Fiat will introduce a third new electric model in the UK next year with the arrival of the Topolino. Based on the platform and running gear of the Citroen Ami and Opel Rocks, Fiat’s version is set to be the cutest model to be spun off Stellantis’s attention-grabbing urban microcar. 

Like the Ami and Rocks, the Topolino is technically a quadricycle rather than a car, and comes with the same advantages and disadvantages as its stablemates. But where the Citroen and Opel have both opted for a modern design, the Topolino unashamedly borrows styling features from older models. The original 1936 Topolino (which means small mouse in Italian) was one of Fiat’s most successful model and set the template for the 500 that arrived in 1957. The new 2024 Topolino borrows styling features from both classic models, along with low-volume specials such as the Jolly beach car. 

The Topolino will come to the UK next year in two forms, hard-top and more intriguingly a semi-cabrio version badged Dolce Vita. Both will be sold in a single colour: Verde Vita and will feature a 5.5kWh battery pack that will deliver up to 47 miles of range. Like the Ami and Rocks, the Topolino’s classification as a quadricycle rather than a car means that it is legally limited to a top speed of 28mph. The Topolino will also be left-hand drive due to the prohibitive cost of converting the platform to right-hand drive. 

Where the Topolino differs from its French and German stablemates is in the level of personalisation available to customers. The hardtop version can be customised with wood effect stickers on the doors, while in the open version, a striped vinyl can be added to the roof. Both versions are equipped with vintage chrome effect mirrors and what Fiat describes as a Rear Carriage Dolce Vita Box. 

The Dolce Vita comes with door ropes and branded door sills as standard while the hard-top version has conventional doors and a roof blind. Customers can also add some rather unusual optional extras including a shower attachment, a dashboard-mounted fan and seat covers that double up as beach towels. 

Fiat is expected to confirm UK pricing and specifications later this year ahead of deliveries in 2024.