Fiat 500 C (09 on) - Review

The range is kicked off with a 69bhp 1.2-litre engine. It's lively and good around town, getting from 0-62mph in 12.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 99mph. The 1.4-litre petrol has 100bhp and is better suited to out of town and motorway driving than the 1.2-litre, though still needs to be worked hard to really get meaningful pace. It gets to 62mph in 10.5 seconds and has a top speed of 113mph. Opt for the 75bhp 1.3-litre Multijet diesel and you'll get a car with excellent fuel economy of 67mpg and the right sort of punch for efficient overtaking.

The 500C is at its best around town - hardly surprising, as this is the sort of environment that it's designed for. It feels nippy and agile, making light work of three-point turns and tight parking spaces. However, out on the open road it lacks the polished drive of the MINI, though an improved suspension set-up means that it handles better than the 500 hatchback. All cars get Fiat's Dualdrive system, which - when activated - decreases the resistance of the steering making tight manoeuvres even easier. The steering itself isn't particularly quick and it rolls into corners a little, but with the roof down on a summer's evening, it makes for a pleasant drive. Hill starts are aided by a system called 'Hill Holder', which applies the brakes for a few seconds when you move your foot to the accelerator pedal, so that you don't roll back. Stability control is a standard feature on 1.4-litre models and optional on the rest of the range.