No mellow yellow

FIAT HAS DONE ITS BEST TO KEEP THE CITY CAR RELEVANT WITH ITS NEW 500 HYBRID, AND IT'S CERTAINLY NIPPY, BUT THE POWERTRAIN AND LACK OF SPACE LET IT DOWN

- 

THE A-segment city car class has become a niche category with manufacturers focusing on EVs and compact SUVs. Fiat seems to think differently and still sells its beloved 500 as well as an electric variant.

However, it hasn't really caught on here. As a result, the Italian firm has gone back to basics and decided to relaunch the 500 with a new petrol powertrain to sit alongside the EV. Welcome to the 500 Hybrid.

WHAT'S NEW?

There's nothing new about styling, with only very subtle changes. The car now utilises a petrol engine with an electric motor so it's similarly efficient to the EV model.

Inside, there's a dashboard design, decent equipment levels and the choice of a three-door hatchback and two-door convertible with the 500c.

WHAT'S UNDER THE BONNET?

The 500 Hybrid is only available as a 1.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol mated to a 12V lithium-ion battery. It produces just 64bhp and 92Nm of torque, while 60mph comes round in a rather lethargic 16 seconds, and it runs out of steam at 96mph.