Infusing retro-modern type with a jolt of electrical zest, the all-new Fiat 500e will get 117 hp and a claimed vary of 193 miles
5 hours in the past
There’s no different automotive on sale in Australia fairly like the brand new Fiat 500e. This tiny all-electric hatchback has been on sale throughout Europe for a number of years now however solely not too long ago landed Down Below, bringing with it an hefty beginning worth and loads of quirks. Is it any good? Let’s discover out.
What precisely is it?
Typically talking, the Fiat 500 has all the time been a little bit of an enigma and it’s no completely different with this new mannequin. Australia’s electrical automobile (EV) market stays comparatively small, and the 500e finds itself in a phase untouched by every other automotive producer.
Maybe its closest two rivals may very well be thought of because the GWM Ora and the MG 4 however each of these have 4 doorways. There’s additionally the Mini Cooper SE that’s fairly a bit costlier and occupies an identical area of interest a part of the market. It too is kind of a bit bigger.
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Learn: America’s 2024 Fiat 500e Has A 149-Mile Vary, Almost Twice As Lengthy As Earlier than
Fast details
It’s unattainable to debate the Fiat 500e with out addressing its worth first. In Australia, the 500e is completely out there in a single trim variant known as the ‘La Prima’ that begins at AU$52,500 (about US$34,900 at present alternate charges) earlier than on-road prices. With all charges included, it involves just a little over AU$56,000 (about US$36,900). That’s solely a contact greater than what the 500e prices in Europe the place it’s well-priced towards rivals just like the Peugeot e-208 and Honda e, although the later has been discontinued. It’s additionally eligible for presidency incentives all through Europe. The identical can’t be mentioned of the Australian market.
Moreover, the native worth positions it properly above loads of new EVs popping out of China, just like the GWM Ora out there from AU$39,990 (US$26,300), the MG 4 beginning at AU$38,990 (US$25,700), BYD’s AU$38,890 US25,600) Dolphin and even BYD’s significantly bigger Seal sedan that’s out there from as little as AU$49,888 US$32,900). So, what do you get on your cash? In fact, not a lot.
For starters, the 500e is significantly smaller than different entry-level EVs offered in Australia. It’s simply 3,632 mm (142.9 inches) lengthy, 1,683 mm (66.2 inches) large, and stands 1,527 mm (60.1 inches) tall with a 2,322 mm (91.4-inch) wheelbase. With this in thoughts, it’s offered solely as a two-door with 4 seats and provided with a selection of six completely different colours. Our check automotive was painted in a glittery colour dubbed Celestial Blue that we thought regarded completely good.
Elsewhere, the 500e La Prima comes commonplace with LED headlights and daytime operating lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, and loads of vital security options like autonomous emergency braking, lane-centering help, adaptive cruise management, and blind-spot monitoring.
Powering the Australian model of the 500e is a single electrical motor with 87 kW (117 hp) and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque, fed by a compact 42 kWh battery pack. Fiat claims it could actually journey as much as 311 km (193 miles) on a single cost however in our expertise, hitting that mark is extraordinarily tough, if not unattainable. Extra on that later…
A cute cabin
The inside of the 500e La Prima is comparatively well-equipped. Provided that the only variant offered in Australia is equal to the flagship model in another markets, it comes as no shock that there are a bunch of parts that really feel comparatively plush for a Fiat however are to be anticipated for a automobile at this worth level.
Instantly catching the attention are the seats clad in white man-made leather-based with the phrase ‘Fiat’ embossed into the backrests. These seats are manually adjustable and whereas they’ve a barely odd form, they’re comfy, even on lengthy journeys. Curiously, Fiat Australia solely presents the 500e with a white leather-based possibility, that means those that want a darker end are out of luck.
Whereas cleansing the white leather-based could also be a nightmare, the seats, plus the white parts on the two-spoke steering wheel, door panels, pillars, and headliner, do give the electrical hatchback an open and ethereal feeling.
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Different welcome options of the inside embrace the massive 10.25-inch infotainment system with assist for wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There may be additionally a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster. This cluster could look just a little uncommon in comparison with most others available on the market however it’s straightforward to grasp and configure, whereas additionally providing each piece of vital driving knowledge one may ever need. For me, it was one of many highlights of the cabin. The principle infotainment display has the identical software program as different Stellantis fashions and is equally complete with loads of completely different menus to discover and an altogether premium feeling.
A wi-fi smartphone charger is situated just under the bodily local weather management buttons and there are additionally single Kind-A and Kind-C plugs. There’s not a lot to talk of with regards to the second row of the 500e as it is vitally compact and never appropriate for tall adults.
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For probably the most half, the cabin of the 500e is cheap, but it surely doesn’t really feel as premium as we’d anticipate for a automotive costing over AU$55,000 (US$36,200). Certainly, a number of parts really feel downright low cost. That is no extra evident than with the paper-thin cloth sunroof cowl that doesn’t simply really feel extraordinarily susceptible to wreck however does a awful job of reducing out warmth and noon glare from the solar. Moreover, there’s a heaps of exhausting, black plastic all through the cabin and the implementation of a plastic fold-out cupholder from the middle console appears clumsy.
We had been additionally not keen on the dashboard-mounted buttons used to pick gears. The automotive even lacks a strong useless pedal to relaxation your left foot. That is notably painful for tall drivers like myself and to relaxation my left leg in a cushty place, I had nowhere else to place it aside from beneath the brake pedal (clearly a harmful factor to do…). The six-speaker audio system doesn’t precisely scream high quality, both.
Surprisingly enjoyable and environment friendly
The Fiat 500e La Prima does considerably make up for its ergonomic foibles once you begin to drive it.
On paper, figures of 87 kW (117 hp) and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) are nothing to put in writing dwelling about, notably on the earth of electrical automobiles. Fiat claims it wants 9 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) however off the road and to round 60 km/h (37 mph), it feels impressively zippy, little question aided by the truth that it weighs a comparatively scant (by EV requirements) 1,290 kg (2,843 lbs).
There are three driving modes on provide: Regular, Vary, and Sherpa. The primary of these acts precisely as you’ll anticipate and offers no brake regeneration whereas Vary provides just a little little bit of regen however not sufficient to allow one-pedal driving. If you wish to get pleasure from a one-pedal expertise, you’ll need to allow Sherpa mode which Fiat says “acts like a Himalayan Sherpa and all the time will get you dwelling.”
All through our week with the automotive, we drove it primarily on this Sherpa mode, purely so we may benefit from the ease of one-pedal driving. Moreover, driving round on this mode appears to be the one solution to get near the claimed vary determine. In actual fact, whereas Fiat claims the automotive makes use of 14.4 kWh / 100 km, we had been in a position to get that determine into the 12 kWh / 100 km vary throughout quick drives. The principle draw back of Sherpa mode is that it limits the automotive to 80 km/h (50 mph) and in addition disables the local weather management, though you may change the A/C again on do you have to want.
The steering really feel is sweet and whereas it’s mild, it offers a strong quantity of suggestions and does make the 500e fairly fulfilling alongside a twisty highway. The journey high quality isn’t fairly so good because it feels just a little too stiff over undulating surfaces and may gain advantage from a softer suspension tune.
Whereas we drove round totally on one-pedal mode, once we did drive the little EV with each pedals, we discovered that the brakes had been well-tuned and approachable. Nevertheless, the digital parking brake is in determined want of a recalibration. The e-brake is utilized routinely once you put the automotive in park and disabled when moved into Reverse or Drive, as with just about most different vehicles. Nevertheless, it’s only disengaged after a strong press of the accelerator. This proved to be a difficulty after I parked on my inclined driveway and tried to reverse right down to the road as I must prod on the throttle pedal to get the e-brake to disengage after which cease on the brake pedal to sluggish myself down.
The Fiat 500e can also be one of many noisier EVs we’ve pushed as there’s all the time a slight high-pitch whistle being produced by the powertrain, no matter how sluggish or quick you might be driving.
Charging speeds are strong with Fiat claiming the 500e’s battery may be charged from zero to 80% at 85 kWh in about 35 minutes. We examined it out at a 50 kWh charging station and located that it fortunately charged between 48-50 kWh throughout our 20-minute charging session. Curiously, Fiat solely ships the 500e with an 11 kW Mode 3 charging cable versus a cable that may be plugged into an atypical family outlet, that means homeowners must set up a house charger ought to they wish to cost it at dwelling.
Verdict
Very like earlier iterations of the Fiat 500, the newest all-electric mannequin is a really area of interest product. It’s undoubtedly fashionable and people who just like the design will like it. Nevertheless, its price ticket makes it tough to advocate to anybody aside from these with cash to burn on an Italian metropolis runabout that favors type over every thing else.