Autos Features

Jennifer Lopez, Gucci and Fiat a troika of luxury branding, some thoughts (VIDEO)

By April MacIntyre Nov 17, 2011, 20:09 GMT

Fiat has unleashed the J-Lo starring commercial \'Elegance,\' to air Thursday, November 17 on national broadcast and cable networks. The commercial features the all-new limited edition \'2012 Fiat 500 by Gucci,\' arriving in Q1 2012.

Jennifer Lopez has lent her talent to the promotion of a cute little affordable car I wasn't fully taken with during a trip to Detroit with the ace editors at www.ShopAutoWeek.com, sussing out the new blood on four wheels.

The Fiat 500 for me was just too small, too loud and too round.

Let me explain.

photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

The Fiat 500 was one of eight vehicles I was able to test drive last week in the Motor City. It was an eye-catching little car, but for serious consideration by a grown woman, the Fiat did not make my top three car must-have list.

The 20 year-old me would have loved it and wanted this Fiat badly, until the kids arrived.

The price point on the car is reasonable for what you get too, so it's not overpriced like the new Camry,  a sexless affair clocking in at over $40K. The Fiat is under $25K.

photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

The Fiat interior design is an array of circles, lots of round retro aesthetic touches and big old fashioned dials that some adore. After experiencing other comparably priced vehicles that offered a much better experience driving - in my opinion - I had to come down harshly on the little car that could.

The Fiat style bonus was the interior color scheme, as the chocolate and ivory dash and seats were unique and pleasing to the eye. But in California, Florida and Texas, the three states I drive frequently, this car felt too small for me to feel comfortable on the road. Not until everyone is driving a Smart Car-sized vehicle can I go smaller than a Ford Focus.

Driving culture note: People in parking challenged ciities like San Francisco, Boston or New York may love the compact chic style.

Fiat has unleashed the J-Lo starring commercial 'Elegance,' to air Thursday, November 17 on national broadcast and cable networks. The commercial features the all-new limited edition '2012 Fiat 500 by Gucci,' arriving in Q1 2012.

So, a blinged-out, haute branded Fiat gets the Jennifer Lopez seal of approval. Lopez loves to name drop her favorite luxe brands: Louboutin, Versace and now Gucci Fiat. This was a smart move by Chrysler/Fiat to marry the singer with the hipster car.

From Fiat:

The commercial, titled "Elegance," has a voiced-over by Lopez and highlights the style, elegance and originality of Fiat 500 by Gucci limited edition, as Lopez drives through the streets of New York City.

In Gucci style, the commercial beautifully captures the elegance of the New York City skyline, while highlighting the precise and uniquely innovative Gucci details featured in the car.

"The 500 by Gucci is stylish and innovative; it's effortless elegance for the urban driver," said Olivier Francois – Head of Fiat Brand and Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler Group LLC. "To bring this simple premise to life, Fiat has again turned to Jennifer Lopez, this time to help catapult the iconic vehicle into the fashion world. Lopez perfectly embodies the spirit of the Fiat 500 by Gucci, as she is living proof that effortless elegance can only be achieved through hard work."

"The new commercial not only highlights the engineering and performance of the 2012 Fiat 500 by Gucci but also truly captures the stylish functionality of the limited edition vehicle. From the foreshadowing flash of the Gucci insignia on the rear bumper, to the red/green/red Gucci web stripe across the power-retractable cloth top and the interlocking "GG" on the shift knob, the ad tells the story of the model's elegance, originality and performance seamlessly."

The 2012 Fiat 500 by Gucci models will be available exclusively at FIAT Studios nationwide in Q1 2012. The model starts at $23,500 (excludes destination, taxes, title and registration fees). For more information, visit www.fiatusa.com/gucci.

For those like me who need a lot of guidance and honest reviews on cars, the editors of www.ShopAutoWeek.com do the heavy lifting, and have created an all-inclusive site where you can amass articles, photos, clips and anything pertinent in your research for the next vehicle to own.

Talk back, do you like the new Fiat? Which brands and models are your current favorites?

Fiat Gucci - JLo from big block on Vimeo.