No mellow yellow

THE A-segment city car class has become a niche category with manufacturers focusing on EVs and compact SUVs.

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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.

Fiat claims that the car can manage up to 53mpg on the combined cycle and that it emits between 119 and 121g/km of CO2, depending on which trim level you go for. All Hybrid 500 models get a six-speed manual gearbox.