Urban mobility is a buzzword in the Western world, especially in the Old Continent. Groupe PSA brand Citroen launched the Citroen Ami in 2020 with the sole purpose of dominating the four-wheeled urban mobility segment in Europe. An electric quadricycle rather than a true car, the Ami – which means friend in French – has a quirkier brother in the form of the Fiat Topolino.
First and foremost, Topolino is the nickname given by the public to the original 500 from 1936 through 1955. Topolino means little mouse in English, yet it also stands for Mickey Mouse in Italy. A very different animal from the progenitor, the all-electric model is described as La Dolce Vita meets urban mobility.
Targeted at motorists as young as 14 years old, the 2024 Fiat Topolino flaunts a few eccentricities you would not expect from a microcar. The headliner is a hand shower, which makes plenty of sense if you use a Topolino rental to go sunbathing on Italy's superb Amalfi Coast.
Pictured with a color-matched portable fan, as well as a color-matched wireless speaker, this cute little thing comes in two main specifications. The Topolino features actual doors, while La Dolce Vita rocks nautical-style ropes and a retractable cloth roof.
Both versions come in Verde Vita (as in green life), and both come with a rear luggage rack. In addition to said trims, Fiat offers five optional accessories: the Dolcevita Box rear luggage rack back, the aforementioned fan and speaker, a thermal bottle, and seat covers that can also be used as towels. In a world of relatively boring cars, the Topolino breaks the norm with its quirkiness.
The list price back home in Italy is €9,890 or $10,775 at current exchange rates, which makes the Fiat slightly more expensive than the Citroen Ami. Given how different these siblings are, let's say that Fiat is fully entitled to charge more for the all-new Topolino.
Prospective customers will vote with their wallets, though, and there's no denying the Ami will outsell the newcomer. But knowing Fiat, the Topolino wasn't designed to sell by the bucketload. It's a four-wheeled statement from Italy's largest automaker, which is currently pivoting to an electric-only vehicle range.
Speaking of range, 75 kilometers (just under 57 miles) will have to make do. The lithium-ion battery pack of the front-wheel-drive microcar is rated at 5.4 kilowatt hours, and this relatively small battery weighs merely 65 kilograms (make that 143 pounds). The DIN curb weight is 562 kilograms (1,239 pounds), of which the driver accounts for 75 kilograms (165 pounds).
Equipped with 155/65 by 14-inch tires at every corner, the cutesy microcar belts out 6 kW (8.2 ps or 8.0 hp) and 44 Nm (32 lb-ft). Don't even ask about zero to 60 – or zero to 100 given that it's a European model – because the Topolino cannot reach those speeds. The most this quadricycle can offer is 45 kilometers per hour (28 miles per hour), and zero to 45 takes 10 seconds flat.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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