New Fiat 600 Hybrid priced from £23,735 in the UK
A 48V Fiat 600 Hybrid undercuts the electric car by around £10,000 in range-topping spec
The Fiat 600e is set to gain a hybrid variant, which will go on sale later this year as one of the cheapest hybrid cars in the UK.
Priced from £23,735, the Fiat 600 hybrid undercuts the price of the all-electric version by £9205 - though Fiat will slash £3000 off the starting price of any of its EVs with its e-grant.
Previously, Fiat had stated that it would offer only the electric 600e in the UK, but it has since backtracked on its decision. Orders for the model open later this week.
The Fiat 600 Hybrid is driven by a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder Puretech petrol engine with a combined power output of 134bhp, equipped with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The engine is partnered with a 48V mild hybrid system, a 29bhp electric motor plus a 1kWh battery, which provides up to 0.6 miles of electric driving, up to speeds of 30mph.
The system is said to result in CO2 emissions of 110-114g/km in the Fiat 600. Fuel economy has yet to be confirmed but figures of around 52-55mpg are likely.
This powertrain set-up is sourced from parent firm Stellantis and is shared with the hybrid Jeep Avenger and Peugeot 3008.
Two specifications will be offered, with entry-level cars simply badged ‘Fiat 600 hybrid’, and a La Prima variant topping the range with more equipment, and a starting price of £26,695 - around £10,000 cheaper than the range-topping EV.
It also means that every model that sits on its CMP platform, which includes the Jeep Avenger, DS 3 Crossback, Vauxhall Corsa, Vauxhall Mokka, Peugeot 208 and Peugeot 2008, is now available with a choice of either hybrid or electric power.
Fiat’s move to introduce a 600 hybrid means its electrification strategy has adapted but the brand said it was still” no less committed”.
Its entire model range, including the Fiat 500, Fiat Tipo and Fiat Panda, is available with an electrified powertrain of some sort, be it hybrid or fully electric.
Despite this, speaking at the 600e’s UK launch, the brand claimed it was still “100% committed to its e-grant”.
At the international launch of the 600e in Turin, Italy, last year, Gaetano Thorel, senior vice president of Fiat Europe, said: “While we commit to leading the transition to electric with the 600e, we are also a socially relevant brand. So we commit to giving people what they need now - which may be electrified rather than electric. And in the UK, we still only sell one electric car in every five.”