The Fiat 500 will return to the United States next year as an electric vehicle, because that’s the bargain good, dead cars have to make with the devil to get a second chance. It’s been scurrying about Europe for a few years now, which shouldn’t be surprising: Europe gets all the good cars first, and oftentimes, only. The 500e may still very well be too small to succeed in America, but fans shouldn’t fret, because it’s going to get a bigger sibling in the form of the Fiat 600.
The 600 was teased Friday in an official Italian-language Fiat video ambiguously titled “Open Doors.” It looks a lot like the old 500X, insofar as it’s a larger, lifted version of the current 500. Since we’ve all forgotten what the 500X looked like on account of never seeing a single one outside of Fiat’s 12 American showrooms, here’s a refresher:
Much like the 500X, the 600 appears to be the ideal Fiat for those who are fond of the 500e’s unique blend of chic and quirky, or perhaps get down with its humble efficiency, but don’t need or want to own something that actually embodies those values at all.
That’s a little mean but has to be said, because beneath the soft exterior and friendly face, the 600 is really just an SUV built on the very same CMP platform that underpins the Jeep Avenger. Coincidentally I just so happened to visit Italy last week and passed one of those on a car hauler on the highway, and it looked great.
The 600 was inevitable, then, and probably a shrewd marketing move on Stellantis’ behalf. It’s too early to tell if it’s due stateside but it must be, right? In what universe would Fiat sell the 500e to Americans and not this, the 500e: Big Edition? Then again, the Avenger on which the 600 is based is officially Not For Us, so the same fate could very well be true of Fiat’s take for regulatory reasons.
We’ve reached out to Fiat for comment, but as we always suggest with these matters, it’s unwise to hold your breath. Both because companies don’t like to answer questions about unannounced products but also, for god’s sake, no car is worth suffocating over. Breathe!