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Fiat to electrify most of its range

The Italian automaker is pushing both hybrid and fully electric powertrains.

Fiat 500 - small cars
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Fiat 500 - small cars

The Fiat 500 is an iconic car, just like the Volkswagen Beetle, Citroen 2CV and Ford Model T.

Fiat

Whether you like it or not, electric vehicles are the future. And whether you like Fiat or not, the iconic Italian brand is aiming to amp-up the majority of its product range by the end of next year.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that Fiat is pushing to electrify 60% of its vehicle lineup, a figure that should exceed the average for the automotive industry. According to Luca Napolitano, head of EMEA for the Fiat, Lancia and Abarth brands, this move will include both hybrid and fully electrified drivetrains.

This year, the automaker introduced a fully electric version of its 500 as well as hybridized variants of the Panda crossover-like hatchback and standard 500 small car, the latter of which both offer a 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine delivering about 70 horsepower and 68 pound-feet of torque. The Ypsilon, the only model currently offered by Lancia, is also available with this hybrid powertrain.

Going forward, it's expected the Fiat 500X crossover and Tipo small car will also gain hybrid drivetrains, though it's unclear if these powertrains will be offered in North America, where Fiat's lineup, sales and prospects have been dwindling for years.

Fiat 500 grows up, but stays quirky

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Craig Cole Former reviews editor
Craig brought 15 years of automotive journalism experience to the Cars team. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he's as happy with a wrench or welding gun in hand as he is in front of the camera or behind a keyboard. When not hosting videos or cranking out features and reviews, he's probably out in the garage working on one of his project cars. He's fully restored a 1936 Ford V8 sedan and then turned to resurrecting another flathead-powered relic, a '51 Ford Crestliner. Craig has been a proud member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
Craig Cole
Craig brought 15 years of automotive journalism experience to the Cars team. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he's as happy with a wrench or welding gun in hand as he is in front of the camera or behind a keyboard. When not hosting videos or cranking out features and reviews, he's probably out in the garage working on one of his project cars. He's fully restored a 1936 Ford V8 sedan and then turned to resurrecting another flathead-powered relic, a '51 Ford Crestliner. Craig has been a proud member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).

Article updated on December 1, 2020 at 9:54 AM PST

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Craig Cole Former reviews editor
Craig brought 15 years of automotive journalism experience to the Cars team. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he's as happy with a wrench or welding gun in hand as he is in front of the camera or behind a keyboard. When not hosting videos or cranking out features and reviews, he's probably out in the garage working on one of his project cars. He's fully restored a 1936 Ford V8 sedan and then turned to resurrecting another flathead-powered relic, a '51 Ford Crestliner. Craig has been a proud member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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