Fiat officially unveiled the new 500 Hybrid, an emergency project developed over a year in response to declining sales of the electric 500.
The model is called “Hybrid” even though it features a mild hybrid setup, with a small battery and electric motor added to a 1,000 cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine. The combined output is 65 HP, compared to 70 HP in the same powertrain already offered in Europe in the older Fiat Panda. The gearbox is manual only, with six speeds.
Performance reflects this: 0–100 km/h in a long 16.2 seconds, stretching to 17.2 seconds in the heavier convertible version. The top speed is 155 km/h, with combined fuel consumption of 22.2 km/l.
Equipment includes a 10.25-inch multimedia screen with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, two-tone black and ivory cloth seats, body-colored dashboard, and rear parking sensors.
The price has not yet been officially announced but is expected to be around €17,000 in Europe, similar to the manual Kia Picanto.
Fiat, which is in conflict with the Italian government over moving production to other European countries such as Poland, estimates it will produce 5,000 units of the new model alongside the electric version at the Mirafiori plant this year, and 100,000 next year.
Fiat had initially planned to produce only 500 electric units, but the model, sold for the past three years, was relatively expensive and did not achieve the expected popularity, causing the plant to shut down for long weeks several times. It took the company’s engineers and production team more than a year to adapt an existing engine to the electric 500 body, while Chinese manufacturers develop a completely new model from scratch within two years.
The petrol 500 could benefit from the disappearance of most other mini cars in recent years due to stricter emission regulations, but it will have to compete with small electric cars made in China that are gaining popularity in Europe, from the Dacia Spring to the BYD Dolphin Surf and Leapmotor T03 at similar prices.