Fiat 500 First Edition arrives in China

Fiat 500 First Edition launches the 500 in China

The next stage of Fiat’s quest to make the Fiat 500 the world’s favourite retro-cute car hit the world’s biggest market this week. Yep, China got its first Fiat 500s.

Now Fiat appears to have made the 500 the current car of choice for the urban trendy American car buyer (a friend in Los Angeles claims they’re proliferating in the trendy areas just like MINI did in London in the early days) it’s time to turn their attention to China, a market with far more potential.

What better way to get the whole ‘Fiat 500 China’ thing across than a bit of an event and a quintet of specials? So we get the Fiat 500 First Edition, a limited run of 100 cars featuring bodywork graphics by five young Chinese designers, revealed in Shanghai by Fiat International Operation VP Lorenzo Sistino.

The First Editions are based on the Lounge spec and get pearlescent white paint, red leather and ‘First Edition’ badges – and those Chinese graphics. The oily bits are the 1.4 litre petrol MultiAir and a 6-speed auto box.

But you can’t get in quick and grab a First Edition 500. Instead, you’ve got to get in to the Fiat dealers and place an order for the regular Fiat 500 – all of which come only with the 1.4 litre MultiAir, but in a choice of Pop, Sport and Lounge – which gets you in a draw to let your swap your regular 500 for a First Edition.

The free upgrade for 100 500 buyers is just the first step in Fiat’s quest to make the 500 as appealing to the urban trendy in China as it is around the globe. The 500C convertible will arrive in China next year, as will the ’500byGucci’.

Somehow, the Fiat 500 and China seem like a perfect match.

(10 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)

By Cars UK