Fiat 500 (FA1)

The Fiat 500 has proven to be one of the greatest things to emerge from Italy since pizza, spaghettis, and Ferraris. People around the globe have been clamored by its tiny size, timeless styling, and nippy performance that can squeeze through like a clean sheet of paper. In the age of electrification, the all-new, all-electric, Fiat 500 has arrived to cater to today's motorist by delivering iconic looks with zero-emission driving fit for the future.

2021 Fiat 500

Starting at 26,150 Euros, the all-new Fiat 500 is one of the most reasonably-priced electrics on sale and with all that value comes numerous highlights such as the new styling, new interior, the electric powertrain, and so on.

2021 Fiat 500

Focusing on the styling, the new 500 looks vaguely similar to the previous model, which remains available at this moment in time, but look closely and you'll see that the new 500 sports an all-new exterior design, a stylish new set of wheels to choose from, a 500 badging on the front, and the new FIAT badge in the back, a first for FIAT.

For the first time, the new 500 is offered in three different body styles such as the regular hatchback, the open-top 500 Cabrio with the canvas top on it, and the first-ever 500 3+1, the one with the tiny extra door on the passenger side that allows you to squeeze into the rear seats just like the Hyundai Veloster. Yes, it's that thing but be warned though because it won't be easy living in the back seats.

2021 Fiat 500

The interior goes for the minimalist approach which can surely scare a speedo boy straight because of its long sat-nav touch screen with no buttons all over. Despite the minimalist approach on the dashboard that scares away speedo boys, (thank you FCA), it is still as roomy as the previous model and the boot space feels decent enough for trips to the grocery or for delivery purposes if you are into fulfillment. As I said, in the 3+1 variant, it won't be easy living in the back seats just like what you felt inside the Veloster.

2021 Fiat 500

On the driving side, the new electric powertrain on top-spec variants boasts a modest 87kw of power and 220Nm of torque, making it capable of hitting 0-100kph in nine seconds and a top speed of 150kph. The driving range is expected to be 312km on one full charge, which is quite decent for an electric city car of such size.

For cleverness, the Fiat 500 has three driving modes to choose from such as the range-friendly Sherpa mode, Normal, and the odd-looking Range mode, where it engages one-pedal drive just like the Nissan Leaf.

Despite being heavier than the previous model, the new 500 still handles like a good city car should, which is nice but there's one itty-bitty thing that will make you notice and it's the fact that the new 500 features Level 2 autonomous driving in the form of intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control and Intelligent Speed Assist. Again, these things car scare speedo boys straight despite being innocent-looking Italian tiny car that has a mind of their own.

The all-new Fiat 500 is a step into the future of mobility because of its Level 2 autonomous driving and all-electric drivetrain that fits rather well in city life. Yes, if you're a speedo boy, you might not want to drive one but for a regular Joe who got his driver's license for the first time, then this is the electric car you can start with.

This nippy little Italian hatch just got a brand new lease of life in today's world where the dawn of internal combustion will soon face mass extinction because of ever-changing regulations, which makes speedo boys very sad, but for experts on the environment, it's their calling and this new 500 is worth the calling everybody's itching to drive one.

Photo: FCA