What's the news?
Fiat is going to premiere two new styling lines at the Geneva Motor Show - the S-Design family of sporty-looking models, and a 500-encompassing tech package called Mirror too.
Sitting in the former camp are the 124 Spider S-Design, the five-door Tipo S-Design and the 500X S-Design. Starting with the 124 S-Design, it uses the 140hp/240Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine as used in the regular Spider, so the 215km/h top speed and 0-100km/h time of 7.5 seconds are both unchanged. What you get are Mopar-developed parts in the form of the roll bar, front pillars and door mirror caps in polished steel, a set of 17-inch lightweight alloys in a unique design, a 'tricolour' badge on the Fiat's rear and a red adhesive side stripe. The S-Design also comes with four airbags, climate control, a four-speaker MP3 radio with USB, leather seats and steering wheel, contrast-stitched leather for the lower fascia and the top of the dashboard, cruise control and a keyless-go system. You also get an Active Hood Lift System, chrome dual exhausts and fog lights.
Moving on, the 500X S-Design majors on the 'Myron' polished steel look. Spot it, against a matte body paint on the Geneva show car, on the door mouldings and handles, the front spoiler, surrounding the rear lamp clusters, the boot handle and on the door mirror caps. Xenon headlights are also trimmed in polished steel, while in contrast the rear windows are tinted and the 18-inch alloys are two-tone with a dark finish. This look is replicated inside, while S-Design-specific sports seats have an embroidered, copper-coloured logo. The Geneva show 500X Cross S-Design features the 1.4-litre 170hp engine, all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic AT9 transmission, but other drivetrains are available.
The Tipo S-Design, powered in this instance by a 120hp 1.6 Multijet turbodiesel with a DCT gearbox but available with other engines, is a five-door hatch (the Station Wagon will follow) in Metropoli Grey. Cinema Black, Coliseum Grey, Amore Red and Gelato White are the alternatives if you're not into grey, but whichever shade you go for, you get a Piano Black-trimmed wide front grille, dark-smoked bi-Xenon headlights, more Piano Black on the air inlets to the side of the foglights and also on the door mirror caps, 18-inch diamond-finish alloy wheels, tinted rear windows and body-coloured door handles. Inside, there are more Piano Black details, leather and Airtex contrast-stitched seats, and plenty of toys - including seven-inch Uconnect infotainment incorporating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Anything else?
Fiat's Mirror series covers all models of 500 - the regular city hatch, plus the 500C open-top and the 500L MPV/500X SUV derivatives too. It's the first time one 'special edition' of 500 has spread across all versions. In essence, the key here is the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity to the seven-inch Uconnect infotainment system, while other toys are loaded in, but there are also some fetching shades of blue (other colours are available) offered for the 500 Mirrors - at Geneva, the 500 Mirror is finished in Azzurro Italia, the 500X Mirror wears matte Jeans Blue paint and the 500L Mirror sports a two-tone Venezia Blue livery with a matte grey roof.