Fiat’s three-year-old 500e will go on sale in Australia from round August, 2023. The tiny hatchback EV is a typical sight on Italian roads.
It was the best-selling EV in Italy in 2022. It was well-liked in Germany and Spain, too, serving to it to a 3rd place in whole EV gross sales throughout Europe’s 10 largest markets.
READ MORE: Abarth Nuova 500e is a sooner Fiat 500e and it’s coming to Australia
Because it went into manufacturing within the Covid-blighted first half of 2020, nicely over 120,000 500es have been bought. With Fiat planning to launch the 500e within the USA from January subsequent yr annual manufacturing numbers will proceed to rise.
Worth
Stellantis Australia introduced the 500e La Prima hatch would value $52,500, plus on highway prices, again in March.
Surprisingly, that value means the Fiat will probably be more cost effective in Australia than Italy, the place it’s manufactured. Convert the €38,650 Italian value to Australian {dollars}, utilizing the present trade charge, and also you’ll discover that quantity interprets to virtually $62,400. No, we don’t know why…
Even so, $52,500 remains to be some huge cash for a really small EV. It’s additionally nicely above the value of some bigger and extra sensible imports from China, notably the $45,000 MG4 resulting from arrive across the similar time because the Fiat 500e.
La Prima is the highest mannequin grade in Europe. This implies the Australian market 500e will probably be very nicely geared up with infotainment and driver-assist tech.
The Italian automobile’s design is the issue that would overcome its price-to-size ratio drawback. In Europe the Fiat is outselling barely greater however method much less cute EVs from mainstream manufacturers like Opel, Peugeot and Renault.
Inside
Although the 500e is barely bigger throughout than the petrol-burning Fiat 500. Regardless of the resemblance the 2 usually are not associated. The 500e is predicated on an EV-only structure that’s 95 newly designed elements.
The EV isn’t very a lot roomier than the ICE-powered 500. Some further inside width is noticeable, because it brings a welcome improve in shoulder room.
Entrance seat area is affordable, not less than for the driving force. Whereas the driving force’s seat is peak adjustable, the entrance passenger seat isn’t. This implies tall occupants will really feel they’re sitting uncomfortably excessive within the Fiat.
Predictably, room is tight in two-passenger rear seat. Leg room is scanty and there’s not quite a lot of head room both. It’s a spot for youngsters, or small and versatile adults.
The cargo compartment offers a helpful 185 litres of storage, and the 50:50 cut up backrest of the rear seat might be flipped to extend its quantity if wanted.
The comfortable inside of the Fiat is designed to attraction, although the great wanting instrument panel is made largely of the form of onerous plastic some people discover offensive.
Every little thing is straightforward to seek out and use. A row of pushbutton switches within the decrease fringe of the instrument panel under the phone-charging tray are used to pick out gears. There’s a bit toggle swap on the entrance of the free-standing centre console to decide on between the Regular, Vary and Sherpa driving modes.
The central touchscreen is easy to navigate and doubles as a rear-view digital camera show. The Fiat does each Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The instrument cluster, too, is a display screen that gives a variety of driver-selectable layouts.
General, the 500e’s inside atmosphere is nice and welcoming. Simply don’t count on spaciousness.
Efficiency and effectivity
Based on Fiat, the 500e La Prima will speed up 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds. This isn’t fast, however it additionally fails to convey the keen method the little EV scoots off the road. It’s fairly snappy as much as round 60km/h or so.
At middling speeds the Fiat has no hassle maintaining with extra highly effective visitors, although acceleration does taper off above 100km/h.
That mentioned, the little EV is completely completely happy to cruise at 110km/h, the place its quiet refinement is spectacular. Its high pace is electronically restricted to 150km/h.
The Fiat is bought with two totally different battery packs in Europe, however solely the bigger will come to Australia. Gross capability of the 500e’s 400-volt lithium-ion pack is 42kW/h, of which a bit over 37kW/h is usable.
Although the battery pack is small, the automobile’s general vitality effectivity is aided by its smallness and relative lightness. At round 1400kg, it’s over a tonne much less hefty than some EV heavyweights.
Based on the WLTP customary, the Fiat’s driving vary is 315 to 331km. The extra practical score by the authoritative consultants at ev-database.org is 165 to 355km, relying on temperature and driving situations, and a mean of 235km.
Charging
The 500e’s charging tech is a energy. The Fiat comes with an 11kW on-board AC charger and may settle for as much as 85kW from a DC quick charger.
This implies a 10-80 % recharge will take solely 25 minutes when plugged right into a 150kW DC quick charger, or round 10 minutes longer if hooked as much as a 50kW DC charger.
An three-phase 16 Amp 11kW wallbox will ship a whole 0-100% recharge in 4 hours, whereas a more cost effective single-phase 32 Amp 7.4kW wallbox will do the job in six hours.
The Fiat’s plug port is the frequent CCS kind, like virtually each different EV bought in Australia.
Journey and dealing with
For such a small automobile, the Fiat rides very properly. It irons out highway lumps and bumps higher than any ICE-powered automobile of comparable measurement. It’s not limousine plush, however it’s headed in that path.
Nearly praiseworthy is the 500e’s general refinement. Except some highway noise coming from the rear axle, it’s a fairly quiet small automobile.
With regards to corners, the little Italian EV is agile and correct. It responds neatly to steering wheel inputs and the brake pedal feels extra pure than in another EVs.
The turning circle is impressively tight, even for such a small automobile. It’ll be an easy automobile to dwell with within the metropolis.
Of the three driving modes, Regular is the one which works one of the best more often than not.
Selecting Vary brings a giant improve in regenerative braking, which could enchantment to the form of driver who prefers one-pedal driving. Fiat doesn’t present any separate adjustment of regen braking.
The Sherpa driving mode, which trims the output of the electrical motor and different present customers to spice up vary, is meant for the EV driver who’s struggling to succeed in a charger.
Speaking level
The Fiat’s cellphone charging tray contains a metropolis skyline. It’s so refined that some might miss out on it. The silhouette is Turin, a sly reminder that the 500e is made in Italy. The ICE-powered 500 is as a substitute manufactured in Poland.
Security
The Fiat 500e has earned a four-star security score from ANCAP. It’s based mostly on 2021 testing by EuroNCAP, which additionally awarded the automobile a four-star score.
Verdict
The Fiat 500e might not have an enormous driving vary, however it has extra attraction than another EV on the decrease finish of the value spectrum.
Will Australians fall for its cuteness the best way Europeans have? Laborious to say, however those that do received’t be upset.
Fiat 500e La Prima Specs
Value: $52,500 plus on-road prices
Fundamentals: EV, 4 seats, 2 doorways, small hatchback, FWD
Vary: 315-331km (WLTP)
Battery capability: 37kWh
Battery guarantee: 8 years/160,000km
Vitality consumption: 14.0 to 14.3kWh/100km
Motors: 1 entrance, 87kW/220Nm
AC charging: 11kW, Sort 2 plug
DC charging: 85kW, CCS plug
0-100km/h: 9.0 seconds