Fiat has just unveiled its latest model – and it will be one of the best cars for motorists with speeding endorsements on their driving licence.
Launched by the Italian firm in response to lacklustre demand for its electric 500 city car, the new 500 Hybrid is due to hit UK roads early next year.
But when it does, it will be one of the slowest motors available in showrooms.
Confirming the details of the model last week, Fiat said the hatchback will have a zero to 62mph acceleration time of 16.2 seconds.
And the 500C Hybrid cabriolet version will be even slower than that; from a standstill, it takes 17.3 seconds to reach 62mph.
While this level of acceleration is relatively pedestrian in today’s market, the new Fiat isn’t the slowest model you can buy new; there are two others that are even more leisurely…
Fiat has unveiled its latest model – and is officially one of the SLOWEST new cars you can buy today
Fiat says production of the new 500 Hybrid will begin in Italy at its Turin factory this month ahead of first UK deliveries arriving in 2026 when it will rival models like the Toyota Aygo X and Kia Picanto in the ever-shrinking city car segment.
It will be available with just one powertrain option.
This is a turbocharged 64bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a supplementary 12-volt lithium-ion battery.
Power will be sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.
Fiat says its frugal powertrain and compact dimensions make it the ‘perfect choice for efficient, urban motoring’.
However, motorists who regularly embark on motorway journeys might be concerned about the sluggish acceleration times of both the hatchback and convertible.
Gathering speed on a slip road before merging with fast-moving motorway traffic will require owners to floor the throttle as early as possible and continue to mash the throttle into the carpet until they reach lane one.
That said, Fiat quotes a top speed of 96mph, meaning it should be more than capable of travelling at 70mph once it eventually reaches that number on the speedometer.
Fiat says its new 500 Hybrid hatchback has a 0-62mph acceleration time of 16.2 seconds
The 500C Hybrid cabriolet version (pictured) will be even slower; from a standstill, it takes 17.3 seconds to reach 62mph
Fiat says its frugal powertrain and compact dimensions make it the ‘perfect choice for efficient, urban motoring’. Though maybe not for regular motorway journeys…
Only two conventional passenger cars sold in showrooms accelerate slower than the new Fiat.
The most lethargic of all is the £14,995 electric Dacia Spring, the second cheapest new EV on sale (only the Leapmotor T03 is cheaper, currently priced from £14,495 inclusive of a £1,500 discount from the Chinese car maker).
Customers who opt for the least powerful version of the Spring – the Spring 45 with a 33kWh battery and a paltry 44bhp electric motor – will have to wait for 19.1 seconds to reach 62mph from a standstill.
To put this into perspective, it’s almost the same time it took Usain Bolt to finish the 200-metre sprint when setting the world record (19.19 seconds) at the 2009 World Athletics Championship in Berlin.
Fortunately, most Spring buyers are opting for the 64bhp version, which hits the national speed limit in less than 13.7 seconds.
Both Spring options have a top speed limited to 78mph.
The only other new model in showrooms with a slower 0-to-62mph time than the new Fiat 500 Hybrid is the Hyundai i10 – one of its main rivals.
The 1.0 63PS (61bhp) automatic version – also with a dinky one-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine – takes 18.2 seconds to reach 62mph. It has a top speed of 88mph.
Only two conventional passenger cars sold in showrooms accelerate slower than the new Fiat. The most lethargic of all is the £14,995 electric Dacia Spring
Customers who opt for the least powerful version of the Spring – the Spring 45 with a 33kWh battery and a 44bhp electric motor – will have to wait for 19.1 seconds to reach 62mph from a standstill.
Just how slow is the Dacia Spring. In the time it takes to accelerate to 62mph, Usain Bolt ran the 200-metre sprint in a world record time in 2009…
The Hyundai i10 (pictured) is the only other new car in showrooms that’s slower than the Fiat. The 1.0 63PS (61bhp) automatic version – also with a dinky one-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine – takes 18.2 seconds to reach 62mph. It has a top speed of 88mph
The new Fiat 500 Hybris is powered by a turbocharged 64bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a supplementary 12-volt lithium-ion battery. Power will be sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox
The 500 Hybrids arrival comes five years after Fiat bosses swore they’d not sell its iconic small car – which is a reimagined retro version of the 1950s classic – with a petrol engine.
This statement was made during the unveiling of the 500e, which was originally said to exclusively be available with electric power with the older version of the 500 – which dates back to 2007 – being sold alongside it for those who still wanted petrol power.
However, Fiat’s hand has been forced to launch the new 500 Hybrid amidst nosediving demand for the small EV – especially among older motorists in its native Italy.
This saw Fiat temporarily suspend outputs at the Mirafiori factory in Turin for seven weeks last summer due to having a surplus of the EVs it was unable to sell.
At the time, Stellantis said in a statement: ‘The measure is necessary due to the current lack of orders linked to the deep difficulties experienced in the European electric (car) market by all producers, particularly the European ones.’
Fiat has been forced to shoehorn a hybrid drivetrain into its 500e’s platform due to a lack of demand for the electric city car and new European safety regulations ruling the old petrol 500 no longer fit for sale
Fiat’s parent company Stellantis paused production of the electric 500e in September 2024 for seven weeks due to a lack of demand for the battery-powered city car
Stellantis said the suspension was part of efforts to ‘manage at its best this hard phase of transition’ to electric cars
New European safety rules launched last year have also deemed the old petrol models no longer fit for the road, with Fiat having to remove it from dealers with immediate effect.
The introduction of the EU’s General Safety Regulation II on 7 July 2024 – rules that mandate for all new models to be fitted with a suite of safety features, including Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) speed limiters – effectively killed off the petrol-engined 500.
As a result, the Italian firm’s engineers have been left no option but to shoehorn a hybrid drivetrain into the architecture of the 500e.
Visually, the hybrid and electric 500e look almost identical.
Where you can tell the difference is the obvious inclusion of an exhaust pipe at the back.
The hybrid also features a small slot in the front grille to provide cooling to the diminutive three-cylinder petrol engine that’s been squeezed under the bonnet.
Visually, the hybrid and electric 500e look almost identical. Where you can tell the difference is the obvious inclusion of an exhaust pipe at the back
The hybrid also features a small slot in the front grille to provide cooling to the diminutive three-cylinder petrol engine that’s been squeezed under the bonnet
Fiat has also had to slightly rework the cabin for the 500 Hybrid so it can facilitate a manual gear stick
Fiat engineers have also had to slightly modify the centre console in the cabin to accommodate a manual gear stick.
Prices have yet to be confirmed for the UK market, but we expect the 500 Hybrid to ring in around £20,000. The 500e currently starts from £25,035 for reference.
The hybrid will be available across both hatchback and convertible in one of three trim levels: Icon, La Prima and a launch edition called Torino.
Standard equipment includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, bi-colour fabric seats and a body-coloured dashboard. Every model also gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic air-conditioning and rear parking sensors.
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