Fiat Could Revive Another Legendary Name From Its Past

Apr. 12, 2022 1:57 PM ET by Michael Butler Electric Vehicles / 5 Comments

This one won't be like any Fiat we've experienced before.

As the automotive world scrambles to electrify, manufacturers are going in wildly different directions. Companies like Lucid are focusing on luxury and performance, Ford is going for utility and practicality with the F-150 Lighting, and GMC has kept the Hummer EV bold and brawny. Others are focusing on efficiency and urban mobility, and Fiat might just have a secret weapon in this regard, as it could leverage the new Stellantis partnership for a piece of good old-fashioned badge engineering. And, if the rumor mill is to be believed, it could be reviving a classic model name to do so in much the same way it did with the retro-inspired Fiat 500.

2016-2019 FIAT 500 Hatchback Front Side in Motion

2016-2019 FIAT 500 Hatchback Right Side View

2016-2019 FIAT 500 Hatchback Front Three-Quarter Left Side View

The plan, as reported by Automotive News Europe, is to revive the Topolino name. This is according to dealers who have spilled the beans on what the car will be. Those who know the Topolino name will know that it was actually the nickname of the first Fiat 500-badged vehicle - a compact car produced from 1936-1955 and a model that predated the itsy-bitsy 500 most people know. Topolino translates directly as "little mouse" in Italian and it was one of the smallest cars in the world when it originally debuted. That's particularly relevant, as the new Topolino will be similarly tiny. That's because unlike the Fiat 500, which was an all-new model that signified a new era for the Italian brand, the new Topolino will be badge-engineered and based on the Citroen Ami, an all-electric quadricycle used for inner-city mobility.

The big differentiating factor would be the Topolino's spec level. Fiat aims for its small EV to be a premium offering. Last year Citroen sold nearly 10,000 Ami EVs in France, Belgium, Portugal, and Spain, and this year the company has expanded to the UK, Germany, and Morocco where the car is manufactured. Stellantis plans to increase production of the small city car in Citroen, Fiat, and Opel guise to around 40,000 units by 2023.

What makes these quadricycles so appealing is the fact that they can be driven by teenagers aged 14 and above in certain European countries. Measuring only 95 inches long and 55 inches wide, these little runabouts can squeeze through the tightest alleyways, and at just 1,038 pounds, its 5.5 kWh battery can provide up to 47 miles of range with a top speed of 32 mph. Stellantis is yet to confirm if Fiat will start production of the Topolino, but Stellantis last year announced that the Citroen Ami could make its way to the US through its Free2Move service.