FIAT 500 2007-2015 Photos, engines & full specs

Fiat revived the 500 nameplate in 2007, bringing back one of its best-selling models of all times, and replacing it with a new top-seller.

Half a century after introducing the first Cinquecento (500), the Italian carmaker introduced a new generation for the supermini vehicle. After sending home prominent car designers who tried to pen the new model, Roberto Giolito made it at the Centro Stile Fiat.

A successful design is considered one that doesn't need a badge and can still recognize the model. This was the Fiat 500. Its short nose with big, round headlights and no grille between them was characteristic for the 1957 model, and the same went for the 2007 car. The carmaker installed a different grille in the lower part of the wrapped-around plastic bumper, placed below a horizontal chromed slat that mimicked the older metallic bumper from the original model. Its raked and tall windshield started the greenhouse design, which was arched toward the back of the tilted-forward back of the car.

Inside, Fiat continued the retro-design theme and installed a flat dashboard, but with modern features. The tall center stack hosted the gear stick on the lower side while the audio system occupied the upper area. Inside the instrument cluster, the carmaker placed a wide speedometer with an LCD in the middle for other onboard computer information. Depending on the trim level, a hand-stitched leather-clad steering wheel indulged the driver. The 500 offered four seats inside the cabin, but none of them were comfortable for tall drivers.

Under the hood, the carmaker installed a wide engine choice. At the launch, there were only a few four-cylinder versions available. Later on, the carmaker installed a two-cylinder turbocharged 0.9-liter unit, a turbo-diesel, and several other turbocharged gasoline powerplants.