The Fiat 500 is a city car built by Italian automaker Fiat since 2007. The car is currently produced in Tychy, Poland, by Fiat Auto Poland S.A. and in Toluca, Mexico, by Chrysler Group LLC. The four-seater, three-door hatchback 500 is almost identical to the retro concept car Trepiùno presented in 2004. Designer Roberto Giolito's current Fiat 500 is a direct crib from Dante Giacosa's 1957 original rear-engined Fiat 500 or "Nuova 500".
The car was announced on May 5, 2006, and the first images were presented on March 20, 2007. The car was launched officially on July 4, 2007, with 250,000 people in attendance. This was the largest launch party held in the last ten years, a testament to the Nuova 500’s huge popularity. The car was displayed in the squares of 30 cities in Italy for the launch.
The 500 is available with four different trim levels: Naked (this version not available in the United Kingdom, opting for this trim level means that the car does not have the seven airbags meaning that the passenger safety rating drops), Pop, Lounge, and Sport. Customers can also choose between 15 interior trims, nine wheel options, 19 decals, and 12 body colours. There are over 500,000 different personalized combinations of the 500 that can be made by adding all kinds of accessories, decals, interior and exterior colours, and trims. The car is also available with the Blue&Me navigation system. The American Sport version has the 1.4 litre Multiair engine, which is manufactured in Michigan.