It’s a tough time for cars in North America. Despite a continued focus on fuel economy and urban practicality, SUVs and crossovers continue to chip away at the market for cars. While sedans are rightly being punished for their sheer unnecessity, hatchbacks, wagons, and subcompacts are feeling the heat, too.
The Fiat 500 is the most recent victim of the shrinking subcompact market. Much like the now-departed Smart, the 500 failed to really gain a foothold in the American market, despite the fact that, unlike with the Smart, the 500 could actually be fun to drive.
Instead of providing an alternative karting-like experience to the Mini Cooper, the Fiat 500 instead fell between the cracks. The Abarth offered that solution, but it seems that people who enjoy driving would rather look like assholes (see: Mustangs, Corvettes, anything from a German tuning house) then like dorks.
Reintroduced to this side of the Atlantic in 2011, the 500’s greatest contribution to FCA was likely the curve it offered CAFE standards. It certainly wasn’t the windfall from the 69 units* sold so far this year.
FCA has Sold Only 69 Units of the Fiat 500 this Year
It’s all-electric sibling, the 500E is also dead for 2020. This iteration of the platform really should’ve found an audience. With the combination of small size and high torque offered by electric motors, it suffered from its paltry 84-mile range and extra weight making it both impractical and a bore to drive.
The death of the 500 doesn’t mean that Fiat’s done on these shores, however. The 500X, based as it is on the Jeep Renegade platform (ugh) stands to break down another day. So too does MX-5-based 124 Spider.
Oddest yet is the continued existence of the 500L. While it shares the same platform as the Renegade and 500X (have we said ugh?), it’s the fact that there’s still interest in this and not the 500 that’s so curious. Don’t ask for an explanation for this metaphor, but the 500L is the auto equivalent of a tuxedo t-shirt. Make of that what you will.
Anyway, so long, 500. We hardly drove ye.
* heh. 69. heh. units