Fiat Cinquecento

Fiat Cinquecento: which version to buy

The Fiat Cinquecento is a Mini 3-doors city car in two generations (1991–1998 and 2007–2015).

The Fiat Cinquecento is a Mini 3-doors city car in two generations (1991–1998 and 2007–2015). If you are choosing a car rather than reading a history, the useful split is this: first-generation cars are 690–735 kg (where kerb weight is measured), run 704–1368 cm³ Gasoline engines at 30–100 hp, and share a 35 L tank; the second generation is a single 1.4 MT at 100 hp with a 1005 kg kerb weight, a 70 L tank, 6 gears, and 10.5 s to 100 km/h. Same name, two very different buying jobs.

Fiat Cinquecento generations: what actually changed

1 generation (1991–1998), Mini 3-doors, 7 versions. Every listed car is FWD, Gasoline, 4 Inline cylinders, 2 valves per cylinder, boost No. Front and rear suspension are Independent, spring. Front brakes Disc, rear Drum. The seven versions are two 0.7 MT cars (30 hp and 31 hp), two 0.9 MT cars (40 hp and 41 hp), 1.1 MT (54 hp), 1.4 AT (100 hp), and 1.4 MT (100 hp). Manual gearboxes are 4-speed on the 30 hp 0.7 MT, the 31 hp 0.7 MT, and the 41 hp 0.9 MT; 5-speed on the 40 hp 0.9 MT, 1.1 MT, and 1.4 MT. The 1.4 AT is Automatic with 4 gears. That is the generation you buy if you want the lightest Cinquecento and the widest engine ladder.

2 generation (2007–2015), Mini 3-doors, 1 version. The only listed car is 1.4 MT: 100 hp / 73 kW at 6000 rpm, 1368 cm³, Gasoline, 4 Inline, 4 valves per cylinder, boost No, engine location Front, transverse, Distributed injection (multi-point), compression 10.8, bore and stroke 72 × 84, fuel 95, Manual 6, FWD. Kerb 1005 kg, gross 1450 kg, ground clearance 130 mm, tank 70 L, wheels 185/55 R15 and 195/45 R16. Front suspension Independent, spring; rear Semi-independent, torsion. Brakes Disc front and Disc rear. Versus 1 generation 1.4 MT at the same 100 hp and 1368 cm³, this generation adds two extra gears (6 vs 5), twice the listed tank (70 L vs 35 L), four valves per cylinder instead of two, a measured 10.5 s / 182 km/h, and 270 kg more kerb weight than the heaviest measured 1 generation car (1.1 MT at 735 kg). 1 generation 1.4 MT kerb weight is not measured, so the weight jump cannot be calculated against that exact version.

There is no restyling listed as a separate generation.

Fiat Cinquecento specs and engine table

Version names are exactly as in the database. Two pairs share a name and are split by power.

Feed systems, because they change the character of otherwise similar engines: 30 hp 0.7 MT uses Central injection (single-point or single- point); 31 hp 0.7 MT uses Carburetor; both 0.9 MT cars use Central injection (single-point or single- point); 1.1 MT, both 1 generation 1.4 cars, and 2 generation 1.4 MT use Distributed injection (multi-point).

Specific output from listed hp and displacement: 30 hp 0.7 MT = 42.6 hp/L; 31 hp 0.7 MT = 44.0 hp/L; 40 hp 0.9 MT = 44.5 hp/L; 41 hp 0.9 MT = 45.4 hp/L; 1.1 MT = 48.7 hp/L; both 1 generation 1.4 cars and 2 generation 1.4 MT = 73.1 hp/L. The jump from 1.1 MT to either 1.4 is +24.4 hp/L on 260 cm³ extra (1368 − 1108).

Fiat Cinquecento horsepower, 0–100, mpg

Figures that are missing in the data are written as not measured.

0.7 MT (30 hp). 0–100 not measured. Top speed not measured. City / highway / mixed not measured. Torque 47 Nm at 2750 rpm. Compression 8.9. Bore × stroke 80 × 70.

0.7 MT (31 hp). 0–100 in 30 s. Top speed 126 km/h. City 7.7 / highway 4.4 / mixed 5.6. Same 47 Nm, same 704 cm³, same 4-speed Manual. The extra 1 hp versus the 30 hp 0.7 MT is the only listed power difference; this is the only 0.7 with a measured sprint and the lowest measured mixed figure in the whole model.

0.9 MT (40 hp). 0–100 in 18 s (12 s faster than the 31 hp 0.7 MT). Top speed 140 km/h (+14 km/h vs 126). City 8.1 / highway 4.7 / mixed 5.9. Torque 65 Nm at 3000 rpm — +18 Nm versus either 0.7 MT. 5-speed Manual versus 4-speed on both 0.7 cars. Compression 9. Bore × stroke 65 × 67.7.

0.9 MT (41 hp). 0–100 not measured. Top speed not measured. Fuel use not measured. Torque not measured. Compression not measured. Bore × stroke not measured. Displacement 904 cm³ versus 899 on the 40 hp twin. Gearbox is Manual 4, not Manual 5. Peak power arrives at 5200 rpm versus 5500. On paper this is +1 hp; in the measured columns it is the thinner of the two 0.9 cars.

1.1 MT. 0–100 in 13.8 s (4.2 s faster than 40 hp 0.9 MT, 16.2 s faster than 31 hp 0.7 MT). Top speed 150 km/h. City 8.5 / highway 4.9 / mixed 6.2. Torque 88 Nm at 2750 rpm — +23 Nm versus the 40 hp 0.9 MT, +41 Nm versus either 0.7 MT. Compression 9.6. Bore × stroke 70 × 72. Mixed use is 0.3 L/100 km above the 40 hp 0.9 MT and 0.6 above the 31 hp 0.7 MT.

1.4 AT and 1.4 MT (1 generation). Both 100 hp / 73 kW at 5000 rpm, both 88 Nm at 2750 rpm, both 1368 cm³. 0–100 not measured. Top speed not measured. City 8.5 / highway 4.9 / mixed 6.2 — identical to 1.1 MT in the fuel columns, with +46 hp. The only listed drivetrain split: Automatic 4 versus Manual 5. Compression, bore × stroke, kerb and gross weight not measured on both.

1.4 MT (2 generation). 0–100 in 10.5 s. Top speed 182 km/h. City 7.7 / highway 5.1 / mixed 6.1. Versus 1.1 MT: 3.3 s quicker, +32 km/h, mixed −0.1 L/100 km, city equal to the 31 hp 0.7 MT at 7.7. Versus 1 generation 1.4 MT: same 100 hp, same mixed band (6.1 vs 6.2), but 2 generation is the only 1.4 with a measured sprint and top speed. Peak power rpm is 6000 versus 5000 on 1 generation 1.4. Listed torque is 4250 Nm with rpm not measured.

Power-to-weight where both numbers exist: 30 hp 0.7 MT 23.0 kg/hp (690 / 30); 31 hp 0.7 MT 22.3 kg/hp (690 / 31); 40 hp 0.9 MT 17.8 kg/hp (710 / 40); 1.1 MT 13.6 kg/hp (735 / 54); 2 generation 1.4 MT 10.1 kg/hp (1005 / 100). 41 hp 0.9 MT and both 1 generation 1.4 cars: kg/hp not measured because kerb weight is not measured.

Fiat Cinquecento dimensions, weight kg, tank

Ground clearance and wheel sizes on every 1 generation version: not measured.

Payload from measured pairs: both 0.7 MT 400 kg (1090 − 690); 40 hp 0.9 MT 440 kg (1150 − 710); 1.1 MT 415 kg (1150 − 735); 2 generation 1.4 MT 445 kg (1450 − 1005).

Kerb steps inside 1 generation: 0.9 MT (40 hp) is +20 kg versus 0.7 MT; 1.1 MT is +45 kg versus 0.7 MT and +25 kg versus 40 hp 0.9 MT. 2 generation 1.4 MT is +315 kg versus 0.7 MT and +270 kg versus 1.1 MT. Tank range in litres is doubled on 2 generation (70 vs 35). Mixed L/100 km on the 31 hp 0.7 MT (5.6) versus 2 generation 1.4 MT (6.1) is +0.5; the larger tank still more than doubles listed volume.

Which Fiat Cinquecento version to choose

There is no price in this dataset, so “what the extra money buys” here means what the extra displacement, gears, and kilograms buy in the listed numbers.

Buy 2 generation 1.4 MT if the question is “the new Cinquecento” in the sense of the later production run (2007–2015). It is the only version with 6 gears, 4 valves per cylinder, Front, transverse location listed, 130 mm clearance, named wheel sizes, Disc rear brakes, and a 70 L tank. It is the fastest measured car: 10.5 s and 182 km/h. It is also the heaviest measured car at 1005 kg. Mixed 6.1 sits 0.1 below 1.1 MT and 0.5 above the 31 hp 0.7 MT, so you are not paying a large economy penalty for the extra 46 hp versus 1.1 MT. Same 100 hp and 1368 cm³ as 1 generation 1.4 MT / 1.4 AT, but those two have 0–100 and top speed not measured, so the later 1.4 MT is the only 100 hp car you can score on a stopwatch from this data.

Buy 1 generation 1.1 MT if you want the strongest fully measured first-generation car. 54 hp, 88 Nm, 13.8 s, 150 km/h, mixed 6.2, 735 kg. Versus 40 hp 0.9 MT: +14 hp, +23 Nm, −4.2 s, +10 km/h, +25 kg, mixed +0.3. Versus 31 hp 0.7 MT: +23 hp, +41 Nm, −16.2 s, +24 km/h, +45 kg, mixed +0.6. It is the only 1 generation version that combines a 5-speed Manual, multi-point injection, and a complete 0–100 / top speed / mpg / weight set. kg/hp 13.6 is the best measured figure in 1 generation.

Buy 1 generation 1.4 MT if you want 100 hp in the 1991–1998 body without an Automatic. Same 100 hp, 88 Nm, 1368 cm³, mixed 6.2 as 1.4 AT, but Manual 5 versus Automatic 4. 0–100, top speed, kerb and gross weight not measured — you are choosing gearbox type, not a measured sprint. Specific output 73.1 hp/L matches 2 generation 1.4 MT; valves stay at 2 per cylinder; tank stays 35 L.

Buy 1 generation 1.4 AT only if the Automatic is the point. It is the sole Automatic Cinquecento in the data. Power, torque, displacement, injection, and the 8.5 / 4.9 / 6.2 fuel set match 1.4 MT. You give up one listed gear (4 vs 5) and still have 0–100, top speed, and weight not measured.

Buy 0.9 MT (40 hp) if you want the first useful step off the 0.7. 18 s and 140 km/h versus 30 s and 126 on the 31 hp 0.7 MT. 5-speed instead of 4. +18 Nm. Mixed 5.9 versus 5.6 — 0.3 L/100 km for 9 hp and 12 s. Kerb +20 kg. This is the lightest 5-speed with a full performance set.

Do not treat 0.9 MT (41 hp) as an upgrade on numbers you can check. +1 hp and +5 cm³ versus the 40 hp 0.9 MT, but Manual 4 instead of 5, and 0–100, top speed, torque, fuel, weight, compression, and bore × stroke all not measured. If you need a documented 0.9, the 40 hp car is the one with the logbook filled in.

Buy 0.7 MT (31 hp) if mixed mpg and kerb weight are the ranking. 5.6 mixed is the lowest measured; 690 kg is the lowest measured kerb; 30 s and 126 km/h are the slowest measured. Carburetor versus Central injection on the 30 hp twin. Same 47 Nm, same 4-speed, same 35 L tank. Highway 4.4 is the lowest highway figure listed anywhere in the model.

Buy 0.7 MT (30 hp) only if you specifically need the injected 704 cm³, not the carburetor one. 30 vs 31 hp, same 47 Nm, same 690 / 1090 kg, same Manual 4. 0–100, top speed, and mpg not measured — so it does not win a comparison on performance or economy because those columns are empty.

Engine-bay / engine-size shorthand. Smallest listed engine: 704 cm³ on both 0.7 MT. Then 899 and 904 on the two 0.9 MT, 1108 on 1.1 MT, 1368 on all three 1.4 cars. All Gasoline, all 4 Inline, all boost No, all fuel 95, all FWD. The only valve-count change is 2 generation 1.4 MT (4 valves). The only rear-brake change is the same car (Disc vs Drum). The only rear-suspension change is the same car (Semi-independent, torsion vs Independent, spring).

Reliability and problems. Not measured in this dataset. No failure rates, no common faults.

Cinquecento vs 500, vs Seicento, Sporting, Abarth, 1960, 2026. Those names are not versions in this data. The Fiat Cinquecento here is two Mini 3-doors generations, 1991–1998 and 2007–2015, eight version rows, 30–100 hp. A Fiat 500 is not specified in these tables, so it is not the same object as any row above.

Practical pick, using only arithmetic on the sheet. Lightest measured: either 0.7 MT. Best measured mixed: 31 hp 0.7 MT at 5.6. Best measured 1 generation all-rounder: 1.1 MT (13.8 s, 150 km/h, 13.6 kg/hp). Only Automatic: 1.4 AT. Same 100 hp in 1 generation with a Manual: 1.4 MT. Fastest, heaviest, largest tank, only 6-speed, only listed wheels and clearance: 2 generation 1.4 MT. If two cars share a name, match them on hp: 0.7 MT 30 vs 31, 0.9 MT 40 vs 41, and 1.4 MT 1 generation vs 2 generation.