TURIN, March 5 — The third generation of the Fiat 500 compact city car made its world premiere yesterday in Milan despite the impending Covid-19 concerns. The model is the first FCA car to be fully electric.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is finally jumping with both feet into the electrification revolution. This week in Italy, the company revealed the totally refreshed, third-generation Fiat 500, their first fully electric model to go into production.
The iconic model has been redesigned for a technologically connected era increasingly concerned with the health of the planet.
The lithium-ion batteries, which have a 42-kWh capacity, allow for drivers to travel emissions free up to 320km on a single charge. Three available drive modes can be switched between depending on the owner’s desired driving experience; included as an option is a new mode called Sherpa which “optimises the available resources to ensure that you will reach your destination.”
Meet the new Fiat 500 «la Prima», the third generation of an icon, presented for the first time in Milan by Olivier Francois, President Fiat Brand Global. #New500 #Pure500 #FiatElectric #InspiringChange #500electric https://t.co/89jlfv4ZP3
— Fiat (@fiat) March 4, 2020
The maximum speed of the electric 500 measures in at 150 km/h, and the acceleration time from 0 to 100 km/h is 9.0 seconds.
In a first for the segment, this iteration of the model offers level 2 autonomous driving, meaning that the vehicle can manage fundamental vehicle operation by itself but largely relies on a driver to make decisions about movements like making lane changes and responding to traffic signals.
On the inside, the new 500 is the first FCA vehicle to be outfitted with the UConnect 5 infotainment system giving users a slew of connected technologies and navigation features all displayed on a 10.25-inch touchscreen display.
In terms of the vehicle’s appearance, it’s instantly recognisable as a Fiat 500. Subtle updates conform to the icon’s classic style; mostly it’s just “quieter, cleaner and crisper.”
Right now, a special, limited edition version of the model called “la Prima” is available for pre-booking to celebrate the launch of the new model. The standard model is likely to go on sale later this year. — AFP-Relaxnews
