The Fiat 500X will be a one-and-done affair in the United States as the small crossover won't be renewed for a second generation. Speaking with Motor Trend at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the company's CEO Olivier Francois announced the scheduled demise of the subcompact model: "When it dies, it dies. We will not replace it." The head honcho went on to say that "Fiat is not here to be everything to everyone everywhere."
The Italian brand plans to focus solely on the 500 city car, which will go on sale in the US in early 2024. Customers will be able to place an order six months beforehand, but it's unclear whether both the hatchback and convertible body styles are coming or just the former. Hopefully, the Abarth 500e introduced earlier this week in Europe is coming to this side of the pond. It could happen as Olivier admitted he "would love to offer it in the US at some point."
2022 Fiat 500X
Although Fiat USA discontinued the gasoline-fueled, previous-generation 500 in late 2019, the model is still sold on the Old Continent. Not only that, but Abarth updated its performance derivative for the 2023MY. However, Fiat has no intentions of bringing back the ICE-powered model as the plan is to exclusively sell the latest-generation, electric-only model. The 500L minivan is not returning either.
There's no word about how much the 2024 500e will cost in the US, but Olivier warns us it "will be expensive." In addition, limited-run special editions could carry "ridiculously high" price tags. Fiat's CEO is aware the pint-sized EV won't be a huge commercial hit in North America and finds it acceptable to sell just 10,000 cars annually. The electric hatch won't be offered nationwide but its availability will go beyond the states that have ZEV program.
Fiat intends to show the US-bound 2024 500e at next year's Los Angeles Auto Show. It's expected to look virtually the same as its European counterpart, save for the changes necessary to meet regulations. It'll be offered with the larger of the two batteries, a 42-kWh pack, and in just one trim level.
