FIAT'S fully electric new 500 city car will be priced from £19,995 when it arrives in the UK early next year.

It will have a range of up to 199 miles on a single charge - the greatest of any little EV at the moment.

With two battery options - 24kWh and 42kWh - the car will be available in both hatchback and cabriolet body styles with the latter priced from £26,145.

The new 500 range is made up of three trim levels - Action, Passion and Icon and the entry-level car has a 70kW motor giving it a performance of 0 to 60mph in 9.5 seconds and a top speed limited to 84mph.

The Action has the smaller battery which gives it an overall range of 115 miles increasing to 150 miles when driving at city speeds.

Fiat says that the Action model can be charged up to complete an average daily commute of some 30 miles in just 10 minutes, while Passion and Icon versions fitted with the larger battery have a range of up to 199 miles increasing to 285 miles in the city.

The higher grade cars feature fast charging which allows a recharge of up to 80 per cent range in 35 minutes or a 30 mile commute in around five minutes.

Passion models cost from £23,495 after the Government grant for low emission vehicles while Icon trim cars are priced from £24,995.

With a more powerful engine which develops 118hp the Passion and Icon versions have a 0 to 60 acceleration time of nine seconds and a maximum of 93mph.

The new 500 is fitted with a range of driver safety systems allowing it to fulfil Level 2 autonomous driving regulations and is fitted with three drive modes - normal, range and Sherpa - which can enable single-pedal operation and set the car up either to reach its destination or a charging point without running out of power.

While Active trim is available only on the hatch, cabrio versions will top out at £27,645 in Icon grade.

The new 500 is Fiat's first electric model and the company has also announced plans for a 3+1 version initially only for left-hand drive markets which features a small third door on the passenger side at the rear as was the case with the original 500 when it was launched in 1957.

Production of the all-electric model will be done at Fiat's Mirafiori plant in Turin which sees the return of the car to its spiritual home.

To mark the occasion the company is planning to create Europe's highest hanging garden on the roof of its Lignotto premises in the city.

Fiat says that it plans to have the new 500 on sale in Britain next March.