The Fiat 500 has been reinvented as an electric city car for 2021, focused on providing affordable e-mobility and priced from £19,995 (incl. PiCG).

Orders open for the new Fiat 500 in December, with first UK customer deliveries expected in March 2021

Opening for orders in December, the electric 500 is the first fully-electric vehicle from FCA and will have two battery options, providing up to 199 miles of range; said to be the longest of any electric city car on sale today.

Wider, longer and with more space onboard, the new electric 500 is also offered in three trims and, depending on the grade, hatchback and cabrio bodystyles. It also gets a new ‘3+1’ model, like the hatch but with a small rear-hinged third door on the passenger side to enable easier access to the rear. This will initially launch in left-hand drive markets.

The entry-level Action trim features a 95hp motor that accelerates from zero to 62mph in 9.5 seconds and with a top speed of 84mph. It’s powered by a 24kWh lithium-ion battery, giving a range of more than 115 miles in the WLTP cycle. This model is equipped with a 50kW fast charging system while a 3kW cable is also included for charging at home or at work. A three-phase 11kW Mode 3 cable is available to purchase, along with a Wallbox by Mopar.

The mid-range Passion model and the top-spec Icon come with a 118hp motor, providing a top speed of 93mph and acceleration from zero to 62mph in 9.0 seconds. They also get a higher-powered 42kWh battery, providing a range of up to 199 miles in the WLTP cycle. The battery features 85kW fast charging, so recharging to 80% range takes 35 minutes.

Drivers can choose from three modes: Normal, Range and Sherpa. Normal mode is said to be like any car with an automatic transmission and an internal combustion engine, while the Range mode brings a ‘one-pedal’ function that means acceleration and deceleration can be controlled by the same pedal. Sherpa mode can be engaged when range is low and cuts resources to ensure either the destination set on the navigation system or the nearest charging station is reached.

Equipment on the entry-level Action trim includes 15-inch wheels, auto start button, rear parking sensors and a 7-inch digital instrument panel. Standard safety features bring drowsy driver detection, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist and traffic sign recognition. The 500 Action is available as hatchback only.

The mid-range Passion version debuts FCA’s new infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for connected services and a DAB radio. The new system also includes a Natural Language interface system with advanced voice recognition, using the “Hey Fiat” system to control the car’s range and charging settings, set the air conditioning and choose music. Cruise control and climate control are also standard with the Passion grade and drivers get a choice of two interior trims.

The Icon adds in a 10.25-inch ‘cinerama’ touchscreen display, with integrated GPS and the infotainment system, as well as 16-inch alloy wheels, handsfree opening and a new ‘pebble’ smart wearable key. The Icon also gets its own interior design and choice of fabric seats.

Connectivity features are enabled by the new UConnect Box, offering access to the New 500’s UConnect Services, including the ability to transform the car into a WiFi hotspot to connect up to eight devices at the same time.

The Fiat mobile app in connection with UConnect can also be used to access a number of features, such as ‘Dynamic Range Mapping’, which shows on the map the area that can be driven, the ‘My Car’ service to check the battery charge level remotely and a ‘My Remote’ service that enables customers to schedule vehicle charging for the most convenient time slots.

First UK customer deliveries of the new 500 are expected in March 2021.