IF THERE was ever a week for being the ultimate confident heterosexual then this was it, for the car I have been testing is the “cute” Fiat 500C.
It is acknowledged that 70 per of Fiat 500C’s customers will be female – take a look at the picture and it’s not hard to see why.
Even my girlfriend’s little sister, who will shortly turn 17, fell immediately in love with its bubbly looks, pastel red paint job, cream leather steering wheel and designer kitchen interior.
The Fiat 500C is a joyful car that puts you in a good mood. It comes with a genuine smile and has lots of joie de vivre.
And with weeks of sunshine over an extended bank holiday break, the timing of the Fiat 500C on my driveway could hardly have been better.
Fiat describe the 500C as a carefree car; drive it with its roof down on a quiet Sunday afternoon and that’s exactly what it is.
It is the exclusive roof which makes the Fiat 500C instantly recognisable. It stands out for its innovative movement with electric roof control and its use of cutting-edge technical solutions, from the glass windscreen to the built-in third brakelight.
The special sardine-tin folding system, which may be opened in three different positions, means you needn’t give up precious centimetres of luggage space in the boot or the comfort of the four seat interior.
Good things come in small packages and for Fiat, it’s a case of the smaller the better with its TwinAir 900cc two-cylinder engine mounted inside the 500C I had on test.
On the outside, there is little to distinguish the two-cylinder Fiat from any other 500, but turn the key and you will instantly notice the distinct engine note, that grows on you the more you hear it.
Fiat describes the TwinAir unit as a manifesto for its latest engine technology.
So as well as being smaller, it is the first engine to be developed from scratch to make the most of Fiat's MultiAir system.
It uses electro-hydraulic control of the inlet valves, rather than a conventional camshaft, to manage the amount of air entering the engine. This allows more precise management of combustion, reducing fuel consumption.
In the past I would not have bothered even writing about the Fiat 500C’s performance because, let’s face it, the majority of people buying this retro car will only be interested in its looks.
Not any longer! The introduction of Fiat's MultiAir system does almost 70mpg and thanks to CO2 emissions of just 95g/km, owners can enjoy road tax-free motoring.
So there we have it, a great looking car that doesn’t require you to delve into your purse on a regular basis. No wonder women love it so much!