UK Drive: The Fiat 500e has a lot of charm but falls short in key areas

What is it?

The Fiat 500 has been a huge success for the Italian marque, ever since the firm relaunched the model back in 2008.

With its funky exterior design and brightly-coloured interior, it’s no wonder that this city car has found so many homes here in the UK.

However, with the A-segment class quickly evaporating, Fiat needed to act fast to save its baby from being axed, so the 500e was born.

A retro-styled electric city car that still looks distinctively like a Fiat 500, with zero tailpipe emissions and rivals the likes of the Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster.

What’s new?

The 500e has been around since 2020, but in the last five years, the recipe has hardly changed.

However, for 2025, there have been a few changes with there now being an updated ‘(Red)’ trim level, as well as improved equipment across the range.

But, apart from that, everything is the same with a choice of battery packs and there is a drop-top convertible version too.

What’s under the bonnet?

The 500e is available with two battery options, but we’re driving the larger 42kWh unit coupled to a single electric motor.

In terms of power, this setup produces a total of 116bhp and 220Nm of torque, while 60mph is dispatched in 8.8 seconds and the car will run out of puff at 93mph.

Fiat claims the car can travel up to 199 miles between trips to the plug and that 85kW DC rapid charging is compatible, allowing for a 15 to 80 per cent top-up to take around 30 minutes.

The smaller 24kWh battery pack is best suited for those who only do short trips, as its claimed range is only 125 miles and can only be charged at speeds of up to 50kW.

What’s it like to drive?

This little car excels around town, with its tight turning circle, nippy performance and small proportions, making parking a breeze.

Visibility is great, due to the large windows and the car’s regenerative braking allows for one-pedal driving, which takes the strain out of stop-start city traffic.

However, get onto the open road and you soon start to see some of the 500e’s weaknesses. One of which is the bouncy ride, due to its short wheelbase, and the cabin isn’t very well insulated from road noise, making it rather loud at motorway speeds.

The steering is also numb and lacks any feel, and the car doesn’t seem to be very efficient, with a couple of 15-mile journeys eating up nearly 50 miles of range.

How does it look?

The 500e still retains its iconic retro design from the standard combustion-powered model.

Its bubble-shaped styling gives it a more cutesy and cuddly appearance, while the short front and rear overhangs reduce the overall size of the vehicle.

The car’s half-circular front headlights and square-shaped rear taillights are a nod to the standard car, while the flush door handles help improve efficiency.

We’re driving the ‘(Red)’ model, which features black door mirror caps and dark grey wheels, while the standard ‘Red’ paintwork is a breath of fresh air compared to generic white, black and greys.

What’s it like inside?

The electric version of the 500 has a better interior design over the combustion-powered model.

This latest example features lots of storage space, such as large door bins, a capacious glovebox, deep centre storage cut-outs and even a fold-away cupholder.

The quality of the materials does feel cheap to the touch, with lots of hard and scratchy plastics, but at least the design still looks fresh.

Some cool little touches are the ‘Made in Torino’ rubber mats with the original Fiat 500 pictured in the door pulls and the little storage cut out in the centre of the dashboard, which features an outline of Turin.

However, the 500e isn’t the most comfortable car to sit in, with our test car lacking in any height adjustment for the driver’s seat, and the foot rest is very small, making it difficult for those of larger build to get settled behind the wheel.

But, the worst thing is the car’s practicality, as with no five-door option available, the back seats are extremely cramped with hardly any head, leg and knee room for passengers.

Plus, the tiny 185 litres or 550 litres boot space with the rear seats folded down isn’t class-leading either, and our test car doesn’t even have a split-folding function.

Rivals such as the Hyundai Inster are much more practical when it comes to carrying passengers, while the Renault 5 offers a boot capacity of 326 litres or 1,106 litres with the rear seats folded down.

What’s the spec like?

When it comes to electric city cars, undercutting the competition on price is very important.

However, the 500e is pricier than a lot of its main rivals with the entry-level ‘500e’ coming in at £25,035 – which makes it £2,045 more than the entry-level Renault 5.

But, at least you get a decent amount of standard equipment with all cars featuring a 10.25-inch touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control and a reversing camera.

Our ‘(Red)’ test car bumps the price up to £28,035 with the larger 42kWh battery pack and boasts 16-inch alloy wheels, unique (Red) exterior and interior styling and DAB radio.

Verdict

The budget electric car market is beginning to thrive, with a lot of hot competition out there.

The 500e is great for those who want a stylish, urban city car that oozes charm and character.

However, with its limited practicality, cheap interior plastics and high price tag, there are better alternatives in this sector of the market.