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Fiat wants to shout about the new 500. The Italian firm proudly states that its new baby is the first city car with a full five-star rating for occupant safety from Euro NCAP, helped by seven standard airbags in all models. Its entire range also sneaks under the 120g/km CO2 emissions mark.
These are all worthy things to make a big noise about, but let's face it, you're going to choose a Fiat 500 because you just want one. That means it's in direct competition with the Mini, but Fiat has another sneaky first up its sleeve to counter the threat from BMW's retro-rival: the 500 in business-friendly 1.3 JTD Lounge trim has a lower cost-per-mile figure than the entry-level Mini Cooper D.
Where the basic diesel-powered Mini will set you back £14,105 on a P11D form, the Fiat is a mere £10,615 and that gives the 500 a CPM of 16.3ppm to the Mini's 17.6ppm. Compare the Italian to other rivals and it still comes out looking multa bella against the 17.3ppm of the Citroen C1 1.4 HDi 5dr or a Nissan Micra 1.5 dCi Acenta 3dr's 20.3ppm, and these two cannot hold a candle to the cute-as-a-puppy appeal of the Fiat.
The Italian should also have much to holler about when it comes to retained value. It's little surprise that the 500 is predicted to have strong RVs when Fiat already says its 2008 UK allocation of 18,000 cars will not be enough to satisfy demand, and that's before the full force of an advertising campaign kicks in.
All of this means the Fiat 500 1.3 JTD Lounge looks great on paper for a company driver, but what about on the road? The 1.3-litre turbodiesel is the same 75PS unit seen in the Panda and manages 0-62mph in 12.5 seconds. That's noticeably slower than the Mini Cooper D, though the Fiat is giving away 35PS to the Brit. Even so, the Fiat's 67.3mpg combined economy is respectably close to the Mini's impressive 72.4mpg, and the Fiat does this without any of the baby BMW's energy-saving devices. Only a particulate filter is fitted to the 500 to help it achieve CO2 emissions of 111g/km (104g/km for the Mini).
There's no denying the diesel-powered 500 takes a little time to build speed, but it feels nippy and nimble through town traffic. Like its Mini rival, the 500 is happy on the motorway and unperturbed by its pint-pot dimensions. Only some road noise filters into the cabin at higher speeds, though the diesel engine is acceptably hushed. Fiat has hit the handling balance of the 500 on the head. It's more grippy and composed than a Panda, yet it retains that car's easy-to-drive-and-park attributes.
Fiat has also nailed the interior style of the 500 perfectly, even if rear seat space is limited. The cabin and dash are just retro enough to remind you of the original, but there's no skimping on equipment: aircon, CD stereo with MP3 connector, electric windows, 15in alloy wheels, fixed glass roof panel, and Blue&Me - a USB music player that works with Bluetooth for hands-free mobile phone use. There's also a 50:50 split and fold rear seat to augment the small boot. And then there are 500,000 more combinations if you raid the extensive options list. With that sort of choice, you're all but guaranteed to have an individual specification in the company car park.
The 500 may not be the most practical choice for business drivers, but it is the first Fiat in a long time that is truly desirable, and that is something to shout about.
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