The whispers were accurate. Fiat has announced that the most recent 500 would, in fact, come with a combustion engine. The hatchback will run on gasoline even though it was only ever intended to be an electric city vehicle at launch—there has been no mention of an ICE version. The parent firm Stellantis has said that starting in 2026, a hybrid 500 will be produced at the Italian Mirafiori plant.

Automakers are obviously having to change their plans as a result of the cooling off EV industry. Many believed that ICE cars would eventually be replaced by electric vehicles, but since EV subsidies are gradually being cut, and in some cases completely withdrawn, customers are reevaluating their alternatives.

It would be fascinating to see if a hybrid version of the high-performance Abarth 500e will be released alongside the new 500, which will gain a gas engine. Similar to the previous generation model with the Fiat brand, Abarth continues to provide the sporty 500 with a traditional engine.

Fiat said a few years back that it will transition to all-electric vehicles by the end of the decade. It's unclear, though, if that is still taking place. Several companies have likewise postponed their goals of being EV-only until beyond 2030.

In similar news, Stellantis plans to use the Melfi facility in Italy to produce a hybrid Jeep Compass. Although no other information was provided, we anticipate that it will be based on the third-generation model. The present crossover is getting on in age, having been in production since 2016.

Speaking about vintage vehicles still in production, the Italian carmaker has stated that it may still offer the Panda in 2029, when it will have turned eighteen. To commemorate 125 years of Fiat, the next-generation model is scheduled to launch on July 11 and cohabit happily alongside it.