Fiat's press release of the first pre-production examples of the new hybrid version of the Fiat 500 is accompanied by photos of the cars. From the outside, the 500 Ibrida appears to be almost identical to the all-electric version of the model (Fiat 500e), which is being produced at the same Turin plant from 2020.
Although the specifications of the hybrid version have not yet been officially revealed, the 500 Ibrida is expected to get the same 1.0-litre Firefly three-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol engine previously used in the previous generation Fiat 500 and the Fiat Panda. A six-speed manual gearbox is also noticeable in the prototype photos.
Fiat 500 Ibrida
The launch of the new model is part of Stellantis' strategy to expand its range of affordable electrified cars. The all-electric 500e, launched five years ago, was an important step for the brand, but recently buyer interest has been shifting towards hybrids. The Fiat 500 Ibrida promises to retain the brand's signature styling and handling while offering a more affordable alternative to the all-electric version.
Stellantis has invested $140 million to modernise the Mirafiori plant, which will now be able to produce both the 500e and 500 Ibrida. Once at full capacity, the plan is to assemble more than 100,000 hybrid Fiat 500s a year, and total production of the two models should be up to 160,000 cars annually.
To free up production capacity, production of the Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio has been moved to Modena. Mirafiori is currently running a single shift, mainly centred on the 500e, but Stellantis says there are no production breaks planned for May, indicating high confidence in successful scaling.
Source: Stellantis
