There are rumors that the 2012 Fiat 500 model will be sold outside its U.S. network of dealerships. But the hot issue these days is about its fuel rating. The initial figures for the 2012 Fiat 500’s fuel rating are speculated to be 40mpg. However, the official figures confirmed by the U.S. EPA is 30mpg for city driving and 38mpg for highway driving. When combined, the final rate is at 33mpg. These figures are achieved with the specific 2012 model carries a MultiAir 1.4-liter engine attached to a five-speed manual gearbox, thus the high expectations about its fuel ratings. On the other hand, when attached to the an automatic transmission, the 2012 Fiat 500 has a fuel rating of 27 mpg for city driving and 34 mpg for highway driving, amounting to a combined 30 mpg for automatic transmission.

Nevertheless, the manual transmission 38mpg it produced is not bad when you compare it to similar models like the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and the Chevrolet Cruze whose fuel ratings are at 40mpg or a little bit higher. Still, even with such great fuel rating results, there’s nothing that compares to having a perfect 40mpg fuel rating figure.

Leaving the fuel rating talks aside, the initial price tag for the 2012 Fiat 500 is pretty damn attractive. The Pop model starts at $15,995. Now that’s a price its competitors have to beat. So even if the 2012 Fiat 500 land on a perfect 40mpg fuel rating, it’s price tag is something to look forward to for Fiat enthusiasts.