New Fiat Topolino is the Italian Citroen Ami
The Fiat Topolino is the Italian brand’s take on the Citroen Ami, and gets retro styling with an opening fabric roof
Feast your eyes on the Fiat Topolino: the Italian marque’s rather adorable take on the Citroen Ami, inspired by the original Fiat 500 produced from 1936 to 1955 that was commonly known by the name ‘Topolino’.
The name literally translates to ‘baby mouse’, which seems fitting for this drinky two-seater EV. Fiat says the new 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.”
So far, the Italian brand shared very little about its second-ever EV – the Fiat 500e being the first – and has only revealed the single image you see here. Of course, there’s plenty to get all gooey over, like the tiny round headlights, the outline of Fiat’s signature grille design, white rims, opening canvas roof and thick rope that will supposedly stop you from falling out.
Based on the technical details of the Citroen Ami (and the mechanically identical Opel Rocks-e), the Topolino will have a maximum range of roughly 46 miles and a 28mph top speed thanks to an 5.5kWh battery and 8bhp electric motor.
The tiny Ami – which costs as little as £20 per month in the UK – has been a success in several key markets since it was launched last year and Fiat boss Olivier François believes that it could help his brand to deliver better urban mobility – one of its key mission briefs within the wider Stellantis group.
François said that the biggest challenge so far in the talks with Stellantis partners Citroen and Opel about the Topolino has been securing the sorts of production volumes required for Fiat to commit to the project. Stellantis recently announced a further €300million (£265m) investment for the Kenitra factory in Morocco where the Ami is produced, potentially lifting capacity there to around 50,000 quadricycles per year.
“If I do it, I want it to become a major hit,” François said, “and for a major hit we need to boost our capacity. That’s the kind of discussion I’ve been having with my colleagues at Citroen and Opel.”
Would you rather have a Fiat Topolino or a Citroen Ami? Let us know in the comments…
