Italian car manufacturer Fiat has announced some significant changes to its next generation of 500s.

The Fiat 500 has played a huge role in the renaissance of the car giant, the company sold two million of the super minis in the first ten years of production and won more than 40 major awards including CAR Magazine Car of the Year on its launch. The original 500 was a rear-engined, four-seat, small city car produced between 1957 and 1975, but the next generation is firmly focused on the future.

The Fiat 500e will be launched at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show and will sit on a bespoke electric car platform according to Fiat boss Olivier Francois who made the announcement this week.

"The car will stay true to everything you know about the 500, but will be entirely new," said Francois. "Under the skin it will be radically different, but otherwise you will recognise the size and proportions.

“But it is a big statement, starting our electric path with the 500. We are doing it with that car for reasons of pricing. It is clear that we cannot sell an electric 500 for the same entry price of today’s 500, but what’s clear is that more than half of our 500 customers today do not buy entry-level models. In fact, for them a 24,000 euro price is normal today.

“If you look at our electric competition, they are priced around 32,000 euros. The leap then from 24,000 to 32,000 is not so much, especially if you factor in government grants for electric vehicles.”

Fiat also announced they would relaunch the 500 Giardiniera, an extended wagon-style city car which was marketed by the Italian firm from 1960 to 1975.

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