Out with the old: long-serving Fiat 500 and Panda laid to rest
Production has finished for the Abarth 595 and 695 hot hatches as well
With the all-new Fiat Grande Panda landing early next year and a new hybrid Fiat 500 Ibrida on the way, Fiat has started to make space in its showrooms by retiring the current 500 Hybrid and Panda – both of which have been on sale for more than a decade.
In fact, the outgoing, petrol-powered Fiat 500 is the same modern reinterpretation of the brand’s iconic city car that went on sale in 2007. It was facelifted in 2016 and received a more efficient mild-hybrid powertrain in 2020.
Its replacement, the 500 Ibrida, is a hybrid version of the pure-electric 500e and it’s due to launch within the next two years. Although production is now closed, Fiat assures us there’s plenty of stock of the current model to last well into next year, which it believes should satisfy customer demand before the new 500 Ibrida arrives.
The third-generation Fiat Panda was nearly as old, having arrived in 2011. As well as being one of the oldest new cars sold in the UK, it was also one of the cheapest, as prices start from under £15,000. Fiat will continue to sell this model as the ‘Pandina’ special series in Europe, but not here.
The early anticipated Grande Panda will be available with both electric and petrol-hybrid power, and is the first in a new family of Fiat Panda-inspired models the brand will launch over the next few years, including a mid-size SUV that will take on the Nissan Qashqai.
The death of the old Fiat 500 also marks the end for the souped-up versions sold under the Abarth brand: the 595 and 695. We’re told customer demand for the hot hatches should be satisfied by the company’s existing stock. The performance brand is currently preparing to launch its most powerful car yet, the Abarth 600e, which is due before the end of this year.
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