Fiat 500C Reviews

Stellantis, parent company of Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Leapmotor, has reportedly put its ‘AutoDrive’ self-driving software on hold over concerns there is no demand for it among buyers.

Kia is frantically working on a pair of small electric vehicles (EVs) that could reshape the bottom end of the new-car market by bringing near-price parity with internal combustion engine alternatives. The big news is that both the EV2 small crossover expected to debut sometime next year and its EV1 city-car sibling due a little later on are under serious consideration for Australia. This is despite being readied for production out of Slovakia, due to EV tax concessions as well as vast economies of scale that should help contain prices if or when they land here.

Fiat has detailed some wild drive-away pricing deals for its regular 500e and hot Abarth 500e electric hatches to stimulate sales and clear out existing stock.The Italian carmaker is still selling model year 2023 (MY23) versions of both the Fiat 500e and Abarth 500e.Until September 30 or until stock runs out, the Fiat 500e La Prima is now priced from $38,990 drive-away and the Abarth 500e Scorpionissima is priced from $43,990 drive-away.Typically the Fiat 500e La Prima is $52,500 before on-road costs and the Abarth 500e Scorpionissima is $60,500 before on-road costs. This is a saving over $15,000, depending on the model.This new drive-away pricing puts it closer to the more affordable EVs on sale in Australia. These include the BYD Dolphin ($29,990 before on-roads), GWM Ora ($33,990 drive-away) and MG4 ($37,990 drive-away).This isn’t the first time a car brand has had to slash the asking price of its electric vehicles (EVs) to clear out stock. Notable examples include the Peugeot e-2008 in 2024 and the Jeep Avenger Longitude earlier this year.The Fiat 500e launched in Australia in 2023 exclusively as a top-spec La Prima hatchback.It’s powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 87kW of power and 220Nm of torque. This is fed by a 42kWh lithium-ion battery pack.Fiat claims the 500e La Prima can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 9.0 seconds and it has a claimed range of 311km according to WLTP testing.The Abarth 500e, on the other hand, launched in Australia in late 2023 in Scorpionissima trim. A Turismo trim arrived in 2024.It’s powered by a more powerful single, front-mounted electric motor producing 114kW of power and 235Nm of torque. This is fed by a 42kWh lithium-ion battery pack.Abarth claims the 500e Scorpionissima can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.0 seconds and it has a claimed range of 253km according to WLTP testing.Fiat doesn’t split out sales data between its petrol and electric 500/500e/695 models.In the first six months of 2025 it has sold 207 examples of the 500/500e/695, which is down 28.6 per cent year-on-year.

We’ve now reached the halfway point of 2025 and new vehicle sales are a little cooler than they were last year.According to VFACTS, a total of 608,811 new vehicles have been sold in the first six months of 2025, which is down 3.7 per cent year-on-year.The following is a breakdown of the brands that have experienced the biggest amount of sales growth or decline in the first half of 2025.We’ve only included mainstream and select premium brands in this story, because while niche luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley may have experienced a large change in sales growth or decline, they come from a much lower base.This Chinese brand has been surging up the sales charts ever since returning to Australian shores in 2023.Chery’s biggest seller by far this year has been the cut-price Tiggo 4 Pro (7996 sales YTD). Its crown of the cheapest SUV in Australia was recently snatched by the Indian-made Mahindra XUV 3XO.The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max was the Chinese carmaker’s model with the biggest growth in sales (1386 sales YTD, up 507.9 per cent), though it’s worth noting this car only launched locally in May 2024.China’s BYD experienced the second highest sales growth in Australia. In fact, in June it was the fifth best-selling brand.BYD’s best-seller was the popular Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute (10,424 sales). It was actually the fourth best-selling ute in June, behind the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.Another BYD model that has experienced a huge surge in sales is the Sealion 6 PHEV (4375 sales YTD, up 807.7 per cent), though this car only launched in May 2024.Mini’s sales growth comes from a considerably lower base than Chery and BYD, but its year-to-date sales are still up 80.4 per cent year-on-year.The Mini Countryman is one of the biggest reasons for the brand’s sales growth. A total of 1135 examples were sold in the first six months of 2025, which is up 155.1 per cent year-on-year.From an overall year-to-date sales volume perspective, however, the Mini Cooper did outsell the Countryman, with 1181 examples sold. This is up 52.2 per cent year-on-year.Cupra has slowly but steadily been increasing its sales in Australia since it launched in 2022.The Formentor SUV has been the brand’s best-seller since it arrived, with 909 examples sold in the first half of 2025. This is up 50.0 per cent year-on-year.The Born hatchback is another model on the rise for the brand, with 309 examples sold in the first half of 2025. This is up 19.3 per cent year-on-year.Polestar has a low sales base compared to rival brands in Australia, but it has picked up in the first half of 2025.The recently introduced Polestar 4 is currently the brand’s best-seller with 676 examples sold so far this year.However, only 396 examples of the Polestar 2 were sold in the first half of 2025, which is down 58.3 per cent year-on-year. Only 30 examples of the Polestar 3 were also sold over the same period.Even though the Tesla Model Y was the third best-selling car in June, it didn’t make up for the sales slump the US electric vehicle (EV) brand has been experiencing so far this year.A total of 10,431 examples of the Model Y were sold in the first six months of 2025, which is down 16.7 per cent year-on-year. This is despite the fact it launched in a new-generation guise a few months ago.Sales for the Model 3 also took a nosedive with 3175 examples sold so far this year. This is down 65.0 per cent year-on-year.The French brand doesn’t have a massive sales base in Australia to begin with, but it shrunk further in the first six months of 2025. This is despite the fact it has shaken up its product offerings and introduced more hybrids.Sales for virtually all Peugeots were down year-to-date compared to the same point last year, except for the 408 liftback. A total of 58 have been sold, which is up 48.7 per cent year-on-year.Overlooking the Peugeot 508 (2 sales YTD, down 94.6 per cent) which has been axed locally, the model that took the biggest hit in sales volume was the 2008 (111 sales, down 61.1 per cent).This Korean brand formerly known as SsangYong has been going through its second rebrand in two years and it has clearly taken a hit to its sales so far in 2025.KGM’s current best-seller has been the Musso dual-cab ute for a considerable amount of time now, however only 1131 examples were sold in the first half of 2025, which is down 44.2 per cent year-on-year.The model that saw the sharpest downturn in sales is the Korando. Only 79 examples have been sold year-to-date, which is down 71.0 per cent year-on-year.Without taking the Fiat Professional commercial vehicle brand into consideration, this Italian brand only sells small hatchbacks.A total of 207 examples of the Fiat 500 and Abarth counterparts were sold in the first half of 2025. This is down 28.6 per cent year-on-year.While sales for the regular Fiat brand are slowing, sales for the Fiat Ducato (sold under Fiat Professional) have been booming. A total of 708 examples were sold in the first half of 2025, which is up 32.8 per cent year-on-year.Local sales for the Czech brand have been sliding for a few years now, but there are new and refreshed products in the pipeline which will potentially pump up the sales numbers in the coming months.Sales for Skoda’s best-seller, the Kodiaq SUV, have remained steady in the first half of 2025 despite just launching in new-generation guise. A total of 688 examples were sold, which is down 2.4 per cent year-on-year.All Skoda models experienced a downturn in sales in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. The model with the biggest decline is the Scala hatchback (76 examples YTD, down 67.7 per cent).

Fiat is bringing back petrol power to its iconic 500 hatchback after committing to going electric only.The bambino was a petrol-only model from when it was reborn in 2007 until parent company Stellantis launched the second-gen version of the modern era as an electric vehicle, the 500e.Fiat will use the 500e as the basis for a new mild hybrid petrol version that will begin production at Fiat’s spiritual home in Turin, Italy in November this year.Official images reveal that the new 500 will look much the same as the 500e, although the petrol car gets a tweaked grille to aid air flow.The move to retrofit the 500e as an internal combustion engine variant comes after sales of the 500e and the related Abarth 500e hot hatch have slowed, leading to multiple production pauses at the Mirafiori plant.The 2007 petrol 500 went out of production a few years ago after no longer meeting Europe’s emissions standards.Fiat’s new 500 will be offered in hatchback and cabriolet body styles, and in good news for motoring enthusiasts, it will also be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox.It is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder ‘Firefly’ mild hybrid petrol engine, likely the same unit found in the new Panda. The mild hybrid setup is a 12-volt system that Fiat says helps improve fuel efficiency, however official fuel figures are yet to be confirmed.Inside the 500 comes with Fiat’s Uconnect 5 multimedia system linked to a customisable 10.25-inch touchscreen, as well as a 7.0-inch digital driver’s display and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.A spokesperson for Stellantis Australia told CarsGuide the mild hybrid 500 is not under consideration for Australia, for now.If it gets the green light for Australia it will compete against other micro and light combustion-powered hatchbacks including the MG3, Suzuki Swift and Kia Picanto.Fiat CEO and Global CMO of Stellantis Olivier François described the return of the petrol 500 to the Turin plant as a win.“Bringing the 500 Hybrid back to Mirafiori is a promise kept - a win driven by a committed team that chose to bet on the customer and the future,” he said.“This factory is more than just a production site; it’s Fiat’s home, the beating heart of a story that began in 1957 with Dante Giacosa and today stands as a hub of Stellantis innovation in Europe. Our industrial plan for Italy puts Mirafiori and the 500 at the center of our revival. In November, we’ll celebrate this milestone with the special edition ‘500 Torino’—a tribute to the city, its workers, and our roots. Turin means Fiat, and Fiat means Turin. That’s why the official launch will take place here, in our city.”

Stellantis looks to establish a battery-swapping rivalry with Nio which could make EVs much more convenient.

It’s EOFY time again!

Claims of battery breakthroughs have lately been reserved for Chinese electric car brands, but this time the news has come from automotive mega-group Stellantis.

Fiat will bring its Grande Panda electric SUV to the United Kingdom in right-hand drive within weeks, potentially paving the way for the electric car to enter Australia and battle Chinese rivals.

Australia’s new car market rose very slightly in volume in 2024 compared to 2023 - but it wasn’t good news across the board.