First Drive: The new Fiat 600e brings style and value to the compact electric car segment

What is it?

Fiat is famous for being masters of the small family car, and yet it last offered a ‘B-segment’ supermini way back in 2018 with the Punto. But now the Italian firm is back with a two-pronged attack. A new electric Panda will be revealed in 2024, but first there’s this – the 600e.

Designed to be a bigger brother to the all-electric 500e, the 600e is a family hatchback but with a slightly rugged, crossover look just like its sibling, the Citroen e-C4.

What’s new?

Well, everything on the outside to be frank. The 600e doesn’t replace an existing model – the slightly larger but visually similar 500X will remain on sale for the time being – but it does revive a model name last used in 2010 on an Italy-only model (formerly the Seicento).

While the outside is new, underneath it’s all pretty familiar thanks to Fiat being part of the massive Stellantis automotive powerhouse. As such the 600e uses similar mechanicals to other EVs such as the recently-launched Jeep Avenger.

What’s under the bonnet?

Similar mechanicals is probably putting it mildly as the 600e pretty much pinches the Avenger’s electric powertrain entirely. So, there’s the same  154bhp electric motor powering the front wheels only, and Stellantis’ latest 54kWh battery pack.

For the 600e, Fiat claims a WLTP-tested electric range of 252 miles combined and a max charging speed of 100kW, which means a 20 to 80 per cent top-up at a suitable roadside charging point will take less than 30 minutes. The on-board 11kW charger means an overnight charge at home will be completed in less than six hours, but Fiat will charge you a hefty £400 for a Mode 2 charging cable.

Just like Jeep announced with its Avenger earlier this year, Fiat will also bring a petrol version of the 600 to the UK due to current sluggish sales of EVs amongst private buyers. The 128bhp 1.2-litre mild-hybrid petrol will be paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, and is expected to land in Britain next year.

What’s it like to drive?

Fiat worked hard on giving the 500e a more grown up and comfortable feel, and it’s clear that’s been carried over to the larger 600e, too. The most impressive aspect is ride comfort as the 600e shrugs off potholes and imperfections in the road with impressive ease. We tested the car on crumbling roads in Turin, Italy, and lumpier, more undulating stretches of asphalt high in the hills above the city and the 600e felt very polished. Hitting a pothole is transmitted to the cabin more by the sound of the wheel hitting the hole rather than the car’s body shaking.

This soft suspension tune does translate into body roll during fast cornering, and coupled with light steering the 600e isn’t what you’d call a sporting electric hatchback to drive. It isn’t quick, either, with 0-60mph taking nine seconds and even with the throttle is pinned to the floor the 600e is sprightly rather than fast. But there’s more than enough performance for pottering around town and normal everyday driving.

How does it look?

Fiat has long struggled with enlarging the 500’s cheeky look into a larger package, with the 500X and 500L being proof of this. The 600e is arguably the best attempt yet at a larger 500, but we’d stop short of saying it’s pretty in perhaps the way you might expect it to be. Like with the 500e and Mini with its new Cooper hatchback, chrome is out and in are cleaner surfaces, with just a sprinkling of bright work added to around the 600’s windows and along the bottom of the doors.

It’s an attractive shape, particularly at the rear, but the heavy-lidded headlamps, the slitty upper vent beneath the ‘600’ badge and fussy grilles at the bottom of the bumper are just a bit too ungainly, we feel.

What’s it like inside?

You might be surprised to hear the interior is very Jeep too, as the 600e poaches a lot of the Avenger’s dashboard. The centre console with its quirky i-Pad-like cover, 10.25-inch touchscreen, and upper and lower elements are all carried over. The La Prima models add a ivory-painted panel across the centre of the dashboard and ‘Fiat’ embossed seats to add some retro flair, but the interior is more pleasant rather than feeling special. One reason for this is the interior quality – the dashboard and doors are covered in hard plastics. It all feels well put together but it lacks a plush feeling you might be expecting.

The infotainment system – which looks remarkably like sister firm Citroen’s – works well enough, there’s tonnes of storage in the centre console and it feels roomy upfront. Taller back seat passengers might prefer a Hyundai Kona for outright legroom, but the 600e is spacious enough. Boot space, meanwhile, stands at 360 litres and the boot opening is wide. It’s a shame a moveable boot floor is a feature reserved for the top-spec model.

What’s the spec like?

The entry-level 600e (RED) comes in at £32,995 and features 16-inch steel wheels with ‘bi-colour’ covers, LED headlights, rear parking sensors and a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The (RED) also comes with Fiat-monogrammed seats made from recycled fabric, and plenty of red detailing in keeping with Fiat’s partnership with (RED) – an organisation that fights global health emergencies like AIDS.

The range-topping La Prima is priced at £36,995 and only comes in four bright colours. Earlier this year, Fiat made a big thing of ditching grey colours for its cars because it wasn’t in keeping with its ‘Dolce Vita’ character. The 600e is the first car to be launched under this anti-grey vibe so comes painted in ‘Sun of Italy’ (orange), ‘Sea of Italy’ (green), and ‘Sky of Italy’ (blue). There’s one more called ‘Earth of Italy’ – Fiat refers to this colour as ‘sand’ but ironically it looks grey to us.

Along with the bold colour palette, La Prima cars get 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, synthetic leather seats, a reversing camera and a six-way electric driver’s seat with a massaging function.

The MG4 is cheaper than the 600e, but frankly it undercuts pretty much all of its rivals. The Fiat is cheaper than its sisters Avenger and E-2008 and is reasonable value for money and is well-equipped for this segment

Verdict

The dinky 500e bowls you over with charisma and has the ‘buy me’ factor in spades, but as the 500X and 500L models have shown in the past, it’s harder to translate this into a larger model. Admittedly the 600e is competing in a tougher environment than its junior where more rational considerations are the order of the day, but you get the sense the 600e’s character is just a little skin deep.

That said, the 600e is a very likeable all-rounder that’s practical, comfortable, well priced and potentially very easy to live with. We can imagine many Brits liking the styling and the car’s easy going nature.