Fiat 500 Confirmed to Lose Its Top

Fiat's extra-cute, extra-retro 500 city car has caused quite the splash over the

past year. And while enthusiasm for the little Fiat has remained strong, the Italian automaker is ensuring that interests stay high by introducing a convertible version, which was recently confirmed by Fiat's styling director Roberto Giolito.

The main point that Giolito stresses with the 500 Cabriolet is its cloth roof. Cloth technology has advanced in such a way that many of the original complaints – noise at high speeds, durability, colors of materials – have been cured, and that once again, it is a viable option.

Moreover, Fiat is also sticking to its decision to produce a cloth roof in a market that has many rivals sporting retractable hardtops, because of the 500's size. Although Daihatsu and Mazda prove that a folding hardtop can be fitted to a small car, there's something about the profile of the 500 that wouldn't

suit a folding hardtop. Besides, a cloth roof has a retro charm to it; the Mini, the PT and the New Beetle all have cloth roofs, and they just wouldn't look the same if they featured anything else.

For the same reason (space), Fiat is making the 500 drop-top a two-seater, which makes it more of a city roadster than a convertible. This approach means that there will be more cargo space available behind the seats.

The introduction of the 500 Cabriolet also makes sense, given that its business partner in the 500 program, Ford, is likely to build a convertible version of the second generation Ka, which is based on the 500. Although a timeline for the convertible has not been revealed, it's expected that the new 500 Cabriolet will be shown this autumn in Paris, and will go on sale next year.