Fiat will bring back some old-school tech to its retro-flavored city car when the 500 hybrid returns to the lineup later this year. In addition to offering an internal-combustion, mild-hybrid powertrain alongside the fully electric 500e model, the new 500 will also boast a six-speed manual gearbox. That’s great news for city car owners who miss the driving involvement of the previous-generation hatchback, and if the 500 hybrid comes to the US, it would also be the first electrified car with a stick-shift since the Honda CR-Z was discontinued in 2016.
- Base Trim Engine
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Electric
- Base Trim Transmission
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Automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Front-Wheel Drive
The Hybrid Is Entering Pre-Production Right Now
Fiat announced the manual-transmission 500 earlier today when it published photos of a lineup of pre-production hybrids rolling off the company’s Miraflori, Turin, manufacturing facility. The plant has been experiencing challenges of late due to the slow global sales of its other primary product, the 500e. Fiat says that offering its city car with a hybrid powertrain will ensure it stays relevant and offers some of the benefits of electrification to a wider audience.
That said, the 500 hybrid is going to be a somewhat compromised automobile, given it’s based on a design that was never intended to see internal combustion. And instead of a plug-in or parallel-hybrid product, the mild-hybrid 500 won’t be able to run on electricity alone, so the gas engine will always be running. As for what will power the newest Fiat variant, the automaker wouldn’t say. But Autocar suggests that it’ll probably be the company’s Firefly 1.0-liter inline-three, which makes just 69 horsepower and 68 pound-feet of torque, since other small four-cylinders that could potentially fit aren’t offered with manual gearboxes.
Will The Fiat 500 Hybrid Come To America?
As of when the 500 hybrid was announced, Stellantis said there were no plans to bring it to the US, and admittedly, the electric 500e is doing decent numbers. As a result, there may not be much of an imperative to export the compact car from Italy to America, especially given the volatility of the current car market thanks to the Trump administration’s tariffs. Then again, offering the nimble, loveable Fiat 500 in a cheaper package – the internal-combustion powertrain is almost certainly going to be less expensive than the EV – might give the brand a bit more relevance in the US market.
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As of now, Fiat only offers the 500e on our side of the pond. And with a starting price of $34,195 (before any tariffs take effect), the city car is a hard sell, especially since it only has a range of 141 miles in EPA testing. Still, attractive lease deals have kept it on customers’ shopping lists, and it really does make great sense as a city car with sporty handling, a fun driving experience, and easy parking thanks to its minute dimensions. Still, that won’t stop us from dreaming of a six-speed manual Fiat 500 redux, especially something with as much character as the late, lamented Abarth.
Source: Stellantis, Autocar
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