Fiat has announced its first-ever hybrid models, in the form of the 500 and Panda Mild Hybrid twins. These use a 1.0-litre three-cylinder 'FireFly' petrol motor with a 12-volt belt-integrated starter generator. Outputs are modest, with 70hp delivered at 6,000rpm and 92Nm from 3,500rpm, but they are said to improve fuel economy and CO₂ emissions over the 1.2-litre petrol engine they replace by up to 30 per cent. These are the first hybrids in the FCA Group and pave the way for an all-electric 500 later in 2020. The 500 Mild Hybrid arrives in February and the Panda Mild Hybrid follows in March, and there will be two high-spec 'Launch Edition' models with their own exterior treatment ('Hybrid' badging on the boot, a 'H' logo made of two dew drops on the B-pillar and exclusive Dew Green paint) and an interior featuring Seaqual Yarn seats; this is made from recycled plastic, with 10 per cent retrieved from the sea and the remainder coming from land-based materials.

Matt Robinson - 8 Jan 2020