According to the head of the company, Olivier Francois, Fiat's decision to create a new 500 with a petrol engine was caused by complaints from many drivers who did not want to use electric cars.
Last month, the Italian brand confirmed that the new 500 Ibrida with a hybrid powertrain will appear in early 2026. Oddly enough, the 500 Ibrida will be based on a modified version of the Fiat 500e electric vehicle platform.
However, the main reason for this decision is that European buyers are "giving up on sustainable solutions". Fiat realized it had to respond to weak sales of its best-selling car by extending the life of the more popular CNG model.
„For me, the 500 is an electric car. We have the perfect car, the 500e. With that in mind, we obviously thought, like everyone else, that the world would go electric faster and that the cost of electrification would come down “, says Francois.
He added that it is very important for the company to meet all customer expectations. That's why the automaker had to respond to the demand for a hybrid.
Francois confirmed that the 500 Ibrida will be the last model in the range with an internal combustion engine that Fiat will produce, although this is not surprising given the upcoming EU ban on the sale of all new CNG cars after 2035. But according to the forecasts of specialists, these decisions can be canceled.