Translated, la dolce vita is Italian for the sweet life.
It was the title of a classic 1960 Italian movie, and today, abbreviated to Dolcevita, it’s worn proudly by another Italian classic, the upmarket version of Fiat’s 500 hatchback.
Fiat’s Dolcevita provides a taste of the sweet life at an affordable price – $25,990 plus $750 for body colours other than white. And it qualifies for a Clean Car rebate of $2280.
It bucks convention; cynics might say it even bucks progress because except for model names, the 500 has changed little since its introduction 15 years ago.
Take the safety rating. Go to Rightcar, dial up Fiat 500 and the test results are for a 2007 model which was rated at three stars. Nothing more recent, but its lack of sophisticated safety systems/ driver assistance gizmos would preclude it from scoring higher.
However, safety kit includes seven airbags, mandatory ESC, tyre pressure monitoring system, lap/sash seatbelts. In many ways, the 500 is a classic car that you can buy brand new.
INSIDE
The Dolcevita is a cheeky and diminutive four-seater that in practical terms is a two-seater. There’s reasonable room in the rear cabin but access is tight and requires a fair bit of agility.
Front cabin space is excellent, with good legroom and a roomy feel; it doesn’t feel like a small car until you look over your shoulder and wonder where the rest of the car went.
The driving position echoes older Italian cars, with the steering wheel a long way away and not adjustable for reach.
The driver’s seat is height adjustable (manually, of course) but the basic setting is high and said to be tight and awkward for taller drivers.
For short guys like me, the elevated seating position isn’t a problem although it takes a while to get the relative balance right between closeness to the pedals and steering wheel respectively.
The seats are comfortable and offer good lateral support – essential in a car which will be driven enthusiastically and has no grab handle for the front passenger. Seat backrest angle is adjusted by a quite stiff wheel.
Controls are ergonomic, though inserting the ignition key – no push button here – is done by touch because you can’t see it or the ignition slot behind the steering wheel.
Front windows and exterior mirrors are controlled electrically; unusually the window switches are on the dashboard.
The Dolcevita comes with a fixed glass sunroof that abuts the large windscreen. Apparently, the idea is to make the cabin lighter and airier, though the cheaper steel-roofed Lounge model’s cabin feels just as pleasant.
The downside of the fixed glass is sun beating down on summer days – dealers offer a tinting solution – though Fiat has tried to alleviate that by fitting a black netting sun blind.
The sun visor is small and doesn’t reach far enough back on side windows to block out the low winter sun. It’s a major annoyance.
Instrumentation is easy to read and the Dolcevita has a digital speedo read-out which is a boon in a car that encourages lively driving.
Dolcevitas have body-coloured plastic panels on the dashboard and lots of chrome trim which gives the interior a “blingy” look.
Air-conditioning is climate control, and no 500s, including the highperformance Abarth 595s, have a reversing camera.
That’s a serious omission, even in a car where the rear hatch feels as if it’s only an arm’s length away from the driver’s seat.
There are rear parking sensors, augmented visually, which gave us a typically 500 moment of humour. There was nothing behind us, but the Dolcevita started pulsing visual warnings when I engaged reverse. More smile-inducing than annoying, though.
Luggage space is small – 185 litres – though the rear seatbacks fold forward 50/50 to accommodate more cargo.
The Dolcevita is Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto compatible and has Bluetooth connectivity.
PERFORMANCE AND DRIVE
The 500 doesn’t have much power – 51kW at 5000rpm and 103Nm at 3000 from its 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine – but with a weight of 920kg it’s nippy in the city, and cruises easily at 100km/h.
Fiat says it will hit 100km/h in 12.9 seconds which is on par with the roomier and more powerful but less lively-feeling MG3.
Fiat reckons overall fuel consumption is around 4.8 litres/100km, but we’d rate it a bit thirstier.
On the road, the 500 is full of character. Get the gearshifts right and it will surprise much more potent opposition.
The Dolcevita’s gearbox is an automated manual five-speed Dualogic. It can be left in Drive or used manually.
The gearchanges in Drive hesitate a little but push the longish shift lever to Manual and you unlock the fun.
The technique is to shift at 3000rpm – where peak torque starts – and the changes are seamless; hang on to 4000rpm and you’re punished by abrupt, jerky changes.
This gearbox is a major part of the 500’s charm – it’s a car that prefers to be driven rather than sat in – and is very rewarding when you get it right.
Steering is heavyish, but the car turnsin to corners crisply and the handling and roadholding are excellent. The ride on the Dolcevita’s 16-inch alloy wheels and 195/45 tyres can be a bit harsh on bumpy roads and the tyres kick up a racket on coarse chip-sealed surfaces.
The very good sound system – which has steering wheel controls – will drown that out.
OUR VIEW
As a fleet car to be used as an office hack the Dolcevita probably doesn’t make much sense. But it would make a fine promotional car. Its cheerful face and demeanour would enhance a company’s image and bring real pizazz and a sense of being young at heart.
The big thing is that the Dolcevita is almost impossible to drive without a grin on your face or the occasional whoop of delight.
It has quirks – like changing down to second sometimes when it stops at the lights which means a sluggish getaway if you don’t engage first manually. Though they’d irritate the hell out of some people, to me the car’s quirks are eclipsed by the sheer joy of driving it.
A Dutch road-tester’s summation is compelling. He was talking about the ultra-quick 132kW/230Nm, 230km/h top-speed Abarth 595 Competitizione but his comments can be applied to the 160km/h Dolcevita.
Chuckling as he punts it down the Autobahn well into the 200km/h zone, he says: “what is it about this car? Objectively speaking it’s not that good but I just keep smiling. What a fun car, and that’s what it’s all about this car…it keeps surprising me. Abarth 500s are for people with a sense of humour.”
So are Dolcevita 500s
