Fiat is expected to usher in a new electric SUV next year, which could revive the 600 nameplate.
Fiat is preparing to add a second all-electric vehicle to its line-up. The model will be an SUV counterpart for the popular new 500 and it could carry the Fiat 600 name. The car has been hinted at for some time, but these spy shots are our first look at the newcomer before its anticipated launch in 2024.
The spy shots reveal an SUV leaning more into the existing 500X in terms of appearance, though the benefits of borrowing the 500’s bespoke electric platform mean that the new car could boast interior space and practicality closer to the 500L MPV. Key design touches from the 500 will be carried over, including a similar taillight signature.
We would expect the new ‘Fiat 600’ to use the latest 500’s front-end design, but a stretched wheelbase will bring greater space and allow more battery storage to give the bigger car a longer range. The 40kWh battery of the 500 city car provides it with a range of 320km, and while the 600 could arrive with this battery pack too, it could form the basis of an entry-level version. Any longer-range version of the 600 will likely eclipse 50kWh in capacity, to give it the sort of range to rival the Vauxhall Mokka Electric. Inside, it could well be the second model to get infotainment and connectivity systems introduced on the Fiat 500 Electric.
As previously reported by Automotive Daily, Fiat is likely to replace the 500X and 500L with a single model for their next generation, using the same underpinnings as the all-electric 500.
Both of the larger 500 models have been moderate successes for Fiat, the 500X recording consistent sales numbers since launch in 2014, while the larger 500L MPV did return strong figures at launch in 2012, before tailing off as part of the wider decline of the European MPV market. It was axed by Fiat in November 2022.
With the internal combustion powered 500X nearing the end of its life, the time for Fiat to revolutionise its crossover line-up with an electric model is almost here. Fiat boss Olivier François hinted that the new model may be an amalgamation of both the L and X concepts back in May 2020.
“The L is a particularly good body, high on wheels, to add batteries,” he said. “Family transportation is a good candidate for electrification, too, because it involves a lot of city driving, a lot of stop and go, school and work runs. But at the same time, it’s not a Utility Vehicle, a UV; it’s an MPV, and this type of car is a little less in fashion now.
“We need to think of the next generation with the same approach to the consumer that makes a lot of sense in an all-electric version, with a body that is obviously more relevant and in fashion. We’re thinking maybe a blend of the X and L is the way ahead, at the end of the day. But it is not for the near future – and when I say near, I mean not by the end of this year [2020], for sure.”