Fiat 500C Photos and Specs Before the 2009 Geneva Show

After releasing a teaser photo of the Fiat 500 convertible last Friday, Fiat kept its promise and released today official photos of the new “kid-on-the-block.” As you can see, the transformation to a ‘cabriolet’ that pays homage to the open-top 1957 model is as simple as it is effective.

The new 500C comes in the same size as the basic model (3.55 m x 1.65 m x 1.49 m) and the same three powerplants: the 1.3 liter 75 HP Multijet Turbodiesel coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission and the two 1.2 liter 69 HP and 1.4 liter 100 HP gasoline engines, available with either manual or robotized Dualogic transmission. The 500C also incorporates “start-stop” fuel saving technology.

The entire roof is now one folding back canvas hood that retains the roofline and arching C-pillar. The roof is powered by a full electric drive and will be available in three colors: ivory, red and black. These will combine with the two specially conceived body colors available for the car, Perlato Bright Red and Gray Warm, to maintain the retro yet playful look of the 500. The new spoiler is incorporated in the retractable roof, so that it maintains the visibility of the third brake light, no matter the position of the top.

The new model was created by Fiat Styling Center and will be manufactured at the Tichy plant in Poland. The 500C could be seen in Europe's showrooms later this year, at an yet undisclosed price. As for the US, the car could be available in 2010 at the earliest, given that the Fiat-Chrysler alliance will get on the way.