Fiat revived the name Topolino on Wednesday with a teaser image for his next electric vehicle: a squat, retro four-wheeler with a convertible top and ropes instead of doors.
From the look of it, the new Topolino is Fiat’s take on the Citroën Ami, but trades in the blockiness of the Ami and disturbing blank stare for softer curves and a face that almost looks like a smile.
This EV bears no resemblance to the original Fiat 500 “Topolino” (as Car and Driver points out, it instead looks like a nod to the 1970s 500F Jolly). Still, the new Topolino looks like it lives up to its name, which translates from Italian to “little mouse”.
Fiat gushed in a statement that the “Topolino brings a new idea of la dolce vita to the city streets.” But other than sharing a teaser image and name, the company left us in the dark about the price and exact specs of the upcoming vehicle.
For its part, the Ami’s top speed is about 28 mph with a range of 46 miles. That seemingly makes the Topolino a non-starter for most of the US. That’s a shame, because the giant SUVs and trucks that dominate American roads today are worse for the climate And pedestrians directly.
