2014 Fiat 500 revealed with new Cult flagship variant

The Italian brand's city car introduces a range of changes, including updated interiors with new alloy wheel designs, new seats, new fabric choices inside the cabin, and a new 7.0-inch instrument display panel with digital speedometer and multimode functionality for Eco and Sport settings.

The 2014 Fiat 500 range also gains an enhanced colour palette, including a 'retro green' and new 'three-layer white' as well as a new blue hue.

The Cult model is fitted with 16-inch alloys, a gloss black roof panel with sunroof, either chrome or gloss black side mirror covers, chrome exterior trimming, gloss black tail-light cluster surrounds and rear parking sensors. Inside, the Cult adds leather trim in either black leather with red or ivory inserts, or 'tobacco' leather with ivory inserts, or red leather with ivory inserts.

There's an updated version of the brand's 0.9-litre two-cylinder turbocharged TwinAir engine, now with 78kW of power from 5500rpm and 145Nm of torque from 2000rpm, up from 63kW and 145Nm in the current model. It comes mated exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission.

This TwinAir version switches from drum rear brakes to discs all around, but it's still no hot-hatch - Fiat says the extra power drops its claimed 0-100km/h time slightly to 10.0 seconds. Fuel use is frugal at a claimed 4.2 litre per 100km - 0.3L/100km more than the current version.

Fiat Chrysler Group Australia has confirmed the new 500 range will go on sale in the third quarter of 2014. Full details and specifications will be released closer to the car's launch. 

The Fiat 500 was the most popular car in Europe in 2013, narrowly outselling its sister car the Fiat Panda. Locally, the 500 managed 2443 sales in 2013, up a whopping 376 per cent on its result in 2012 following a move from its previous distributor and an aggressive new pricing strategy.