The award for 2023’s cutest car looks almost certain to go to Fiat with the unveiling of its latest model – and it will also relaunch one of the brand’s most iconic nameplates from decades ago.
Topolino, a badge not seen on a new Fiat for almost 70 years, will officially return on a new all-electric vehicle.
Reborn as a doorless retro quadricycle with only two seats, it will go toe-to-toe with Citroen’s Ami as a city-only machine aimed predominantly at young drivers with – and without – a full licence.
However, Britons wanting to get their hands on one will be left disappointed…
Is this the cutest new car of 2023? The Fiat Topolino is a two-seat electric quadricycle aimed at younger people wanting to get around the city in a sustainable mode of transport
Fiat has already electrified its 500 as part of its plans to switch exclusively to battery power before the end of the decade.
In fact, it is only producing the new version of the popular city car (as well as the hotter Abarth 500) with a zero-emission drivetrain as part of the company’s efforts to electrify its entire model range in Europe by 2027.
The return of the Topolino (which translates to ‘baby mouse’) will be the Italian brand’s second EV and – almost unfathomably – a smaller option to the 500.
However, it’s technically not a car.
Like the Citroen it goes head-to-head against, it instead qualifies as a ‘light quadricycle’.
That means drivers as young as 16 with only an ‘AM’ moped licence could – in theory – legally drive one on UK roads.
In other countries like France, the minimum age to get behind the wheel of this category of vehicle is even younger.
This is because light quadricycles qualify as ‘sans permis’ vehicles across the Channel, meaning you don’t need a licence at all – just a basic road safety certificate that can be acquired by people as young as 14.
Fiat bosses hope its funky design will ‘encapsulate the coolness’ of the classic 500 to kick-start demand.
The car used to announce its return even has a nod to the original, featuring the same teal colour available when the Cinquecento hit showrooms in 1957 as the replacement for the Topolino, which paved the way for the 500 in a 19-year stint between 1936 and 1955.
Other features of the just-unveiled model also hark back to the iconic 500 Jolly variant – the beach-ready versions of the legendary classic.
This includes a brown cloth retractable roof, cream leather interior and lack of doors.
In their place is a thick rope that will provide little in terms of crash protection.
However, its oddball quadricycle classification means it doesn’t need to display the same structural rigidity and passenger shielding capabilities that proper cars do in order to make it into dealers in 2023.
It’s for this same reason that it will also have a capped top speed below 30mph.
The Topolino will be the second EV model in Fiat’s range, following in the tyre tracks of the battery-only 500 city car (pictured)
The Topolino’s doorless design hark back to the classic 500 Jolly (an example pictured here)
The Topolino was one of the smallest cars in the world at the time of its production between 1936 and 1955
Translating to ‘baby mouse’, the original Topolino was powered by a 569cc four-cylinder petrol engine
The Topolino will share a platform with sister brand Citroen’s Ami quadricycle (pictured)
While unconfirmed, it’s very likely the Topolino will feature the same 6kW electric motor and a 5.5kWh battery setup, delivering a top speed of 28mph and full-charge range of 46 miles
An alternative to Citroen’s Ami
The Topolino will be built on the same platform as Citroen’s Ami, which – like Fiat – is owned by the Stellantis Group.
Prices for the Ami start from £8,095 and go all the way up to £10,495 for its limited-edition doorless Ami Buggy.
While unconfirmed, it’s very likely the Topolino will feature the same 6kW electric motor and a 5.5kWh battery setup, delivering a top speed of 28mph and full-charge range of 46 miles.
However, shaving some weight by losing the doors might well bump up the distance between charges closer to 50 miles.
Fiat says it has launched it as its ‘new sustainable urban mobility solution’, though there is currently no information regarding when it goes on sale.
In a brief statement, the brand continued: ‘The all-electric Fiat Topolino quadricycle will expand urban electric mobility and bring the optimism of its namesake to an accessible, all-electric version that encapsulates the coolness of the Fiat 500.
‘The Topolino brings a new notion of la dolce vita to the city streets, designed for a wide audience, including younger customers, families and city lovers – aligned with Fiat’s mission of providing urban sustainable mobility solutions that are accessible to everyone.
‘This renowned and evocative name immediately calls the first Fiat 500 to mind: the iconic car that revolutionised the concept of the motor vehicle, produced by Fiat from 1936 to 1955, commonly known as “Topolino”.’
But there’s one major issue facing Britons who might be tempted by the loveable and diminutive EV – the fact it’s not expected to be sold in the UK.
With Britain’s colder climates, a doorless city car might not be a vehicle fit for purpose. But it would unquestionably turn heads on the occasional sprint to the supermarket for a pint of milk.
We’ll keep you update with more information on its availability, price and likelihood to appear on UK roads when more details are released.
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