Fiat CEO on the Brand's Future: 'Fiat Is the 500, No Other Car'

• Fiat CEO Olivier François told Car and Driver at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show that the future of the brand does not include a next-generation 500X SUV.

• The electric 500e minicar will be the primary focus starting in 2024 as the company shifts its North American strategy.

• That strategy could include subscriptions and car-sharing options.

Fiat is discontinuing its SUV and shifting its focus back to the 500 minicar, as the Cinquecento's North American return was announced today at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show. The brand currently has one model on sale in the U.S.—the 500X SUV—but Fiat boss Olivier François told Car and Driver that it will be phased out after this current generation.

"Fiat is the 500, no other car," François said. "I have a very clear plan to not do anything else than the 500."

Fiat says the current 500X will be available through the end of its current generation, although it declined to say exactly when that will be. We expect it will soldier on at least until the 500e officially launches in America in 2024.

François also explained that the future of the brand on U.S. shores is to serve as a learning opportunity for parent company Stellantis as it eyes a transition to electric vehicles. Experimentation with digital sales, monthly subscription services, limited-release specialty models, and even a car-sharing service are all possibilities for Fiat when the 500e goes on sale in 2024.