Fiat 500 and Fiat Panda go Mild Hybrid

Ahead of the arrival of the electric Fiat 500e, Fiat dip another toe in to electrification with mild hybrid versions of the 500 and Panda.

Fiat has played with electrification in their cars before, but the original electric Fiat 500 was a car Fiat didn’t want anyone to buy as they lost money every time they made a sale.

But that was getting on for a decade ago, and although battery tech – and cost – hasn’t progressed as far as it should in that time, Fiat will be back with a new electric 500e this year, and this time they want you to buy it. Although it’s still unlikely to be a money-maker.

Ahead of the arrival of the 500e, Fiat is dipping its toe in to the electrification waters in a small way with the arrival of a pair of electrified mild hybrid models – the 500 Hybrid and Panda Hybrid.

Fiat claims the new mild hybrid will cut emissions by 30 per cent – well, at least in official testing – by replacing the 1.2 litre engine with the 1.0 litre three-pot and a 12-volt belt-driven electric motor with a small lithium-ion battery, delivering a modest 69bhp and 69lb/ft of torque through a six-speed manual gearbox.

The belt-driven starter motor stuff grabs energy during braking and deceleration and uses that energy to start when stop-start is in play and, modestly, aids acceleration. It will also allow the ICE to switch off under, limited, circumstances.

The Launch Edition versions of the 500 and Panda Hybrid – complete with seats made from recycled materiel, Hybrid badges and an ‘H’ logo – are now on sale with UK customer deliveries starting this quarter.