Yahoo Autos Fiat Is Killing the 500 Minicar in the U.S.
Fiat has announced the death of the iconic 500 minicar in the U.S..
The regular 500, convertible 500C, electric 500e, and hot-rod 500 Abarth are all finished after the 2019 model year.
The 500L station wagon, 500X crossover, and 124 Spider sports car all remain in the lineup.
Fiat's spunky 500 minicar—including electric, convertible, and Abarth variants—will not continue on in the North American market for the 2020 model year. Fiat Chrysler unceremoniously announced the death of the brand's iconic two-door model in a 68-word press release.
The revived 500 burst onto the scene in 2007 and is credited with Fiat's resurgence in Europe. It also helped re-launch the Italian marque in North America in 2011 as a 2012 model. It failed to catch on with American consumers despite its fuel-efficient powertrain, too-cute looks, and European novelty. Sales reached a high of 43,772 units in the U.S. in 2012, but fell steeply after that. In recent years, FCA has offered big rebates, slashed the price, and revamped the lineup, but these attempts at gaining traction haven't worked, as FCA only sold 5370 units in all of 2018 and only moved 1692 cars through the first half of 2019.
Despite the fact that the rest of Fiat's lineup is selling even worse than the 500, the maligned 500L station wagon soldiers on for another model year, as does the Jeep Renegade-based 500X crossover and the Mazda Miata-clone 124 Spider.
A facelifted 500 launched in Europe in 2016 but few of that model's improvements made it stateside. The company's reluctance to invest in the North American model should have been our first clue to its impending demise. A full redesign of the car is due shortly and is said to be offered only as an electric car, but it's unclear at this time if FCA plans to bring the next-generation model to our shores.
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