2023 Fiat 500 Is a Colorful and Affordable Option for Aussie Buyers
The 2023 Fiat 500 remains one of the most characterful small cars available in Australia. We drive the petrol-powered city hatch to see if it still delivers the charm that made it famous.
The Fiat 500 has always been more than the sum of its parts. It’s a fashion statement, a slice of Italian style, and — beneath all that retro flair — a genuinely practical little city car. In 2023, the petrol-powered Fiat 500 continues to be sold in Australia alongside the newer electric 500e, offering buyers a colourful and affordable entry point into the iconic 500 range.
We spent a week with the 2023 Fiat 500 to see how the petrol version holds up against newer competition and whether it still makes sense for Australian buyers in 2023.
What You Get
The 2023 Fiat 500 arrives in Australia in two main trim levels: Pop and Lounge. Both are powered by a diminutive 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 51kW and 102Nm, paired exclusively with a six-speed automated manual transmission.
That engine sounds weedy on paper, and frankly it is. But the 500 weighs just 980kg, so the modest outputs don’t feel as inadequate as the numbers suggest. The little mill revs willingly and the transmission — once you learn its habits — does a reasonable job of keeping things in the meat of the powerband.
2023 Fiat 500 Australian Specs
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre 4-cylinder petrol |
| Power | 51kW @ 5500 rpm |
| Torque | 102Nm @ 3000 rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed Dualogic automated manual |
| Drive | Front-wheel drive |
| Kerb weight | 980kg |
| Fuel consumption (combined) | 4.8L/100km |
| CO₂ emissions | 108g/km |
| Boot space | 185 litres |
| Starting price (MSRP) | $18,810 +ORC |
The combined fuel consumption figure of 4.8L/100km is genuinely impressive for a petrol car in 2023. On test, we saw around 5.4L/100km in mostly urban driving — no complaints there.
Design That Never Ages
Here’s the thing about the Fiat 500’s design: it was retro when new in 2007, and it’s still retro today in 2023. That continuity is part of its appeal. The 500 looks like a 1957 original that someone fitted with modern headlights and alloy wheels — and that’s exactly what Fiat intended.
The 2023 model carries over the same unmistakable silhouette: the tall roofline, the tapered nose, the rounded corners, and those distinctive circular headlamps that give the 500 its perpetual smile. It’s 3.57 metres long, which makes it shorter than a Toyota Corolla by nearly half a metre — and that compact footprint is precisely the point.
In Australia, Fiat offers the 500 in a wide palette of colours, including Bossa Nova White, Passione Red, Gelato Blue, Pompei Yellow, and the evergreen Celeste Blue. The Pop trim rides on 15-inch alloy wheels while the Lounge adds chrome mirror caps, a chrome tailgate handle, and additional interior trim pieces.
The Dolcevita special edition — available on the Lounge trim — adds a fixed glass roof, white 15-inch alloy wheels, and a two-tone white and red body stripe. It’s a lot of visual theatre for a car that starts under $20,000 before on-roads.
Interior: Character in Spades
Open the wide-opening doors and you’re greeted by an interior that’s equal parts charming and frustrating. The circular instrument binnacle, a direct reference to the original 1957 car, houses the speedometer and tachometer in two matching circles. It’s a lovely piece of design that no other car in this price range can match.
The dashboard itself is a simple, moulded affair. Hard plastics dominate, but Fiat has masked them well with colour-coded panels that match the exterior. The climate control knobs are tactile and easy to use while driving — a point worth acknowledging in an era where everything is buried in touchscreen submenus.
The 7-inch Uconnect touchscreen handles infotainment duties and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which means your phone becomes the navigation and music hub. The system works well enough, though the resolution isn’t the sharpest and startup time is slower than we’d like.
Front seat comfort is genuinely good for a car this size — the seats offer more adjustment than you expect and the driving position is natural, with good visibility out the front and sides. Rear seat space is predictably tight: this is a two-plus-two, not a five-seater. Adults will find the back seats only tolerable for short journeys, but children will manage fine.
Boot space is 185 litres, which is decent for a city car. The rear seats fold flat to free up additional cargo capacity when needed.
Driving Impressions: More Than Just Cute
The Fiat 500’s party trick has always been its driving dynamics relative to its size. The 2023 model doesn’t rewrite this story, but it reinforces the good bits.
The steering is light and reasonably responsive, making threading the 500 through tight city streets genuinely enjoyable. The turning circle of 9.3 metres is tight enough for easy parking and U-turns. The suspension — MacPherson struts up front, twist-beam rear — is tuned for comfort rather than sport, which is the right call for a city car. It soaks up speed bumps and uneven roads without crashing or jarring.
The 1.2-litre engine’s party trick is its efficiency, not its performance. 51kW is barely enough for highway merging confidence, and the automated manual can feel laggy when you ask for a quick burst of acceleration. But around town, at 50-60km/h, the 500 feels sprightly enough. The Dualogic gearbox can be hesitant from a standstill, but it generally manages urban driving fine once you’re moving.
The braking feel is good — nicely weighted and progressive — and the disc brakes up front provide adequate stopping power. Rear drums are standard, which is expected at this price point.
One thing that stands out is the refinement at idle. The 1.2-litre four-cylinder is remarkably smooth and quiet when you’re coasting or stationary, which adds to the premium-small-car feel the 500 tries to project.
On the highway at 110km/h, the 500 does get busy. Road noise is noticeable, the engine is working harder, and the limited power means you need to plan overtakes carefully. This is not a car built for long-distance touring — it’s a city slicker that tolerates the occasional country road.
Features and Value
The Pop trim includes:
- 15-inch alloy wheels
- LED daytime running lights
- Electric front windows
- Remote central locking
- 7-inch Uconnect touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- USB and auxiliary input
- Hill hold assist
- Tyre pressure monitoring
The Lounge adds:
- Chrome mirror caps and tailgate handle
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Automatic climate control
- Rear parking sensors
- Chrome interior details
- Additional interior colour options
Both trims score well on safety for their class, with six airbags, ABS, electronic stability control, and ISOFIX rear child seat mounts as standard across the range.
At $18,810 +ORC for the Pop, the Fiat 500 undercuts most of its competitors on price. The only direct rival is the MG3, which undercuts it further but offers significantly less character.
The 500 in the Australian Market
Fiat has had a complicated history in Australia, with the brand’s local presence shrinking in recent years. The decision to keep the petrol 500 on sale alongside the more expensive electric 500e ($52,500 before on-roads) is a sensible one — it gives buyers who don’t want to go electric a path into the brand.
The 500’s key competitors in the Australian city car segment are limited. The MG3 is cheaper and newer but lacks the Fiat’s design pedigree. The Volkswagen Up! was discontinued, leaving the 500 in a increasingly rare position as one of the last dedicated city cars in this market.
For buyers who want something different — a car that signals personality over practicality, that sparks conversations in the car park, and that genuinely sips fuel — the 2023 Fiat 500 is one of the few options left. It’s not perfect, and the dual-clutch gearbox’s low-speed hesitation can be irksome. But the charm factor is real, and in a segment where most cars are grey appliances, that’s worth something.
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Accessories for your Fiat 500:
Looking to personalise or protect your 500? A set of all-weather floor mats are essential for keeping the interior clean — the high-sided design traps mud, rain, and sand that city life inevitably brings through the doors.
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