FIAT'S toy town favourite 500 model has been around so long that it almost makes the Hole in the Wall Gang's material seem fresh.
OK, maybe it hasn't been around that long, but suffice it to say that the 500 arrived with us back in 2007, which is an epoch ago in new car terms.
Fiat has already plumbed a new mild hybrid drivetrain into the 500, so it will be with us for another while... during which it will be sold alongside this car - the all-new, all-electric 500. It remains to be seen just how confusing it will be to have two different, similar looking 500 models on sale at the same time.
Anyway, Fiat has clearly learned from the Mini playbook, with the newest 500 - Fiat calls it the car's 'third generation', and it looks exactly how you might have imagined it.
Crucially, it's a bit bigger than the current car. That wouldn't be difficult, of course, but 6cm more length and width, as well as a 2cm longer wheelbase, is nonetheless welcome.
The 500's most distinctive feature is its electric drivetrain, putting it in direct competition with the new wave of EV city cars from Mini, Honda, Peugeot and more.
Fiat claims up to 199 miles of range, putting it well ahead of the similarly style-focused Mini and Honda.
The 500 comes with an 85kW fast charge system which means, if you can find a powerful enough charging point, you can juice your 500 with 30 miles of range in five minutes.
It uses a single motor, rated at 117bhp, with 0-62mph taking 9.0 seconds. Top speed is 93mph.
It's also said to be the first city car with so-called level 2 autonomous driving capability. This means the car can look after braking and acceleration and stay in lane by itself... providing you keep your hands on the wheel, of course.
Two wacky features jump out of the information Fiat issued for the car's launch.
Electric cars, as you may know, are supposed to make a noise at low speeds so that pedestrians can hear them coming.
Rather than go for a droning sound or spaceship noise, Fiat has instead chosen to swerve what it calls "a common acoustic signal" and go for something altogether more unorthodox - the theme music of Federico Fellini's Amarcord, as composed by Nino Rota.
Fiat says this is "in pure Dolce Vita style, an example of the most authentic Italian creativity", though to Northern Ireland ears it may well sound more like an approaching ice cream van.
The other unusual feature is a 'sherpa' driving mode to complement the more explicable 'normal' and 'range' settings.
Fiat says this is 'in pure Dolce Vita style, an example of the most authentic Italian creativity', though to Northern Ireland ears it may well sound more like an approaching ice cream van
"Just like a 'Himalayan sherpa', who is in charge of the whole expedition and is a guide to the destination, this driving mode adjusts various parameters: maximum speed is limited to 50mph; accelerator response is managed in order to reduce energy consumption; and deactivation of both the climate control system and heated seats," explains Fiat. So there.
If you like the look of the 500 and the thought of having your own Sherpa in a car that sounds like Mr Whippy appeals, then you can already pre-order the high specification 'La Prima' launch edition, which gets a convertible roof.
It will cost £29,000 - a lot for a small car, but also a price point around which a lot of the new EVs seem to be gathering.
For all its apparent charm, the 500 is a car with which I've never got on very well. Perhaps the electric version will win me over...
