I attended the New York International Auto Show last year, and honestly, it was kind of boring. Sure, there were some cool brands there and lots of nice industry people to mingle with, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, the show has been a shadow of itself.
That is, except for one specific display. Tucked all the way in the corner of the Jacob Javits Convention Center, on display at Fiat’s booth, was, amazingly, a Fiat Topolino. It’s a tiny, city-minded EV based on the Citroën Ami with a top speed of 28 mph, and it looks absolutely adorable. Our own Matt Hardigree got to see it up close and got trapped inside.
The Topolino was designed to be used in European cities, but now, it’ll finally come to the United States, according to Fiat. Interestingly, the announcement has nothing to do with the Trump administration’s declaration to bring small cars to America, according to the brand. Either way, I’m hyped.
I Need More Details
Fiat CEO Olivier Francois revealed the news yesterday while presenting a Topolino art car created by artist Romero Britto at Art Week Miami. As it turns out, Fiat showing the Topolino at a few auto shows in the U.S. last year wasn’t just for fun.
“The Fiat Topolino, our small, joyful, colorful car that is now everywhere in Europe, has made several appearances in the U.S. over the past year, including last month at the LA Auto Show, where it’s creating tremendous excitement among consumers. So much so that I’m happy to share that we’ll be bringing the Fiat Topolino to the U.S., with more details to come next year.”
This announcement comes just one week after President Trump claimed to have legalized smaller kei-style cars for assembly and sale in America, but according to Fiat, the decision to bring the Topolino to the U.S. is unrelated to the administration’s comments. Its statement to CNBC lines up with what the CEO said in the release:
A Stellantis spokeswoman said Fiat’s announcement was unrelated to Trump’s comments last week and that the automaker has been gauging customer interest for the Topolino at U.S. events such as auto shows.
Fiat hasn’t shared any details on when the Topolino might come stateside, though it sounds like American buyers will have to wait until at least next year to know anything more. Considering the car is already in production and the president says cars like this are legal to drive in America, it might be as simple as putting it on a boat and selling it at dealers.
As for how much it’ll cost, the Topolino is priced from €9,890 (around $11,500) in Europe. Fiat hasn’t said anything about pricing in the U.S., though, seeing as how it’s built in Morocco, the microcar will certainly be subject to tariffs if imported.
Will Anyone Actually Buy This Thing?
I hate to admit it, but I’m not sure there’s a real market for the Topolino in the U.S. The car is inexpensive and straightforward, but it also comes with a healthy set of limitations for use on public roadways. Its single electric motor makes just 8 horsepower, fed by a 5.4-kWh battery that gives it just 46 miles of range. That makes the Topolino pretty much useless outside of suburban side streets and dense city landscapes. That’s on top of the fact that American buyers just don’t like small cars.
Personally, I’m over the moon. Living in New York City, I’m one of the very few people who might actually benefit from owning a car like the Topolino. I love using my Range Rover in the city, but this Fiat would be much more convenient and cost-effective. The Rover is annoying to park because it’s so big, and the back-up camera sucks, and it absolutely guzzles fuel in low-speed environments.
But even I, a target buyer for this car, still see limitations. Its low top speed means I can’t ever take the Topolino outside city limits, which is half the reason anyone in a dense city owns a car in the first place. As it’s designed right now, it uses a wall plug to charge, which means it’s not compatible with any real charging station (though U.S. market Topolinos might be different).
Even with those limitations, it’s hard to imagine the Topolino will sell worse than the current Fiat 500. Fiat has sold just 1,076 examples so far this year through September. While that car can be driven on highways, it also starts at $37,695, which is likely far more expensive than the Topolino will be. Even if the Topolino sells in minuscule numbers, I’d consider that a win. Because a few adorable microcars are better than no adorable microcars at all.
Top graphic image: Fiat
I live in a very dense part of Seattle and walk, bike, or public transit most of the time. When I do drive, 90% of the time I’m getting on a freeway. If I had this car, I’d have a hard time justifying using it over my ebike. The ebike can use bike lanes and doesn’t require paid parking. My class III even has the same top speed as this car. The benefits of a 28mph city car over a bike are basically protection from the elements and lockable storage. The nail in the coffin is a lot of city dwellers only have one dedicated parking spot, if they have one at all. I can’t really justify giving up my one spot to something that can’t get on I5. Give it a freeway top speed and a range extender and we’ll talk.
Microcars probably have a much bigger potential in suburbs, where people have big garages and driveways and 16 year olds they don’t want to have to drive to school. I could see this being a great 3rd car for a family with teenagers. It’s probably pretty cheap to insure and with a limited top speed there’s only so much trouble kids can get in.
They showed one at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance as well; judging by the amount of people around it in my photos there is significant interest in it.
Is it significant interest in owning one, or just curiosity? From the other comments, it doesn’t sound feasible for too many uses outside of neighborhood golf cart type applications.
Just looky-loos, no doubt, but that should be convertible into purchases assuming some revisions for the US market. People buy electric (fake) Mini Mokes, so why not these?
Fiat should just concentrate on bringing that manual hybrid 500 here. They would lose less money doing that.
but this is FIAT were talking about, they ( and Stellanitis) will always choose the “Path of the less profit”
A manual hybrid 500 has about the same market share as the 500e does, just a slightly different market.
While 2,000 units are better than 1,000, it still doesn’t make any sense to invest that money…. even though I had the same argument over the Hornet & Tonale, letting more than 3/4 times the sales from Dodge go to “make the most” out of the few sales Alfa’s been getting. There’s at least a sizeable unit difference there.
It’s a neat little thing, but there is nothing the Topolino will do for you in New York that Citibike and the MTA won’t do better for less cost.A very small car is an optimal version of a suboptimal solution for urban mobility.
Bottomlino with that top speed LOL
If they give it a regular US plug, then every outlet is a charging station as long as the cord can reach it 😀
Level 1 is the best way to charge anyway to prolong battery life
Since the top speed is so low, can’t you already import one as a LSV or NEV?
Hope they got dealerships in Peachtree City and The Villages; can see them being popular there
Palm Desert too
Too many naysayers! This is a fun vehicle with loads of personality. Sure, it’s limited, but not any more limited than a golf cart, and those are exploding in popularity in suburbs. These can be handy in cities for millions of Americans that live in densely populated areas that don’t have decent public transportation systems (see: SF Bay Area, Seattle, parts of Boston and DC, LA, Portland, etc.) but need a cheap to own/operate set of wheels. I bet a lot of two-car households could also cut down to one+topolino.
This could also just be me rationalizing it because I want one.
Hello from Amsterdam, where micro-cars like this are widespread as you’d expect. The Topolino is sold by at least two other companies besides Fiat under their own badges. Coincidentally we test-drove one of these a couple of weeks ago, and it’s basically a golf cart wrapped in body panels. The 45kph/28mph limit is—well—limiting, even in a place like Amsterdam where the arterials have 50kph speed limits. Next month we’re test-driving a Microlino, which goes up to 90kph and is legally a regular car (but effectively still an enclosed golf cart).
28mph is a little rough almost anywhere in the US. Is the thing stable at 35 or 40mph?
Its an LSEV, its going to be governed to 25mph and will only be legal on roads with speed limits 35mph or less, like any other LSEV. Chrysler played in this market before when they owned GEM
Appreciate the info, I was ignorant of the LSEV classification. $10k+ for only 25 mph just isn’t feasible for me. My grocery store is only a couple miles away, but there are some 35mph roads to get there.
Outside of maybe retirement communities, where are you going to find significant portion of your daily life solely within the bounds of 25 mph zones?
That’s pretty much it, and some small towns -the entire city of Key West has a max speed limit of 35mph, so LSEVs are legal to drive everywhere there and they really are everywhere
Isn’t this one of the “sans permi” cars in France?
The Citroen Ami version is great for people with multiple DUI’s according to the BBC:
“One of his regulars lost his licence and bought an ancient voiture sans permis. When his licence was reinstated, he sold the voiturette to a drinking chum who had just had his licence taken away . It changed hands once more in the same way and then after a year or so the original owner (who evidently hadn’t kicked his pastis habit) bought it back again.
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35210572
The perfect electric city cart already exists, and it’s a used i3.
This is the correct take. Sub-$10,000 gets you a relatively low mile, roomy, carbon fiber car with a range extender!
I’m the third owner of a 2014 and it’s been terrific. Previous owner had the battery swapped under warranty. Only work I’ve had to do was replace a sagging roof liner and a 12v battery.
Even a 2014 doubles the range and top speed of the Topolino. And I doubt the turning radius can be surpassed.
Also, I just now see my car/cart typo but honestly the i3 drives like a go-kart, so no regrets. I stand by my error.
I’m somewhat interested. The price will not be too bad when compared to a “Full Cleveland” golf cart or side by side, many of which are crawling around where I live without going anywhere near offroad. It should also hold value better compared to all the four wheel toys COVID money was wasted on.
“A Stellantis spokeswoman said Fiat’s announcement was unrelated to Trump’s comments last week”
Won’t stop him from claiming credit. Until it flops then it’s Joe’s fault.
Recently someone blamed Barak Obama for something or other, and he’s been out of office for almost a decade.
“Does this car make my hands look big?”
“Does wearing this car make my ass look fat?”
Y’know, some folks thought Honda was crazy to try and sell the Grom (MSX125) in the U.S.
“It’s too small! It’s not a real bike!” It can’t even do highway speed!”
Yet look how many they sell! So mayyybe there can be a car version?
There’s someone at the office with a Grom. It looks like it’d be a blast to ride.
There’s no shade thrown to someone on a Grom.
None at all! If I didn’t already have my CT-70 clone I would have one (or the Dax..)
I think if the Grom sells on being a fun minibike maybe this can find a market as a fun minicar.
Well the thing still does 60ish mph and its a motorcycle, so it ends up being more useful for a specific purpose than this.
Really they’ll do 60? I’d have thought 50 would be maxed out
I hit 60 on a Grom once. They can move shockingly fast for how tiny that engine is. But also, Groms can do stunts and stuff. Fiat needs to make this thing do wheelies and stoppies. 🙂
This is better than a $2000 used Leaf how?
I mean DT’s used Leaf had like what 12 miles of range? So that’s a big way.
That was a serious exception:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/d/belmont-2012-nissan-leaf-runs-looks/7896829325.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/san-lorenzo-2011-nissan-leaf-low-cost/7899521502.html
Even still, with the 30 those are promising, the above gets a full 50% better than that. Admittedly at 10x the cost I’m sure, but still. Not saying this car makes sense, but a Leaf with a 30 mile range would not work for my needs, whereas 45 would allow me to commute back and forth in it. Probably not in the winter, but 9 months of the year it would work.
Then the speed becomes the problem. 28 is just dumb for the US.
Pay a bit more (Still WAAAY less than the Fiat) and you can get 50-60+ miles:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/antioch-2012-nissan-leaf-electric-car/7900135124.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/d/saratoga-2011-nissan-leaf-ev-sv/7898088637.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/alameda-2013-nissan-leaf-runs-great-and/7899095380.html
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/antelope-nissan-leaf-2013/7898892717.html
(Note: a few of these have the upgraded “lizard” batteries)
Pay a bit more than those and you’re into Spark EV territory:
https://tucson.craigslist.org/ctd/d/tucson-2014-chevrolet-chevy-spark-ev-lt/7898070275.html
https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/el-cajon-2016-chevrolet-spark-ev/7901097053.html
Those had liquid cooled batteries so their range should still be in the 60+ range
Same with the Fiat 500e which is also in this price range:
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/d/long-beach-2017-fiat-500e-celeste-blue/7900502452.html
You can’t park a Leaf nose-to-curb, the Leaf doesn’t come in aqua, and, crucially, an old Leaf makes you look poor.
You can’t park a Leaf nose-to-curb: The Toplino is 100″ long vs. a typical car’s width of 67″ so parking it that way might get it smacked in the nose by a passing F-250.
the Leaf doesn’t come in aqua: Blue Ocean was one of the colors offered. If that’s not good enough Fiat Aqua is just a couple of rattlecans away.
crucially, an old Leaf makes you look poor: So what do you think this thing make you look like? Pretty sure it’s not “rich”. More like “clown”.
“So what do you think this thing make you look like? “
Poor AND sad?
That too.
It’s not. Hell, it’s not even better than a $2000 Leaf that needs a new HV battery because after you buy it and spend the money on a refurbished 30-40kwh pack, at worst it will cost the same as one of these Fiats… except you’ll have a vehicle that has double the range and be far more usable.
For $20k you can get a $2000 Leaf, have a brand new 30 kWh battery put in (I think the biggest that will fit)…
https://recharged.com/articles/how-much-is-a-nissan-leaf-battery
…and have plenty left over for an Aqua paint job/wrap if that’s your thing. New tires too. Hell, you could even have the seats reupholstered in 100% Scottish wool tartan if you wanted.
“30 kWh battery put in (I think the biggest that will fit)…”
Nah I think the early ones can also take the 40kwh pack. I recall reading about it and with more expensive mods, it’s even possible to install a 60kwh pack from the Leaf+
If so then go for it.
I took one look at this thing and thought, that looks like a Fiat-ized Citroen Ami. Then I read the copy.
This thing will get no takers.
It’s going to be a cool looking golf cart, which is boring, but if they could up the top speed to 50 and keep the range then I could be convinced to look at it if the pricing was attractive enough.
Yea – 28 mph would be limited to my neighborhood unless you want to take some very circuitous routes anywhere, and I’m in a decent-sized midwest college town.
It would probably be fine as a golf-cart replacement in retirement communities, but I struggle to see much other use with that speed limitation.
Yeah I’m in a small-medium sized East Coast city, but my commute to work is mostly spent on a 45mph road. Heck the route I usually take home is 55 so I could adapt and leave that out, but 28 won’t work as a commuter for hardly anyone, so yeah then it’s a retirement community cruiser and I really don’t think there’s enough of a market for that. Stellantis makes the weirdest decisions.
The speed limitation is the whole point of it, limited to 25mph, its classified as a low speed neighborhood electric vehicle, if it could do more than 25, it would have to comply with all of FMVSS, which it never could
I look forward to the Changli vs. Topolino comparison test.
After seeing a Stark Varg motor swap into an Ami, I know exactly what I’d be doing with one of these.
At first I read that as “Shark Vacuum Motor Swap”, which would be pretty funny.
I mean, it’s a great way to make the car suck even more.
Not the Panda, who cares.
Ever since the FCA merger I’ve been of the opinion, even stronger now, that the Panda 4×4 would sink without a trace on the US market as a Fiat...
But it’d be a million-selling segment-defining smash hit if they call it a Jeep.
That comment makes me sad.
I don’t think you’re wrong, it’s just upsetting to think about it.
The 500X was sold here as a Jeep Renegade, it didn’t exactly set fire to the sales charts.
The folks that make OneWheels now have a minibike with the same technology. It is a minibike that wheelies at the push of a button. I believe it is called the Antic. Throw that tech in a Topolino and I am second in line.
It’ll have to be modified for sale in the States. I’m expecting it’ll be sold with a lot of ‘for off-road use only’ – type asterisks, but if they can’t at least increase the speed limiter to like 45, it’d be DoA even to the Florida Boomers. My guess is they price it over $20k and pitch it as an accessory to rich people. That’s really the only way they can ever make it make financial sense.
I’m happy it’s coming, though, mostly so I can one day buy a clapped-out one for like $2k and put an Ami front and rear end on it.
The Florida Boomers you’re talking about are the ones driving electric vehicles limited to 25mph right now, this is exactly that sort of vehicle. If it could do 45, it wouldnt be classified as a neighborhood electric vehicle anymore and would have to meet all the same safety standards as a regular car.
Neighborhood Electric Vehicle is a classification the US DOT has had for decades for small electric vehicles governed to 25mph, with some limited safety equipment like seat belts, and which are road legal only on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or lower, that’s a well established category that has limited but lucrative use cases in certain specific areas, and its where this vehicle will play
The ultimate date night vehicle for The Villages. Even cooler than a ’57 Chevy golf cart.
Lean the seats back and put your dentures on the dashboard.
Panama (Hats)
The song also works with the subject crowd.
There’s no way they release this as-is for the US market. Minimum top speed would have to be 35, and even that would be slow. Most of the city streets where I live are 40.
Its going to be sold as a low speed neighborhood electric vehicle, which is what it already is, the Ami has a top speed of like 28mph, they just need to adjust the settings to 25 to meet US NEV regulations