Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: £11,700 to £14,500
Ultra-chic, easy-to-use roof, remarkably civilised drive.
Poor rear visibility, reflected light blinds instruments, 1.2-litre engine sometimes struggles.
Refined, easy to use, well made and great to look at: it's worth the hefty price hike.
The removal of the Fiat 500's roof has done to little to undermine this car's surprisingly robust feel, in part because its pillars and roof rails remain, making its top more like a very large sunroof than a full convertible.
There's the odd body shimmy on bumpier roads, but it's rare and comfortably contained. The ride quality of the 500 has also improved considerably and these latest cars are far less troubled by the bumps found on British country roads.
Noise levels are impressively low with the roof open or closed, but in the intermediate position there is a bit of eardrum-thumping flutter at speeds over 45mph. Fiat claims to have tuned the airflows in the cabin with the roof fully folded - and to good effect, with front-seat occupants enjoying a very pleasant, light swirl of air around them.
The cabin provides decent space for two up front, although there could be more width, and the seats are more comfortable than their perch-like feel initially suggests. However, the location of the accelerator is poor, forcing you to frequently reposition your right foot. Rear room is fine for kids and tolerable for adults: and, with the roof down, it's not as breezy in the back as most four-seater cabrios. The boot loses only three litres because of the roof, but 182 litres isn't vast, making the folding rear seat all the more useful.
Standard equipment for the basic 1.2 Pop includes seven airbags, ABS, power steering, height-adjustable steering wheel and seat, electric front windows, central locking, air conditioning (which is extra on the standard 500 at this level) and, of course, the electric fabric roof.
Upgrading to Lounge trim gets you alloy wheels (which are bigger, slightly worsening the ride), electric mirrors, rear parking sensors (necessary because of the 500C's poor rear visibility), ESP, Bluetooth connectivity, extra chrome and a leather-bound steering wheel with integrated controls.
