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FIAT Seicento Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Generations: 2
First production year: 1998
Engines: Gasoline
Body style: Hatchback
FIAT Seicento photo gallery

The Fiat Seicento was produced in Poland starting with 1998. This model was the improved version of the Cinquecento and it seems like Fiat kept the good things and ditched the flaws of its predecessor. In its class, Ford and Seat had already unveiled their superminis, and Fiat was trying to release a model that gave the feeling of driving a bigger car, thus, released the Seicento, which had a huge success.

The first generation of the Seicento was released in 1998 and was available in three trim levels: S,SX and and a Sporting model. The first two were fitted with a 900 cc engine, while the Sporting model had a 1100 cc engine that was already known by the public as it was available on the Cinquecento.

Later in 1998, Fiat released the Citymatic version of Seicento, which had an automatic clutch. The Citymatic was dropped in 2001 when all offered models were then equipped with a 1100 cc Fire engine. In 2003, a facelift version was released and the S was replaced by the Mia, respectively the SX by the Active level trim. The car received new wheel covers and new upholstery.

The Sporting was the most popular version, as it was equipped with sport seats, alloy wheels, front fog lights and a leather steering wheel. The car’s price was as low as £4,990 in the UK in the standard trim level.

full description and technical specifications
gasoline engines:

FIAT Seicento 1.1L 5MT (54 HP)

FIAT Seicento photo gallery

Fiat introduced the Seicento as a replacement for the Cinquecento model, but with limited market success.

After the 500, Fiat desperately tried to build a car to have the same success on the market. Most of the attempts failed to please the market. The Seicento tried again, with the arguments of being easier to drive and better equipment in the car.

Short, small, and narrow, the Fiat Seicento (600) was a three-door vehicle able to drive well through city traffic. Even if it was offered exclusively with three doors, its attributes were the handling, great fuel-efficiency, and enough visibility around the car. Last but not least, it was small enough to fit in tight parking spaces. The small headlights and the unusually large grille in the lower bumper made the vehicle look like it was smiling.

Inside there was plenty of room for the front occupants but very limited for those in the rear seats. The trunk was smaller than a regular shopping cart but large enough to accommodate a pair of office shoes and a briefcase. The instrument cluster displayed the speed, the coolant temperature, and the fuel level.

Under the hood, the Seicento (six hundred in Italian) featured a 0.9-liter engine, upgraded later on to a 1.1-liter unit (Seicento Sporting). Both versions were paired to a 5-speed manual. For performance, let's say that that was an overstatement, with a 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) run in 18 seconds for the lesser version and almost 14 seconds for the higher version.

full description and technical specifications