Light Front, Runs and Drives. Ever since June 2009, when Fiat took a controlling stake in Chrysler, it's been all but certain the Italian automaker would bring a version of its 500 to the U.S. It finally arrived for 2012. Closer in length to the Mini Cooper than the Scion iQ or Smart ForTwo, the four-seat 500 competes with all three minicars. A cabrio version, dubbed 500c, is available, and buyers can also opt for a high-performance Abarth version.