Like many other automakers, Fiat has largely embraced the rise of electric vehicles. The current generation 500 was never intended to offer a combustion engine, yet here we are. After a preview earlier this year, the City Car is officially back with gas power, though not much of it. With just 65 hp from the turbocharged three-cylinder, it’s certainly not going to win a race.
In fact, the small 1.0-liter mill makes the Fiat 500 one of the slowest cars sold in Europe. The hatchback needs a painfully slow 16.2 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 km/h), while the slightly heavier convertible turns in a leisurely 17.3 seconds. Then again, this isn’t the type of car built to chase Nurburgring records.
The Fiat 500 has always been largely limited to city use, so potential buyers aren’t particularly concerned with the 0-62 mph range. The same goes for its modest top speed: 96 mph (155 km/h) for the hatchback and 93 mph (150 km/h) for the convertible. At what point a car becomes dangerously slow is up for debate, but given that the urban jungle is its natural environment, it should be perfectly fine for stop-and-go traffic.
As for the rest of the technical specs, the three-cylinder sends 68 pound-feet (92 Newton meters) of torque to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. In its mildest setup, the Fiat 500 Hybrid (a mild hybrid, despite the name) Weight as a hatchback is 2,325 pounds (1,055 kg), while the heaviest convertible tips the scales at 2,429 pounds (1,102 kg).
Photo by: Fiat
While some may lament the lack of power, the absence of an automatic transmission is also notable. It would have made perfect sense for a city car, but if you don’t want to bother with shifting, Fiat points you to the 500E. Like the EV, the new gas-powered model also offers a quirky 3+1 layout, featuring an asymmetrical setup with a small Mazda RX8-style tailgate on the passenger side. This improves access to the rear seat without altering the car’s layout.
The return of the gas-powered 500 is another example of the industry taking control of the EV card. In contrast, Toyota, the first hybrid of its class in Europe, continued to invest in the A-segment with the slightly larger iGoX. Despite its weight, it’s significantly more powerful and faster, with 114 HP and a sub-10 second sprint. In Italy, the Aygo X starts at €15,950, undercutting the 500 by around €1,000. While it may not be as convincing on paper, the Fiat undoubtedly has more flair.
Fiat once planned to go all-electric by 2027, but that’s clearly no longer the case. The new Gas Engine 500 shows that the ice isn’t going away anytime soon. However, if the European Union follows suit, the model will be phased out as part of a planned ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars from 2035. The European Union will review the legislation next month, so nothing is final yet.
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Source: Fiat
