Fiat Unveils Stylish Variants of the 2024 500e EVs, Teases Exciting Future Plans. Fiat introduces two new trims for the 2024 500e, each showcasing distinct themes: Music and Beauty.
The “Inspired by Music” trim boasts a sleek Tuxedo Black exterior, accented by a chrome door strip, cream interior upholstery, and a premium JBL stereo system.
On the other hand, the “Inspired by Beauty” variant gleams in rose gold, offering a luxurious aesthetic alongside exclusive features not found in the earlier Inspi(RED) model. Exciting plans for future releases include potential collaborations with fashion brands and destination-inspired designs.
The “Inspired by Music” trim of the Fiat 500e draws inspiration from the elegance of sheet music, showcasing a glossy Tuxedo Black exterior paint complemented by cream-white interior upholstery. The addition of a chrome strip along the car’s side and intricately designed wheels enhances its sophisticated appearance, resembling attire fit for a night out.
What sets this trim apart is its seven-speaker sound system, meticulously crafted by JBL and fine-tuned by renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Offering an immersive experience, the system can emulate four distinct venues, transforming the cabin into a recording studio, a cozy living room, an expansive open-air arena, or the prestigious Giuseppe Verdi Opera House in Pisa, Italy.
On the other hand, the “Inspired by Beauty” variant captivates with its Rose Gold exterior hue, leaning towards a delicate pink tone, harmonizing with its cream-colored interior.
Fans of Fiat may recognize this model from a recent commercial featuring Jennifer Lopez, where the European-spec version was showcased with minimal alterations.
Both new models surpass the previous Inspi(RED) edition with added luxuries, such as a vinyl-wrapped dashboard, doorsill protection plates, heated exterior mirrors, chrome accents, and heated front seats.
Moreover, Fiat has equipped them with enhanced driver-assistance technologies, including lane-keeping assist, 360-degree exterior parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high-beam headlamps, and adaptive cruise control with lane centering.
In an exclusive interview with Car and Driver, Aamir Ahmed, Fiat’s head of North American operations, shed light on the brand’s future direction and upcoming releases.”Fiat is a brand that embraces its uniqueness,” stated Ahmed.
“We don’t conform to traditional mass-market norms when introducing vehicles. Instead, we aim to infuse excitement and creativity into our launches, scheduling them strategically throughout the year to keep our audience engaged.”
The concept behind Fiat’s themed editions of the 500e is to offer unique, curated versions that are tailored to specific themes, providing buyers with a straightforward purchasing experience while allowing Fiat’s designers to imbue each car with distinct personalities.
By offering these themed editions as the only option, Fiat simplifies the ordering process for dealers and buyers alike, ensuring that each vehicle is built according to the theme’s specifications.
“A lot of these cars are extensions of our personalities, and they get personified,” explained Aamir Ahmed, Fiat’s head of North American operations. “And it’s those traits that kind of make it feel like a friend of ours, right? Not in a cheesy way, but in a real way.
At the same time, we know all of the people that typically buy these cars; they’re not vanilla buyers either. You have your passions and enthusiasms in life, and we want to go down that path with you.”
Looking ahead, Fiat plans to draw inspiration from various sources for future product releases. Collaborations with fashion houses are highly probable, drawing on the brand’s successful history of such partnerships.
For instance, the previous-generation car featured a high-end Gucci trim level in North America, while in Europe, a nautical-themed 500 was created in collaboration with luxury yacht maker Riva.
“There are a variety of different genres that we’re looking at, like sports, travel, for instance,” Ahmed continued. “There are a lot of cities that we get inspired by. So we’re going to find ways to continue to show these inspirations moving forward and build these kinds of one-off vehicles.
And then on top of that, later in the year, we’ll have a mic drop moment, and we’ll have another drop that’s akin to what we did with Gucci in the past, where we look at who is a legendary Italian design house and forge a relationship with that partner.”
Despite the recent slump in EV sales, Aamir Ahmed remains committed to Fiat’s environmental image in the U.S. market. While acknowledging the need for potential strategy adjustments, Ahmed emphasizes Fiat’s dedication to sustainability.
The previous-generation 500 is still available in other regions with a hybrid powertrain, reflecting a growing consumer interest in hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the United States.
“Electrification, at its core, will be at the center of everything we do,” Ahmed asserted. “If it’s 100 percent EV or if it’s hybrids, we’re still studying. But for now, it is going to be an electric brand. We need to be customer-centric, but we also need to be environmentally conscious too.
So if we were to go down that path, it would still be environmentally conscious, but we’ll study what that is, and if customers are begging us to do something, then we’ll certainly listen.”
Moreover, Ahmed anticipates expansion in Fiat’s U.S. lineup, contrary to previous expectations. While the possibility of an Abarth performance variant is enticing, Ahmed suggests that introducing a small crossover to replace the 500X could be a more strategic move.
Fiat launched an SUV-like 600 model in Europe last year, offering both hybrid and full-electric powertrains, and recently unveiled a series of Panda concepts believed to preview future production vehicles.
“Stay tuned, because we don’t anticipate this brand being a one-vehicle brand forever,” Ahmed hinted. “We’re going to continue to explore what the best options are for the U.S. market and how they complement the 500. Because Fiat is 500 and 500 is Fiat, and I’ll never do anything to jeopardize the 500.”
The 500e is just beginning its journey in the U.S., and according to Ahmed, this innovative marketing strategy will keep the vehicle fresh and exciting without the need for costly mid-generation styling updates.
“With our approach to the market through these drops, we’ll continue to invigorate the life cycle of this car,” Ahmed explained. “We don’t have to adhere to the traditional cycle. We’re going to explore a lot of innovative approaches for our company in the U.S., and it will help us further expand the brand.”
Meanwhile, the two new Inspired By models are now available for ordering, each priced at $36,000, including destination. The initial drop, the all-red Inspi(RED) model designed in support of the global AIDS charity (RED), is also still available, retailing for a slightly lower price of $34,095.