currently buy. In fact, the Fiat 500 as it stands was originally launched in 2007, so it’s going to become a teenager before it’s replaced (its engines and basic chassis date back even further).

Successive refreshes and updates have kept it feeling youthful, mind, so it’s still competitive and if you want something small, but stylish, in which to gad about town you could do a lot worse.

The cabin still looks appealing, and it’s better built now than ever before. It’s not especially roomy, so don’t go for a 500 if you’ve got kids to raise, but it is still fun and engaging to drive, in a manner that many small car rivals somehow seem to miss. Basic versions are best, but you can spend as much as the price of a well-stoked BMW 5 Series on special edition versions if you’ve got some euromillions cash to burn…

Best model: 500 Mirror 1.2 for €16,495

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Price range: €13,895 to €18,895. Finance from €169 per month.

Co2 emissions: 116 to 124g/km

Sum up: Still funky and fun.

* A note on Co2 figures: For almost all the cars in the Top 100, we’ve quoted the stricter WLTP figures for Co2 emissions. A few are still quoted on their older NEDC2 figure, and that’s the number they’ll be taxed on. If you’re confused at all, just consult your local dealer for specific data for the make and model in which you’re interested.