FIAT reveals the first image of the Topolino: a Citroën AMI with Italian flair

It was 1936 when FIAT decided it was time to start selling the 500, a model popularly known as Topolino, which came to revolutionise urban mobility thanks to its small size, which allowed it to be parked practically anywhere; indeed, at that time it was one of the smallest vehicles in the world thanks to its length of 3,245 mm.

Its production lasted until 1955: 19 years in which three models were created, and from the start of its sales more than 519,000 units were sold, before making way for the new FIAT 600 that took its place. Since then the Topolino has become part of the history of successful models from the Italian brand, until now, as FIAT will once again have a Topolino in its lineup.

It will arrive on the Spanish market in 2024, but FIAT has wanted to share the first photograph of the modern Topolino, now used as a surname rather than a nickname, adapting to the new times in which electric mobility is taking hold strongly, especially in cities. It will also use as its base a model already known within the Stellantis group: the Citroën AMI.

As is usual with FIAT’s urban vehicles, the new Topolino aims to reflect the Dolce Vita style and the Italian spirit with a fresh image that, as the brand itself says, “is capable of bringing out smiles”. And it certainly does, because looking at it, it is as if someone had taken a 500 and squashed it to reduce its dimensions, resulting in the quadricycle that heads these lines and that is especially aimed at a younger audience.

Although it is based on a Citroën AMI, the differences from the Topolino are clear. The front has a more stylised look than its French sibling, with two round headlights in a purely classic style presiding over a completely closed grille and a grey lower trim acting as a bumper, which will contrast with the cheerful colours its bodywork can be finished in; it can also have a fabric roof to open it up whenever we feel like it. Note the absence of doors, replaced by a large-diameter braided rope to allow entry to an interior that is not shown in photographs but which, judging by the exterior, will be different from the AMI’s and have a fresher design.

Mechanically, the new FIAT Topolino is expected to hold no surprises: it will have an electric motor with a power of 8.2 CV (6 kW), allowing it to reach 100 km/h in 10 seconds and a top speed of 45 km/h. The electric system also consists of a 5.5 kWh battery housed under the seat, which allows it to cover 70 kilometres and, once discharged, it can recharge in three hours using a domestic plug.