Hugely popular brand slashes price of 2 models by £1,000s after drop in sales in 2024 – with sporty hatch now under £30k

A HUGELY popular brand has slashed the price of two models by thousands after a drop in sales last year.

The Fiat 600e Crossover and its Abarth 500e Hot Hatch stablemate are now going for a bargain price.

It is hoped that the major discounts will help encourage drivers to switch to electric.

Fiat and Abarth’s UK marketing director, Giuseppe Cava, said the special prices would help customers who are put off by "the perceived high cost of EV purchase to make the switch more affordable than ever for all buyers";.

Both mini but mighty cars now have a starting price of £29,975 after up to £4,220 was taken off their price tags.

Both models are now part of the Fiat E-Grant, an incentive to urge drivers to switch to electric which now applies to on-the-road prices.

The brand introduced the grant in 2023 for the 500e city car which saw the Fiat offer £3,000 towards the retail price of the vehicle.

All customers, both retail and fleet, will be able to benefit from the grant.

The OTR price of the Fiat 6000e is slashed by up to £4,020 and the Abarth 500 e by up to £4,220.

This new pricing was made available to all customers from January 1.

Cava said: "We’re delighted to start the New Year by evolving the FIAT E-Grant.

"A year and a half after we became the first to launch this type of electric car incentive, we’re proud to be able to integrate the savings into our on-the-road pricing and thereby extend the savings to even more customers.

"Our own research has already revealed that many consumers are put off by the perceived high cost of EV purchase, so by integrating the E-Grant saving for Fiat 600e and Abarth 500e we’re helping to make the switch more affordable than ever for all buyers."

"We are proud that both Fiat 600e and Abarth 500e are award-winning models and by integrating the E-Grant we hope to give more drivers across the UK an even greater reason to consider them," he added.

It comes after Fiat saw sales drop by 14 per cent last year compared with 2023.

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders also revealed that across the whole market, just one in ten private buyers chose an EV.

But in positive news for Abarth, its sales increased by almost 16 per cent last year.

SPECIFICATIONS

The Fiat 600E features three driving modes - eco, sport and normal and can accelerate from 0-62 mph in just 9.0 seconds.

It has an output of 115kW and 260Nm torque with a battery capacity of 54kWh giving the vehicle over 250 miles of range in real-world driving cycle (WLTP) and up to 375 miles in the urban cycle.

This makes the vehicle aimed at family the ideal car for urban living and getaways to the country.

Meanwhile, the sporty Abarth 500e can go from 0-62 mph in seven seconds accompanied with a sound generator that gives drivers that throaty exhaust sound of its traditional hot hatches.

The 42kWh battery alongside an e-motor makes 113.7 kW and 235Nm of torque giving it a range of up to 224 miles.

But the battery alone gives it only up to 157 miles of range.

The Sun previously reported on a little-known car brand that has released a £15,000 EV in the UK.