Fiat

600e

Fiat is making a welcome return to the B sector with its quirky all-electric 600e model. It oozes charm, is packed with tech, drives well, boasts a good range and has a very attractive asking price too.

The good

Styling, range and price

The bad

Steering is very light

Tech Specs

Price from

£32,995

Combined Fuel up to

Combined range of 254 miles

0-62 from

9.0 seconds

max speed up to

93mph

co2 from

0g/km

Test Drive

Fiat 600e – First Drive (2023)

Things have been a little on the quiet side for Fiat recently, but that’s all about to change with the arrival of the all-electric 600e which sees a return to the B sector for the Italian carmaker.

With a combined driving range of 250 miles, increasing to 375 in urban settings, the five-door model is available in trims called 600e (RED) costing £32,995 and 600e La Prima priced at £36,995.

With a design that is similar to its smaller sibling, the Fiat 500e, the car oozes charm and boasts a really strong road presence thanks to its eye-catching and quirky styling.

The front end has a smiling face appearance that all sounds rather cheesy but it works really well. The grille is upturned at the ends to look like a smile and the light clusters resemble eyes and even have eyelids.

We tested the range-topping La Prima model and further design cues included matt black side skirts with 600 chromed logo, signature 3D-effect taillights, tinted windows, a gloss black shark fin antenna, body-coloured door handles, black mirror caps and 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels with 16-inch steel wheels on the 600e (RED) model.

Moving inside it’s difficult not to be wowed by the bright, clutter-free interior with lots of round and oval-shaped dials and trimmings. The seats are upholstered in a neat ivory synthetic leather material with FIAT monograms and turquoise accents. For added convenience and comfort, the driver’s seat is power-adjustable, can be heated and features a massage function.

The main nerve centre is a 10.25-inch configurable infotainment touchscreen that offers access to the many on-board features, including  Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, a DAB radio and sat nav. There is also a seven-inch digital driver cluster that shows all the important figures such as speed, driving range and battery charge levels.

The Fiat 600e also has Uconnect services with a TomTom navigation system that delivers real-time traffic updates, details on charging locations and availability, along with where to find free on-road parking.

Powering the car is a 54kWh battery and an electric motor delivering 154bhp and 260Nm of torque which results in a 0-62mph sprint time of 9.0 seconds and top speed of 93mph.

But as with any EV, the most important figure is the driving range between charges which is 254 miles on the 600e (RED) and 252 miles on the La Prima version with the slightly larger wheels. You will see much higher figures if the car is predominantly driven in busy cities or town centres where the regenerative braking comes into force and there is a B button that increases the strength of braking too.

In addition, drive modes change the responses of the car and these are called Eco, Normal and Sport. No prizes for guessing which is the most fun.

When it comes to performance, the front-wheel drive Fiat 600e boasts smooth and responsive acceleration through the single-speed automatic transmission. It is beautifully agile in busier town centres where the light steering feel is a real benefit. It is also capable of tackling more testing country lanes with lots of twists and turns, but that light steering weight is not quite so welcome there.

You will notice a little body sway if tight bends are attacked too enthusiastically, but generally the 600e is happy fizzing through the B roads and the excellent driver visibility is another plus-point worth noting.

Despite measuring just under 4.2 metres in length, the cabin is deceptively spacious with room for a couple of six footers up front and three youngsters in the back. Push the front seats right back and rear legroom does get a little tight, but it would be fine for children.

The boot, accessed via a powered tailgate on the La Prima model, can hold 360 litres of kit and that capacity increases further with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats lowered. And there are plenty of handy options throughout the cabin, including a large storage tunnel between the front seats that has a magnetic cover. There are cup holders, door bins, seat back pockets, a wireless charging pad, glovebox and three USB ports to keep devices connected on the move.

When it comes to charging, the 600e features a 100kW fast charger system allowing a 20 to 80 per cent boost in less than 30 minutes.  Alternatively, the car comes with an 11kW onboard charger and Mode 3 cable for connecting at home or in public to deliver a full charge in less than six hours.

All in all, in a day and age where there seems to be less character in our car designs, the Fiat 600e has it in spades. It looks charming, drives well, has a great range and is very competitively priced.

We also like the fact Fiat has decided to ditch grey from its colour palette – a brave move as it’s the most popular choice for UK motorists. But brighter shades certainly suit the 600e. Ours was in an ‘Orange – Sun of Italy’ shade and we certainly took a shine to it.