Fiat has unveiled the third body style of the new 500 electric city car, called the 500 3+1. Following the world debut of the new 500 cabrio in March and new 500 hatchback in June, Fiat has now lifted the veils of the most practical variant of its battery-powered city car. The distinctive feature of the Fiat 500 3+1 is the addition of a small rear door on the passenger side.
Fiat says the new model will cater to
working moms or dads who have one or more children. Boasting identical
dimensions with the Fiat 500 hatch and cabriolet, the 3+1 variant features a a
rear-hinged small door that makes access to the rear seats a lot easier,
especially since there is no B-pillar. For safety reasons, the rear door can
only be opened when the front door is already open.
Fiat says the 500 3+1 adds just 30 kg to the 500 hatchback’s curb weight, with no effect on handling or fuel
consumption. As with the other two body styles, the new Fiat 500 3+1 launches
as a well-appointed ‘La Prima’ Opening Edition. Available in three colors (Rose
Gold, Glacier Blue, and Onyx Black), the 500 3+1 la Prima packs full LED
headlights, two-tone 17-inch alloys, and chrome-plated inserts on the windows
and side panels.
Inside, it has the seats, dashboard and
steering wheel covered in eco-leather, a Fiat monogram on the seats, two-tone
steering wheel, and exclusive “La Prima” plaque on the console. As for comfort
features, the 500 3+1 ‘La Prima’ offers six-way adjustable front seats, floor
mats, electrochrome rearview mirror, automatic air conditioning, a wearable
pebble key, and 360-degree ‘drone view’ parking sensors.
Standard safety kit includes Intelligent
Adaptive Cruise Control (iACC) and Lane Centering, Traffic Sign Recognition,
Autonomous Emergency Brake with pedestrian and cyclist recognition, Intelligent
Speed Assistant, and Lane Control. The electric city car also packs a
high-resolution rear camera with dynamic grid, 360-degree parking and urban
blind spot sensors, automatic twilight and dazzle sensors, emergency call and
electronic parking brake. The Fiat 500 3+1 ‘La Prima’ also features FCA’s new
UConnect 5 infotainment system with a 7-inch TFT Display, 10.25-inch Touch
Screen NAV, DAB Radio, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Uconnect Box,
and wireless smartphone charger.
As for the electric powertrain, Fiat has
announced a base ‘Action’ model that features a 23.8 kWh lithium-ion battery
powering a 95 PS electric motor. 0-100 km/h takes 9.5 seconds
and the top speed is limited to 135 km/h. These models offer a range
of more than 180 km as per WLTP. The 500 Action is equipped with a
50-kW fast charging system that charges the battery with around 50 km in less than 10 minutes.
Fiat 500 Passion mid-range model and 500
Icon range-topper get a bigger 42 kWh battery pack that powers an electric
motor rated at 116 HP and 220 Nm of torque. The
0-100 km/h sprint takes 9.0 seconds and the top speed is limited to 150 km/h. More importantly, the WTLP-rated range is 320 km. 85 kW
fast charging comes standard, enabling a flat battery to reach 80 percent in 35
minutes, or 50 km in around 5 minutes. Prices in Italy for the 2021
Fiat 500 start from € 19,900 (US$ 23,550) for the base Action model with the
smaller battery, including a € 6,000 (US$ 7,100) government incentive.
