The Fiat 500 was designed for the European market, but the compact is proving popular with American buyers. Moreover, some of the car’s more European features seem to be really striking a chord with U.S. drivers.
When Chrysler first decided to sell the Fiat 500 in the States, they switched the car’s robotized automatic transmission for a smoother – and more conventional – six-speed unit. The move was intended to better tailor the 500 to American tastes, but most buyers are surprisingly opting for the car’s 5-speed manual transmission.
“We’re all very surprised,†Laura Soave, head of the Fiat brand, said of the manual’s take rate. So far about 50 percent of all 500s sold have been equipped with the row-it-yourself gearbox, with some dealer orders as high as 70 percent.
It remains to be seen if the 500’s high manual take rate will continue for the long haul, but the 5-speed does seem to naturally fit the car. Fiat has 70 stores currently open in North America, with another 60 on the way by year’s end.
References
1.’Fiat’s Soave Bets…’ view
