2013 Fiat 500 Cattiva: Fiat Sprinkles Some Spice Over the Cinquecento

According to Fiat, the Italian word "cattiva" can "describe a person or situation that is naughty yet cool." Since Fiat's self-image has everything to do with the spice of being Italian, the Cattiva name likely was a natural choice for the brand to slap on its latest special-edition 500. First previewed in concept form at the 2013 Detroit auto show, the Cattiva makes its debut at this weekend's Pebble Beach Concorso Italiano in California. Like the show car, the production Cattiva is little more than a visual makeover for the Fiat 500 Sport and 500 Turbo hatchback models (sorry, Abarth), but the transformation is attractive. Naughty? We're not so sure—it depends on what customers decide to attempt in the little car's back seat. The 2013 Fiat 500 Cattiva package largely centers around a bundle of contrast-color exterior body pieces and a dark-colored interior. Darkened headlight, taillight, and parking-lamp lenses work with a Gloss Nero (black) roof and rear spoiler and dark-finished 16-inch wheels to give the exterior a more sinister edge. Cattivas can be ordered in Rosso (red), Nero Puro (black), Argento (silver), Granito Lucente (granite), Bianco (white), Luce Blue (light blue, only available on the Fiat 500 Sport Cattiva), or the same Rame (copper) hue that adorned the show car. The Cattiva may not be naughty, but its badge sure is encroaching on this model's personal space. Instrumented Test: 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo Comparison Test: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport vs. 2011 Mini Cooper Long-Term Test: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport Inside, the cabin is mostly Nero black; the dashboard panels (which are painted to match the exterior color in regular 500s) are painted a matte Nero black, and the seats are upholstered in a two-tone black-and-gray cloth scheme with contrasting silver stitching. Black leather seats are optional, but all Cattivas come with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The Fiat 500 Sport–based Cattiva is available with either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic; the 500 Turbo–based model, like the regular 500 Turbo, comes only with the stick. There are no mechanical changes for either Cattiva, meaning the Sport's 101-hp 1.4-liter four goes unchanged, as does the Turbo's 135-hp turbocharged 1.4-liter four. Compared to the regular Fiat 500 Sport and 500 Turbo, the Cattiva isn't drastically more expensive. The neat-looking cosmetic upgrades and unique interior color scheme will cost buyers a mere $850 regardless of which base model is selected. That tallies up to $19,150 for the 500 Sport Cattiva and $21,150 for the Turbo version. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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