Stellantis said Tuesday that U.S. customers can now order the Fiat Topolino, an all-electric microvehicle priced from $13,995. The company says the vehicle will arrive in limited numbers this year.
Although the Topolino has the look of a small city car, the vehicle is classified as a quadricycle. Stellantis said it can travel up to 19 mph on its own and has an electric driving range of as much as 46 miles. A low-speed vehicle conversion kit is included at no extra charge and raises the top speed to 25 mph, allowing it to be used on roads with posted limits of 35 mph or less. A required destination fee of $990 lifts the total price to $14,985, a company spokeswoman said.
The Topolino, whose name means “little mouse” in Italian, is built in Morocco. Stellantis said the U.S. lineup will include a hardtop version with doors and a “Dolce Vita” convertible version with a rope in place of doors. Fiat brand chief executive Olivier Francois said the model is intended to represent a new direction for the brand in the U.S.
Background on the U.S. launch
Stellantis, which also owns Jeep and Dodge, confirmed late last year that it would bring the vehicle to the U.S. The decision followed renewed attention on small Japanese kei cars after President Donald Trump discussed them during a White House meeting with Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa and other auto executives. Small Fiats have historically struggled in the U.S. market, with domestic Fiat sales falling from 43,772 vehicles in 2012, its first full year in the country, to about 1,300 last year.
Source: cnbc.com
