Review: Fiat Seicento S
Believe it or not, there are actually still some people in this country who have to buy their own cars. With no car allowance, no tax concessions and, very often, not much money, they want to buy a basic set of wheels without having to sell their houses to do so. Most cars at the budget end of the market provide the basics but, all too often, they’re not a lot of fun to drive. The R68 500 Fiat Seicento S is one of those rarer beasts — a cheap, fun car.
The Seicento performs much better than its specifications would lead you to expect. After all, 40kW and 88Nm from 1 108cm3 isn’t enough to get BMW M3 owners ducking down side alleys when they see you coming. But the spirited way in which the little car goes about its business makes it feel much quicker than it is. It reaches 100kph in nearly 16 seconds after take-off, and the top speed of 151kph probably won’t get traffic cops falling out of their trees when you cross their gatsometer tapes, but the buzzy little motor and firm suspension turn every trip into a mini-adventure, a sort of Walter Mitty Grand Prix that’s enormously entertaining.
The car is relatively slow, but it ain’t boring. The lack of power steering is hardly noticeable, and around town the car’s in its element, thanks to the fact that the wide spread of torque allows you to ignore the gearbox if you’re too busy winding up the windows to bother about changing gear. Best of all, for those to whom running costs are important, the little car averages under eight litres of fuel for every 100km travelled around town.
Accommodation is surprisingly generous, given the size of the packaging. The footwell feels a little cramped at first, with the pedals too close together and offset to the left, but that’s the sort of thing that you get used to after a short while behind the wheel. Headroom is good, and rear seat passengers are well catered for.
For those who want a few more extras and have a few bob to spare there’s an upmarket version of the Fiat Seicento available. The Sporting version, with aircon, alloy wheels and electric windows sells for R79 300 (R82 800 with leather upholstery). Based upon our time with the Seicento S, we’d say that both models offer great value for money.