• Downgraded three-star Euro NCAP rating
• Lacks autonomous emergency braking
• All 500Cs have seven airbags as standard

Despite originally scoring a five-star crash-test rating from Euro NCAP (when sampled as a closely related 500 hatchback), the score was downgraded to three stars in 2017 when it was re-tested.

It’s a reflection of how much safety technology has improved over the course of the 500C’s life-cycle, highlighted by a lack of kit that simply isn’t available in the Fiat.

Seven airbags are standard features across the 500C range, as is electronic stability software and traction control to help reduce wheelspin, but that’s about it.

Automatic emergency braking? Not available. Lane-keeping functions? Nope. Blindspot warnings? Not a chance. Even automatic lights and wipers are optional across the range.

How many Isofix points does the Fiat 500C have?

As the 500C is a strict four-seater – there’s no middle seatbelt on the rear bench – it’s not the roomiest of cars for four adults, but a couple of Isofix-mounted child seats will just about squeeze inside, although access isn’t particularly easy.

• Very small rear seats are cramped for adults
• High-mounted front seats, but roomy enough
• Small boot, with awkward access on 500C

Its diminutive dimensions confirm that the Fiat 500C is a dinky city car, that can only accommodate four adult passengers at a squeeze. In reality, most people who are at least in their teens will struggle to fit comfortably in the back.

Best reserve those benches for smaller kids, who also are less likely to be troubled by accessing the rear bench – despite the side doors opening wide, one still needs to be as flexible as a gymnast to get in the back with any degree of grace intact.

Up front there’s a decent amount of space – despite the upright seating position.

Storage for odds and ends is okay, with a glovebox and decently sized door bins. Other cubbies are too small, or oddly shaped guess what they might have been designed for.

Fiat increased the depth of the cupholders as part of the 2015 facelift, but even so they remain shallower than on other cars. Brisk cornering could still result in a lower legs and latte macchiato interface.

As one of the smallest four-seater cars on sale, the Fiat 500C should be a doddle to park in tight spots.

Despite being small, there’s a large area of glass, making it easy to see out of. With the roof up, the rear window isn’t significantly smaller than that of the 500 hatchback, but lower it fully and rearward visibility is restricted.

Usefully, Lounge and S specification cars come with rear parking sensors as standard, but there’s no reversing camera or self-parking option.

The transition to the convertible body of the Fiat 500C compared with the 500 hatchback sees a 3.0-litre reduction in the size of its boot volume, capping it at a modest 182 litres when all four seats are occupied.

Officially, Fiat doesn’t quote a figure for the available luggage space when the seats are folded over, but it’s safe to assume it can cope with a similar 550-litre capacity to the hatchback.

All 500Cs have a folding rear seat – split 50:50 on Pop Star models and above – but access through it into the rear of the passenger cabin isn’t quite as generous as on the hatch.

Unsurprisingly, accessing the boot on the 500C isn’t as convenient as on its hatchback twin anyway. Whereas the latter has a roof-to-bumper height tailgate, the former just has a top-hinged boot lid, making it awkward to load in items through a relatively narrow slot.