Fiat has revealed first images of the hard-top hatchback version of the new, all-electric 500 city car, which is now available to order in the UK. Joining the convertible version of the reborn icon, the new 500 hatchback is also offered in a single launch trim level called ‘La Prima,’ with cheaper variants expected in due course. La Prima versions are available in three colours: Mineral Grey, Ocean Green and Celestial Blue. Standard equipment includes LED headlights, “eco-leather” trim, 17-inch alloy wheels and chrome exterior trim. The hatchback gets a glass-panoramic roof in place of the convertible’s retracting fabric hood, and a cheaper price tag. After the government grant, prices start from £26,995, including a home wallbox fitment. The convertible is priced from £29,000 after incentives. The revisions required to make the 500 EV are sufficient enough for Fiat to call this model the third generation – following the 2007 rebirth and the original Cinquecento made between 1957 and 1975. There’s a new platform that results in a slight increase in size compared with the Mk2, so the EV is 60mm wider and 60mm longer. The car’s wheelbase has grown by 20mm too, but the overall length of the 500 is still under four metres.

Fiat hasn’t played around too much with the car’s styling. The side profile of the new EV is still unmistakably 500, but there are tweaks to the front end, with a new bumper that is actually closer in style to the set-up on the original 500. There are split headlights – another nod to the 1957 model – and a new 500 badge on the rear end. The car has a 42kWh lithium-ion battery pack – enough to deliver up to 320km (199 miles) of range under the WLTP efficiency test. It powers a 117bhp electric motor that can take the 500 from 0-62mph in nine seconds and on to a top speed of 93mph. Those stats apply to both hatchback and convertible variants. 21 The 500 gets an 85kW DC charger, so the car can be recharged from flat to 80 per cent of capacity in just 35 minutes. A full charge on a 7.4kW home wallbox will take just over six hours, and Fiat also plans to launch its own 3kW home charger, which will be able to be plugged into a domestic socket without requiring professional installation. The car will let drivers pick from three driving modes. Normal is described by Fiat as being “as close as possible to driving a vehicle with a normal combustion engine”, while Range activates higher levels of brake energy recuperation. This will allow owners to drive the car using only the throttle pedal and anticipating stop situations.