Fiat 500 Convertible

The lid has been lifted on Fiat’s drop-top 500. Auto Express has learned that the newcomer will be available with a roll-back roof – just like the Fifties original.

The canvas hood is similar in concept to that used by the classic Citroen 2CV, as well as the French firm’s more recent C3 Pluriel.

It will allow Fiat engineers to keep the 500’s C-pillars and rear side windows fixed in place. That means they have been able to keep the car’s structural integrity intact – and it has also ensured the model looks stunning, as you can see from our spy shots.

This isn’t the only exclusive news
Auto Express has on the car. We have also discovered it will be called the 500 Convertible, rather than the Cabriolet, as was previously thought.

The newcomer is likely to make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and as with the fixed-roof car, there will be plenty of scope for owner customisation. Buyers are set to be offered a variety of colour options. Just don’t expect big mechanical changes.

Engines will be carried over from the hatchback when the Convertible arrives in the summer. That means a choice of 69bhp 1.2 and 100bhp 1.4-litre petrol units, plus a 75bhp 1.3 Multijet diesel.

The soft-top is set to carry a £1,000 premium, so prices will start from £9,100.