Fiat 124 Spider convertible (2016-2019) - Interior & comfort
The Fiat 124 Spider has a well designed – if slightly cramped – interior
Inside, the Fiat 124 Spider will be familiar to Mazda MX-5 owners. You sit low on comfortable seats, with perfectly placed pedals and gearlever. The view out over the sculpted bonnet is a pleasure to behold, too. Because the 124 Spider is a relatively small car, taller drivers are likely to feel a little cramped inside: anyone over six foot may find the roof too low and struggle to get comfortable. Despite this, the 124 Spider is easy enough to get in and out of, and feels snug rather than cramped. It’s a pleasant place in which to spend time, even on longer journeys.
While the car’s leather-lined steering wheel is comfortable and satisfying to hold, it only adjusts up and down, not in and out, so taller drivers may find they have to hold it in an awkward position. When driving in town or on twisty A-roads, the 124 Spider is a comfortable and enjoyable, but if you cover a lot of motorway miles, you may want try the Spider in this environment before you buy: it’s by no means unpleasant, but there’s a fair amount of wind noise with the fabric roof up. Also, the Spider feels slightly firm over potholes at low speeds, but it’s far from uncomfortable. A sporty suspension setup make the car better to drive and easier to place on the road in most conditions.
Fiat 124 Spider dashboard
The 124 Spider’s interior is well made, with supportive seats and the rotary controllers for the heating and air-conditioning feel satisfyingly solid to operate. The instruments are dominated by a large, central rev counter, emphasising the Spider’s driver-focused design. The seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system is simple to operate and can also be controlled using a knob between the front seats, meaning you don’t have to peer and prod at the touchscreen if you want to change radio stations on the move. The quality of materials used in the 124’s interior is good, with soft-touch plastics covering the majority of surfaces. While there are some hard scratchy plastics lower down, this is not something that is unique to the Spider, and the dashboard feels generally well made and designed.
Equipment
The Fiat 124 Spider comes in three trim levels called Classica, Lusso and Lusso Plus. Standard kit on the Classica includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED rear lights, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, a three-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth, air conditioning, cruise control and keyless go.
Spend a little extra on the Lusso and Fiat adds 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome exhaust pipes, leather heated seats, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with sat nav, DAB radio, climate control, rear parking sensors and a rear camera.
The top-of-the-range Lusso Plus model has LED headlights and running lights, a BOSE sound system, and rain and dusk sensors.
A special edition called the S-Design was launched in the spring of 2018. Its about style rather than mechanical changes, so the main additions are dark alloy wheels to go with its white paintwork, gunmetal body touches, and red stripes down the side.
