The poor 2025 Fiat 500e may be the biggest punching bag in the automotive world this year. One of Europe’s most recognizable cars, some version of the Fiat 500 has been for sale somewhere in the world most of the time since 1957.
The company resurrected its icon most recently in 2007, using it as the centerpiece of an attempt to return to the U.S. market in 2012. The latest version is an electric vehicle (EV). Fiat’s little city car went all-electric in 2024.
The transition hasn’t gone well in the U.S.
It’s good for just 149 miles between charges, which ties with the base version of the Nissan Leaf for being the lowest-range new EV for sale in the U.S. That’s plenty for the way most drivers are likely to use it. It’s a proper city car unlikely to ever take a road trip. But Americans haven’t taken to a low-range EV from an Italian marque little-known on these shores.
It appears on the list of the slowest-selling cars in America most months. Dealers have experimented with shocking lease offers – one Colorado dealership offered a 500e for $39 a month earlier this year – to gin up interest.
Now, a new report says, Fiat’s just going to put an engine in it.
Hybrid Production Reportedly Starts This Winter
Reuters reports that Fiat parent company “Stellantis aims to start producing a mild hybrid version of its Fiat 500e battery-electric city car in November.” The company hasn’t confirmed that the hybrid 500 will come to the U.S. But American Fiat dealers have no second model in their showrooms, so we’d be shocked if they didn’t get the new model to sell.
Reuters has no details on what powers the 500 hybrid. We’ll bring details as they emerge.
We hope the move works. Oddly, our editors have enjoyed Fiat’s little car. Kelley Blue Book expert test driver Eric Brandt says it’s “more than just a pretty face; we love its modern tech features, and its interior is as expressive as its exterior.”