- The new Fiat 500 Hybrid is gearing up for production to start this fall.
- Fiat had to retrofit the EV with ICE hardware due to slow electric sales.
- Power will probably come from the Panda’s 1.0-liter mild hybrid triple.
While companies like Electrogenics and Silent Classics are finding ways to cram electric motor into cars born with combustion power, Fiat is heading in the opposite direction. It’s retrofitting its battery-powered 500e with a hybrid-assisted petrol engine and has dropped the first images of the car ahead of production starting in late 2025.
Although Fiat hasn’t confirmed what’s under the hood, the interior images do reveal that the 500 Hybrid comes with a six-speed manual. We expect that shiny black shifter’s transmission will be hooked up to the same turbocharged 1.0-liter mild-hybrid triple found in the Pandina, the facelifted version of the old Panda that is now being sold alongside the new Grande Panda.
Related: Fiat Confirms Next-Gen 500 For 2032, Even As It Struggles To Sell Current Electric Model
If it is the same hybrid powertrain buyers shouldn’t expect EV-style zip when they put their foot down. The Pandina makes the same 69 hp (70 PS) as the old combustion 500 did before it was killed off last summer due to not complying with new cybersecurity regulations. Electric 500es make 94 hp (95 PS / 70 kW) or 117 hp (119 PS / 87 kW) depending on which size of battery is mounted below the floor.
But visually, there won’t be an awful lot separating the ICE and EV 500s. Naturally, the combustion versions has cooling requirements the EV doesn’t, so Fiat has had to add a functional front grille, which is hidden under disguise in the pre-production cars. But that’s about the only clue.
Fiat decided to re-engineer the 500e to accommodate hybrid power after sales of the EV failed to live up to expectations. The automaker was forced to pause 500e production several times during the last 12 months to prevent unsold cars piling up and the hybrid version’s lower price point and more familiar engine setup should help reverse the sales slide.
“500 Hybrid offers affordable electrification and iconic style, proof that social relevance is at the core of the brand mission” said Olivier Francois, Fiat CEO, acknowledging that the EV-only lineup simply doesn’t chime with the average, cost-conscious 500 buyer.
While the Fiat 500e is finally getting an ICE under the hood, the Abarth version will stick to the EV-only approach. This is because the Scorpion brand can’t extract enough performance from the tiny engine to make it a worthy counterpart to the electric hot hatch.
