NF500 / test track

British purveyors of motoring fiction, Auto Express, have added a Fiat 500 “group test” video to their website Today, which you may consider worthy of a few moments of your time.  The video features a short but pleasant driving sequence of old and new 500s together on their test track.

We put group test in quotes because although they show a line-up of small cars at the start of the piece, they only actually draw any parallels in the review with the new MINI, to which they compare the new 500 rather unfavourably, especially in terms of handling and driver engagement.

However, despite saying the Fiat wallows and rolls and isn’t as engaging to drive as its looks could lead you to believe, the conclusion is that you should indeed pop down to your local friendly dealer and put your money on a new 500.  Why?  Because it will be “the car to be seen in” when it arrives in January*.

So not exactly a group test, and not really very in depth, but you can judge for yourself on the Auto Express website.

*Despite for some time Fiat saying the new Fiat 500 is on sale in the UK from February 2008