This Week in the Auto Industry Dec. 8-12
- Avery Zimmerman
- Dec 12, 2025
- 2 min read
Fiat to Bring Its Tiny Topolino EV to the US
Just a week after President Trump expressed interest in kei cars, Stellantis announced that the adorable Fiat Topolino (Italian for "Little Mouse”) is headed to the U.S. for the first time. Details are coming next year, but the specs are delightfully tiny: 95 inches long, 60 inches high, 55 inches wide, an 8-hp motor, and a 5.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Before you get super excited, though, the Topolino will likely be categorized as a Low-Speed Vehicle, similar to a golf cart. They likely won't meet federal safety requirements for city streets.
Ford announced a partnership with Renault to build two affordable EVs for the European market using Renault's Ampere platform — the same platform used for the Renault 5 E-Tech. Some industry watchers think one of these new models could revive the Fiesta nameplate. The companies also plan to collaborate on light-duty commercial vehicles as well.
Subaru Uncharted to Start at $36,445
Subaru announced the pricing of its new electric model, the Uncharted, which will start at $36,445. For a deeper dive, you can check out Telemetry's Sam Abuelsamid's analysis over at Greencars.com.
Kia Debuts Second-Gen Seltos
Kia debuted its second-generation Seltos this week, ahead of its rollout next year as a 2027 model. The crossover grew about 2 inches in length and brings updated exterior styling, including a wider grille, redesigned star-map lighting, and flush door panels, as well as new interior tech.
Nissan announced a partnership with Wayve, a UK-based developer of assisted and automated driving software. The collaboration will support its next-generation ProPilot driver-assistance systems slated to launch next year.
The Fiat Topolino's 55-inch width is genuinely kei-car territory! I've been wondering how they'll classify that tiny battery pack for U.S. regulations. https://image-to-video.org
Fiat Topolino at 95 inches long and 55 inches wide? That's kei-car-level tiny for the U.S.! I've been using https://facefusion.pro
It's interesting how the auto industry keeps evolving, with these smaller, eco-friendly options becoming more common. I was just experimenting with some new creative tools myself, and it's amazing how much technology has advanced. I’ve been playing around with Omni Flash lately to see what I can whip up from text and images, and it’s pretty mind-blowing for generating short clips. Makes you wonder what kind of content we'll see alongside these innovative cars in the future!
The Fiat Topolino at 95 inches long and 55 inches wide is basically a kei car's adorably American cousin—can't wait to see how it's categorized and priced when details drop next year. I've been using https://nemotron-ai.com
The Fiat Topolino at 55 inches wide sounds like a dream for tight city parking — can't wait to see if that 8-hp motor holds up on highways. I've been using https://banana-nano.co