New electric Fiat 500 to cost from under £23,000
Fiats new electric 500 model will cost from £22,995 before the £3,000 plug-in car grant is deducted when the car arrives in the UK early next year.
The new model will come with a choice of 24kWh and 42kWh batteries, offering an official range from 115 and 186 miles respectively, and be offered in hatchback and cabrio bodystyles.
The entry price of under £20,000 after the Government grant is included is for the entry model in Action specification, with the longer-range battery coming in the higher Passion and Icon trims, as well as the entry La Prima trim, which start from £26,495 before grant.
Order books open in December.
What3words added to manufacturer navigation systems
The what3words system of pinpointing a location to within three square metes is to be added to the HERE navigation platform owned by Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler, which provides data to companies including Ford, VW, Jaguar Land Rover, Hyundai and Kia.
“HERE is the richest, most accurate and freshest mapping system on the market and it now comes with the easiest way to communicate a location,” said Chris Sheldrick, CEO and co-founder of what3words. “Using a traditional address in a vehicle can be a bad experience. They are clunky and lengthy to type, and even a voice assistant will often mishear you. Once the address is accepted, it won’t take you to a precise location, such as the specific entrance you need, it’ll route you to where the pin drops – which is often the centre of the building. By using what3words, drivers need simply to enter three words and know they will arrive at that precise 3-metre square.”
Six new Merc EV models planned
Mercedes has confirmed plans for six new models under its EQ branding.
First up will be a small crossover called EQA, with the EQB SUV also coming in 2021 alongside the EQS electric version of the new S-Class. The executive saloon EQE and large SUVs, branded EQE SUV and EQS SUV, complete the line-up that already boasts the EQC launched last year and the new EQV people carrier.