Fiat returns (again) with fun city e-car
Fiat was founded 125 years ago in Italy and it remains the country’s largest automotive manufacturer. Not so much in the United States where sales have fluctuated greatly. It’s here. It’s gone. And now it’s back again with a retro-styled subcompact electric vehicle and modern updates.
The 2024 two-door, four-seat 500e hatchback ideally defines a city-centric, all-electric car. It’s overtly cute and substantially updated from the Fiat 500e sold only in California and Oregon from 2013 to 2019.
During its five-year absence, Fiat did a lot to its little machine. The new 500e is bigger than its predecessor in the increasingly competitive EV segment. But it’s still refreshingly petite. Its wheelbase is slightly longer than 7 1/2 feet, its overall length is slightly shorter than 12 feet and it’s 5 1/2 feet wide.
The new Fiat has improved exterior and interior looks. Front and rear LED lights and flush electronic door handles are new. The dashboard trim has a rounded gauge cluster and a two-spoke steering wheel as reminders of the car’s interior from nearly 70 years ago. The climate controls on a 10.3-inch screen are impressive for a petite vehicle. And there’s also a 7.0-inch digital gauge cluster.
Further upgrades include a quicker charging time and an improved EPA-estimated 149 miles of range. It’s still a sub-par tally, with a caveat. If the Fiat 500e is only driven as an around-town or as a short-distance commute vehicle, the range limit shouldn’t be an issue.
The 500e has a permanent-magnet electric motor that powers the front axle and produces only 117 horsepower. Fiat also details the peanut will advance from 0-to-60 miles per hour in 8 1/2 seconds and has a top speed of 94 miles per hour. The Fiat also weighs less than 3,000 pounds, which makes its puny performance statistics seem substantially better. The combined MPGe equivalent is 116 miles. The MSRP is $32,500 and the total price is $34,095.
The carmaker markets impressive recharging statistics, empty to 100 percent in six hours on a Level 2 charger with an 11.0-kW connection. It has a maximum DC fast-charge rate of 85 kilowatts and will refill to 80 percent in 35 minutes.
Fiat includes a Level 2 home charging station with the purchase of the 500e. That includes the 40-amp 9.6-kW charger, which can add about 30 miles of charge per hour to the battery. If a buyer already has a home charger, Fiat includes its Free2move Go package. It’s $600 in charging credits for public charging stations around the country.
Available in only one trim, Red, the 500e is equipped with convenience essentials. In its introductory edition, the exterior is matched by a red dashboard and other interior red accents.
Standard features also include LED auto-on/off headlights, taillights, and daytime running lights. Power front windows, door locks, and proximity keyless entry. It allows the driver’s door to unlock automatically if you have the key fob. Push-button start and rain-sensing wipers are also included. Automatic climate control, wireless device charging, smartphone mirroring and rain-sensing wipers are also part of the standard equipment list.
Competitors include South Korean cousins, the Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro. Both vehicles are larger than the 500e, similarly priced and represent their thriving carmakers well.
But the 500e has an unquantifiable edge. It’s Italian and it maintains the strong appeal Fiat has had for more than a century. It makes driving fun.
James Raia is a sports and lifestyle freelance writer and syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento. E-mail: james@jamesraia.com.