NF500 / finesse

The Wall Street Journal has published a thoughtful, and perhaps thought provoking article on the new Fiat 500. Focusing on how and where it could succeed and fail, and what could be the making or breaking of the new small car.

The article draws attention to the juxtaposition of Fiat, known for their finesse in producing small low cost cars, their factory in Tychy Poland and the relatively cheap labour, and the concept of making the 500 a “Premium Small Car”, charging an excess for style and individuality in the process.

They draw the obvious comparisons between the Fiat 500 and the MINI Cooper, both small cars, both offering a unique style, character and history, but being produced by very different companies. The 500 being built in Poland on a platform shared with the low-budget Fiat Panda and forthcoming new Ford Ka, while the MINI is produced in the UK, with relatively high production costs, on it’s own purposely developed chassis by parent company BMW, who hold a reputation for production larger premium vehicles.

You can read the full article on the Wall Street Journal Website here.