Fiat Considers 73mph Speed Limit for New Vehicles

ONE of the UK’s most popular car brands is considering capping the top speed of some of its vehicles at just 73mph. Fiat has revealed it would “happily” impose a firm speed limit on certain models rather than fitting expensive and unnecessary technology. Under EU law, all new motor vehicles – including cars, vans and trucks – must be equipped with a wide range of Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS). These include reversing cameras and sensors, warnings to detect drowsiness, emergency stop signals, lane-keeping assistance and automated braking. The technology forms part of the EU’s General Safety Regulation, a long-term strategy aimed at cutting deaths and serious injuries on Europe’s roads. Officials estimate the measures could save more than 25,000 lives and prevent 140,000 serious accidents by 2038. Further requirements are also on the way. From July 2026, all new vehicles will need advanced driver distraction warnings, improved durability standards and stronger, longer-lasting safety glass. However, Fiat’s Olivier François has questioned whether such technology makes sense for small, city-focused cars. The company boss said Fiat could instead place a strict speed cap on vehicles such as the ever-popular 500 and Panda, which are mainly used in cities where speed limits are far lower. “I have a hard time understanding why we need to install all this super-expensive hardware: sensors, cameras, road sign recognition,” François said. “All this is a little bit inadequate, a bit crazy, and it has contributed to raising the average price of a city car by 60 per cent over the last five or six years.” He added that much of the technology is designed for cars capable of far higher speeds than are legally permitted. “If you take the average legal maximum speed in Europe, it’s 118kph [73mph],” François explained. “Above 118kph is often illegal, and most of the radars, ADAS and all this stuff has been developed for cars to go way above the speed limit. “I would happily limit my city cars, my smaller cars, to what is today the maximum legal speed limit. It’s already a limitation. There is something weird about having to over-spec my cars to go above the legal speed limit.” He said many Fiat models are designed specifically for urban environments and are often driven by younger motorists who typically travel shorter distances. Alongside the debate over regulation, Fiat has been making moves to boost electric vehicle sales. The manufacturer recently launched its new E-Grant scheme, offering savings of up to £4,040 on selected models. The Italian brand already sells the Grande Panda Electric, 600e, 500e and the upcoming Topolino quadricycle. Thanks to the scheme, buyers can now pick up a Fiat 500e from £20,995 or a 600e from £26,750, with savings of £4,040 and £3,285 respectively.