Almost seven decades after the last time, Fiat will once again use the iconic name of Topolino to launch another vehicle that aims to mark the way for urban mobility to come, just as this car manufactured between 1935 and 1955 did at the time: it is a 100% electric citycar that will begin to be seen in Europe from next year.
Based on the Citroën AMI that is working so well in the Old Continent market – it is already on sale with a price below 8,000 euros – its compact and typically Italian lines have little to do with the original Fiat 500 Topolino from the aesthetic: rather they evoke the 500 later, those who populated the streets especially in the 60s and 70s – or the current one, for example.
Beyond some winks, such as rounded headlights, their connection, in any case, is conceptual: a practical vehicle ready to move smoothly in tight spaces. "It is perfectly suited to the city and people looking for a sustainable and fresh mobility solution, fitting in with Fiat's democratic mission of providing sustainable urban mobility solutions accessible to all," the brand said in an official statement.
In that sense, the proposal of this citycar is even more stripped than that of the French brand, to the point that, for example, it does not even have doors: instead, Stellantis equipped it only with braided straps. And the roof is not of the material that the rest of the body, but of canvas and that can be retracted manually.
The Citroën AMI, the brother of the Topolino within Stellantis.
Nothing to think about taking the road with this Fiat Topolino, then; in fact, its engine will deliver a power of just 8 hp, with which it can reach a maximum speed of 45 km / h, and a lithium-ion battery of 5.5 kWh. And its autonomy is expected to be around 75 kilometers before having to make a new charge, which can be completed with 3 and a half hours connected to a domestic outlet.
At only 2.41 metres long, the new Topolino will thus become the smallest vehicle in Fiat's catalogue, below even the new Panda. And although it aims at a wide audience that moves through typical European cities where space is not abundant, it will make sense if it penetrates deeper among young audiences, especially for its proposal.
In this regard, the brand itself assured that they sought to embody in the Topolino the concept of the Dolce vita and the most cheerful, fun and optimistic Italian side. In that direction goes the finish in which they presented it, a pastel green tone that combines perfectly with a dark roof and an interior that, although it was not unveiled in detail, is seen in cream and gray tones with an upholstery of the front sector that anticipates vertical stripes not common in today's automotive industry.
The Topolino of 1936.
Although prices were not known or when it would arrive in Argentina, Fiat confirmed that the new Topolino can be seen in dealerships in Europe from April 2024. And while waiting for more data on this new launch, it was learned that the option of presenting a commercial variant later is also on the table, which does not have a passenger seat and raises the load capacity to 140 kilos and 400 liters.
The Fiat Topolino, a classic that was much more than a car
Born in the 30s as a response to the new needs brought by the Great Depression, the Fiat Topolino, originally known as Fiat 500 A, quickly reaped success from a practical and low-priced proposal in the market.
In Italian its name means nothing more than mouse, and it could not have been better put: the car was ideal for agile demands on streets that had not been designed for a revolution in the way of moving, and were increasingly saturated by a fleet that did not stop growing.
The old Fiat Topolino exhibited in Auto Clásica.
Therefore, like its new version, the Topolino did not aspire to great performance: with 3.2 meters long, it mounted a 13 HP engine with which you could barely reach about 70 km / h.
In Argentina it gained great notoriety for being the car in which Aníbal moved, the character of the 80s of Juan Carlos Calabró who shone in film and television and drove one in red: the Topolino, more than a car, was for him a friend and a confidant. Almost like what Fiat hopes to achieve with its new proposal.
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