Fiat reportedly planning hybrid ‘new’ 500 amid falling EV sales

Fiat’s ongoing renewal of the now 17-year old 500 for markets outside Europe could reportedly be ending based on reports of the second generation getting a hybrid powertrain alongside the electric it debuted with four years ago.

Flat running

At present, the 500e’s motivation comes from a 42-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that produces 87 kW, translating to a top speed of 150 km/h and 0-100 km/h in nine seconds.

Available as either a hard-top or the cabriolet flavoured 500C, the setup supports charging up to 85 kW with a claimed range of 320 km, or 50 km after eight minutes. The overall waiting time from 20-80% using the DC fast charger is said to be 35 minutes.

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According to carscoops.com, citing a report from the Corriere Torino newspaper though, sales of the 500e have been below exceptions to the extent that Fiat has commissioned an investigation to make it available with the hybridised Firefly petrol engine sold in the “old 500” still available in parts of Europe.

Largely attributed to costs and the slow-down of electric vehicle sales in Europe following the ending of incentives in certain countries, the publication states the final investigative report only requires the signature of Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, which will pave the way for a partially combustion engine “new” 500 becoming a likely reality within the next few months if the go-ahead is given.

A move that will see the 500e following the 600e that received a hybrid powerplant last year, Automotive News Europe, in a related report, states the approval of the hybrid 500 will help increase production at the Mirafiori plant to 175 000 units versus the 77 260 of 2023.

At the same time, the publication reports that while the Tychy plant in Poland produced 104 000 combustion engine 500’s last year, only 62 000 electric 500e emerged from Mirafiori, whose other produced products include the Maserati Quattroporte, GranTurismo and Ghibli.

Should approval be given, the new faced 500, without the “e” suffix, will feature a vented grille and possibly a gear lever in the case of a manual transmission being introduced.

On the power front, the mentioned Firefly combines the Brazilian-made 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine with a mild-hybrid system for a total system output of 51kW/92Nm.

New ‘new’ 500 for South Africa?

A move that could be expanded to the performance Abarth 500e if deemed viable, the inclusion of a partial petrol engine could pave the way for the “new” 500’s entry into South Africa in place of the old model last received a series of updates of 2021.

While neither Fiat nor Stellantis have commented on the claims of either publication at present, don’t be surprised if a formal announcement confirming the hybrid “new 500” emerges within the coming months.

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