Fiat 600e review

Non-identical twins don't always look the same from the outside, but they're a genetic match under the skin. Similarly, while the Fiat 600e appears unique, it's actually one of three electric SUV "triplets".

In other words, the 600e shares its underpinnings, battery pack and electric motor with the Jeep Avenger Electric and Peugeot e-2008. Like those cars, it can officially travel around 250 miles on a full charge, and can be "refuelled" from 10-80% in less than half an hour.

Unlike the Avenger and e-2008, the 600e (and the petrol version, the Fiat 600) has the kind of retro styling that made the Fiat 500 Electric such a hit with buyers. In keeping with its SUV status, it gets cladding around its lower edges to give it a vaguely rugged look.

Can all that help the Fiat 600e stand out against the best electric SUVs and take on the BYD Atto 3, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV and MG ZS EV? Read on to find out...

Unlike most electric SUVs – which have a choice of battery size, power output and number of driven wheels – the Fiat 600e’s powertrain line-up couldn’t be simpler. All models come with a 50.8kWh (usable capacity) battery and a 154bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels.

That might not sound like a very punchy set-up, and 0-62mph takes 9.0 seconds, but the 600e feels pacy enough in town, picking up speed well when you need to nip into a gap in traffic. There are three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – and with Sport selected, the accelerator pedal response is sharpened up and all the motor's power made available.

The more powerful Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV feel noticeably quicker, but the 600e has no trouble keeping pace with the flow of traffic on a motorway.

Just don’t expect it to feel sprightly in bends. On twisty roads, the soft suspension results in noticeable body lean and the light steering doesn’t inspire confidence when you're driving spiritedly. Combined with a spongy pedal that needs a good stamp before the brakes bite, there’s little fun to be had trying to gee the 600e along your favourite road.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for a car that shares its styling with the Fiat 500 city car, the 600e feels most at home in an urban environment, where its effortless steering and relatively tight turning circle make it a doddle to drive.

You can mitigate the sponginess of the brake pedal to a certain extent if you select B mode, which increases the amount of regenerative braking when you lift off the accelerator. However, the braking effect isn’t particularly strong, so you still have to use the middle pedal to come to a complete stop.

Even on larger 18in wheels (entry-level models have 16in steel wheels), the 600e deals with potholes and broken surfaces at lower speeds just as adroitly as a Jeep Avenger and doesn’t buck about on undulating roads like the bouncy DS3 E-Tense.

It doesn’t remain quite as settled at motorway speeds, but it’s hardly uncomfortable. Factor in a quiet motor and the 600e is a comfortable and relaxing companion around town. However, on motorways there’s noticeably more road noise than in its rivals – especially the Peugeot e-2008, which is one of the quietest cars in its class.

Driving overview

Strengths Decent range; easy to drive in town; comfortable ride

Weaknesses Not that fun to drive; noisy on the motorway

Given the Fiat 600e’s retro exterior styling, you might be surprised by the relatively modern and conventional look of its interior.

In fact, inside it shares more than a passing resemblance to the Jeep Avenger and Jeep Avenger Electric. The steering wheel, climate controls and infotainment system have all been pinched from the Avenger and you sit in a similarly commanding driving position.

The row of physical buttons for the climate control system are the same as those in the Avenger, and are far easier to use than the controls buried in the touchscreen in the Peugeot e-2008.

None of that's a bad thing – and the 600e is more appealing and characterful than the rather grey interiors of the MG ZS EV and Vauxhall Mokka Electric. Entry-level RED models have a dashboard that's painted – surprise, surprise – red, while in range-topping La Prima cars, the dash is a matt ivory colour. And while most of the plastics on show are hard to the touch, they don’t feel too cheap or nasty.

Visibility is impressive, thanks to the relatively tall windows. Rear parking sensors are standard across the range, and if you go for the range-topping La Prima you’ll also get sensors at the front and sides of the car, plus a rear-view camera. 

You’ll find it easy to get comfortable behind the wheel, thanks to lots of seat adjustment. On top-spec La Prima models, seat settings – including lumbar support – are electrically adjustable. You’ll probably find it easy to see the digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel – something that a good percentage of drivers struggle to do in the Peugeot e-2008 because of its eccentric steering wheel set-up.

The 600e's 10.3in infotainment touchscreen is positioned high up in the dashboard so it’s fairly easy to view while driving. It’s easy enough to use, thanks to its quick responses and a couple of shortcut buttons below it, but the menus could have a more logical layout. 

You have to pay extra for built-in sat-nav on RED trim, but we wouldn’t bother because Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come as standard. That means you can sync up your phone and run navigation apps such as Google Maps and Waze, through the touchscreen.

The 600e in RED trim has a four-speaker sound system, while La Prima has a six-speaker set-up that sounds clear with good sound quality.

Interior overview

Strengths Simple dashboard layout; decent forward visibility; top-spec model gets adjustable lumbar support (unlike in the Jeep Avenger)

Weaknesses Some softer plastics would be good

The Fiat 600e is quite compact by electric SUV standards. It’s a touch longer than the Jeep Avenger but shorter than a VW Golf.

Unsurprisingly, it’s not the most practical family car in the world. In the back, even an average-sized adult will find their knees touching the seat in front. And while head room is decent, you don’t get reclining rear seats as you do in the Hyundai Kona Electric so you can forget about lounging out on longer journeys.

The 600e has a 360-litre boot, which is almost identical in size to the Jeep Avenger’s (355 litres), so it’s big enough for a weekend away. The broad, square boot opening makes it easy to load in chunkier items.

That said, if you regularly carry a lot of gear, we’d recommend taking a look at the more commodious Kona Electric (466 litres) or the Kia Niro EV (475 litres).

The range-topping Fiat 600e La Prima comes with a handy adjustable boot floor. In its highest setting, it reduces the big lip at the boot entrance (making it easier to load heavier items) and gives you plenty of space underneath for the charging cables. That's handy, because there's no front boot.

You can fold down the rear seatbacks in a 60/40 split, which is par for the course in the electric SUV class.

In terms of interior storage space, the 600e comes with plenty of cubbies up front. There’s a huge cubby covered by a magnetic lid at the bottom of the dashboard, with a wireless phone-charger inside. There are also two cupholders, a cubby under the centre armrest and a phone-sized rubberised storage tray under the centre air vents.

Practicality overview

Strengths Decent storage space; height-adjustable boot floor on La Prima trim

Weaknesses Poor rear leg room; Hyundai Kona Electric has a much bigger boot

The Fiat 600e isn’t quite as cheap as the MG ZS EV but it’s still sensibly priced. It undercuts the closely related Jeep Avenger and Peugeot e-2008, as well as the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV, so it’s certainly one of the more affordable electric SUVs on sale. 

That’s especially true if you go for entry-level RED trim, which is reasonably well equipped. Rear parking sensors, climate control, LED headlights and a heat pump all come as standard.

If you can find the extra cash, we'd advise that you step up to the 600e La Prima, which still undercuts equivalent versions of the Avenger and e-2008. It comes with 18in alloy wheels (instead of 16in steel ones), keyless entry and ignition, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat, a hands-free tailgate, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree parking camera.

At the time of the writing, the 600e hasn't been tested for safety by Euro NCAP but it has plenty of aids to stop you from having an accident in the first place, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist and pedestrian detection. You’ll need to upgrade to La Prima to get blind-spot monitoring and automatic high-beam assist for the headlights, though.

The 600e has a maximum charging speed of up to 100kW, for a 10-80% top-up in around 27 minutes. That’s faster than you can charge the Niro EV (80kW) and MG ZS eV (94kW), but fractionally slower than the Hyundai Kona Electric (102kW) and Smart #1 (150kW). If you’re plugging into a 7kW home wallbox charger, expect to wait just over eight hours for a full (0-100%) charge.

As usual with a Fiat car, the 600e is covered by a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty. Hyundai offers a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty, while Kia offers a seven-year warranty.

Costs overview

Strengths Competitive pricing; plenty of kit

Weaknesses Smart #1 charges faster; Kia Niro Electric has a longer warranty

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