Car Statistics: Fiat - 500 Series 07 (5 stars)

Styling (5 stars)

Fiat's designers have captured the essence of the original perfectly, evolving and enlarging the 500 for a modern market. It will be too cute and dinky for some, but that's subjective. Huge early sales based on looks alone make it the must-have motor of the moment.

Handling (3 stars)

The 500's certainly agile but there's a little too much body roll generated in corners for really enthusiastic fast road driving. This is forgivable of a city car, and the harder Abarth version should offer more to keener drivers. Even in standard spec the 500's capable chassis is obvious, and a good starting point for hotter versions to build on.

Comfort (4 stars)

Occupants are treated to civilised, relatively quiet progress, even when the engine's working hard. The ride's impressively smooth on our rutted British roads, although the 500 can occasionally be unsettled by mid-corner potholes or particularly harsh speed humps. The seats are soft and the fully adjustable steering wheels makes the driving position fine.

Quality (5 stars)

Unexpectedly excellent, given Fiat's track record. Even passengers who aren't interested in cars will appreciate the soft furnishings in the cabin, the attention to design detail, the rattle-free ride and the solidity of the new 500. It could represent a turning point for the Italian brand.

Performance (4 stars)

Don't expect a rocketship this side of the Abarth version. But the 1.2-litre is most fun of the standard engines, despite being the least powerful, because it'll rev sweetly all day long. The 1.4-litre has more mid-range shove but it's a bit peaky, and the diesel doesn't suit the car's character as well, although it is very frugal. None of these engines are bad, mind you.

Roominess (3 stars)

Rear space is tight and best reserved for kids on longer trips. That said, the Fiat's relative height means it offers as much interior space as a new Mini, despite being a much shorter car.

Costs (5 stars)

All three basic 500s return in excess of 50mpg and have low emissions meaning low fuel costs and cheap road tax.

Value (5 stars)

Even the basic Pop version comes well equipped. Higher-end models get bigger alloys, a better multimedia system and climate control. Fiat's launch price is extremely competitive so the 500's excellent value for money. Residuals are likely to be strong too, given the car's desirability.

Stereo (3 stars)

Premium models get Microsoft's Blue&Me media system, which allows you to plug in memory sticks, PDAs or MP3 players and playback music. Speaker sound quality could be better, though. And there's no built in sat nav.