Fiat 500 Cabrio Priced at $20,000

Having no top to match your car in the hot days ahead might cost you a few extra dollars, but will bring you unparalleled satisfaction. At least, this is what Fiat might have figured when it decided on the price sticker which to slam on the convertible version of the 500.

With prices starting from $20,000, the cabrio version of the model is some $4,000 more expensive than the 500 currently on the market. Even so, Fiat expects the appeal of the model to be so great that the sales of the cabrio version to account for 10 percent of all 500 models sold in the US this year.

On the local market, the 500 cabrio will be offered with the same engine as the regular version, namely a 1.4l FIRE unit with MultiAir system. The $20,000 to be paid for it will also buy you a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty package with roadside assistance included and a 3-year/36,000 mile maintenance package.

Design wise, the model does not differentiate itself very much from the regular version, except of course for the retractable roof, made of cloth. The 500c will be offered on the American market in only two versions, versus three available for the hardtop brother, and will offer three colors for the convertible top: black, red and tan. A total of 12 colors are available for the exterior.

The 500c will be distributed in the US, as does the 500, through the Fiat dealership network that already comprises 58 stores. Soon, that number will grow to 130, the planned head count for the Fiat operations in the US.