The next generation of the FIAT 500 family has arrived stateside, and they’ve come to party. From Italy to the United States, along with the upcoming single “Sexy People” from Pitbull featuring Arianna, the FIAT 500 is sure to attract attention. When Fiat revealed the 500e at the L.A. Auto Show, it estimated that its first U.S. electric car would score a miles per gallon gasoline equivalent fuel economy of 116 mpg-e city, 100 mpg-e highway and 108 mpg-e. The official Environmental Protection Agency rating is in, and it’s significantly better than estimated. The EPA rates the 2013 500e at 122 mpg-e city, 108 mpg-e highway and 116 mpg-e combined. Fiat says that the 108 mpg-e highway figure is the best among U.S.-market electric vehicles.
The combined figure falls short of a couple competitors, including the Honda Fit EV (118 mpg-e) and Scion iQ (121 mpg-e). The 500e’s range also gets a boost from the EPA. The agency’s testing indicates the car will travel 87 miles (140 km) per charge, which bests Fiat’s estimated 80 miles (129 km).
Fiat is also happy to report that the annual fuel costs are estimated at an even $500. The mini-EV’s consumption is 29 kilowatts per 100 miles. The 500e is powered by a 111-hp electric motor. Fiat added a series of eight aerodynamic improvements to the car to boost aerodynamics by 13 percent.
The Fiat brand is playing the immigration card in a new commercial for the 500 city car family that includes the regular hatchback, the canvas-topped 500C and the sporty Abarth models. The TV spot that is titled “Immigrants” is available in 30-, 60- and 90-second versions, and will run on local and national broadcast and cable channels beginning on Monday. It tells the tale of the 500’s departure from the beautiful Amalfi coast and Sorrento in Italy with several cars jumping into the sea and driving under water all the way to New York City.
At the same time, we’re listening to the sounds of a popular Italian song called ‘Torna a Surriento,'(Come Back to Sorrento) sung by international artist, Arianna and composed by Flavio Ibba.”‘Immigrants’ tells the story of ‘FIAT’s resurgence in America in a manner that is smart, unexpected and stylish while introducing viewers to our product portfolio,” explained Fiat CEO, Olivier Francois.
“We are proud and thankful to be back in this country and we wanted to capture the viewer’s attention in a way that is impactful, visually-appealing and entertaining, while reinforcing our distinctive Italian origin,” he added. You can check out Fiat’s new 500 ad in the video that follows below.