Jodie Kidd takes first Fiat eco test drive

Jodie Kidd has become the first person in the UK to take a Fiat 'eco' test drive in the new Fiat 500.

The motor, which is being piloted through ten dealerships in London, was taken for a spin by six foot two inch tall Jodie, and has been designed to highlight the benefits of environmentally-friendly driving.

Under the initiative every customer who visits a participating Fiat dealer will be offered the chance to take an eco test drive, measuring the drivers' performance in terms of the environment.

Jodie Kidd said: "The Fiat 500 is a lovely car, and eco:Drive technology is absolutely right for the moment. People should be thinking more about their driving and the environment - it's a great idea."

The test uses eco:Drive, Fiat's unique technology employing the Blue&Me entertainment and communications system. Plugging a USB key into the Blue&Me port allows eco:Drive to record information about your driving style.

The system analyses driving techniques and awards marks out of 100, providing a score on an eco:Index. This shows how efficiently you have driven based on acceleration, deceleration, gear changes, and speed.

Elena Bernardelli, marketing director Fiat Group Automobiles UK, added: "Test drives are, for some, questionable from an environmental perspective, yet everyone wants to test a car before they buy to make sure they like it.

"Our test drive allows them to test the car, ascertains how they drive in environmental terms and gives them tips on improving, regardless of whether they buy from us or not."