Thinking about buying a small city car but don’t want to cycle to work, don’t want to use public transport? you might be in luck because good old Fiat has fitted the 500 and Panda with good old modern hybrid technology. Hybrid Launch Editions provide exclusive exterior paint colour and interior fabrics, priced at £16,795 OTR for 500 and £14,385 OTR for Panda. The next-generation Fiat 500 will become 100 percent electric and will play a key role in the FCA e-Mobility strategy.

The 500 and Panda will be available with a new petrol mild hybrid engine that combines the latest 3-cylinder FireFly 1.0-litre engine with a 12-volt Belt-integrated Starter Generator (BSG) electric motor and a lithium battery that delivers 70hp (51kW).

Compared to the outgoing 1.2-litre 69hp petrol engine, the mild hybrid version improves fuel efficiency, reducing CO₂ emissions on the road by up to 30 percent without impeding performance. The 500 Mild Hybrid has CO₂ emissions as low as 88g/km (NEDC2) with the Panda at 89g/km (NEDC2).

Fuel economy for the 500 stands at 53.3mpg (WLTP Combined), while the Panda returns 49.6mpg (WLTP Combined). The BSG system also ensures a very high standard of driving comfort thanks to the BSG system, allowing for a quiet, vibration-free restart of the internal combustion engine in Stop&Start mode.

As usual expect a good amount of standard kit, costly optional extras and a technology overdose. Pricing for the Fiat 500 Mild Hybrid starts from £12,665 on-the-road (OTR) and pricing for the Fiat Panda Mild Hybrid starts from £13,855 OTR.