Fiat 600e (2023 - ) review

The usual advantages – and caveats – for electric cars apply here, the 600e likely very affordable to run if you have facility to park off street and plug into a home charger to top up overnight on cheap off-peak electricity. Ditto if you can buy on a electric car salary sacrifice scheme from your employer, or run it as a company car. While it’s quite basic the entry-level trim is also keenly priced for private buyers, the more generously appointed La Prima version comparable with its close relations from Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën and Jeep. So, if you like the format and the size works for you it would be worth comparing deals across the 600e, Mokka-e, e-2008, e-C4 and Avenger before signing on the line, on the basis all are basically the same under the skin. If you’re not too hung up on brand you can simply choose the manufacturer you like the look of, or the one offering the best deals when you’re ready to buy.

Fiat is now part of a bigger family of brands within the Stellantis family, and uses shared technology with Peugeot, Vauxhall, Jeep and others. Good news? Under Stellantis all these brands seem to have built a solid reputation for reliability. Bad news? Our test car threw up an error just minutes into our drive, politely suggesting via the navigation system that we visit the nearest workshop. We declined that invitation as the car seemed to be running fine, but a red warning light in the shape of a spanner on the dash kept coming back, followed by warnings about faults with the cruise control and, more worryingly, the braking system. A friendly Fiat technician we called said it was probably ‘just an electric problem’ and wasn’t anything to worry about. But if we’d just taken delivery of a 600e and that happened we most definitely would be concerned.

The 600e comes with all the modern safety and driver assistance systems you’d expect of a modern car and, unlike many of the Chinese rivals we’ve been driving recently, these seemed thankfully less inclined to distract with ‘false positives’ and constant interventions. All models get things like automatic braking if you don’t react to a pedestrian, cyclist or other potential hazard in your path, tweaks to the steering to keep you in your lane, a driver drowsiness warning and Isofix child seat mounts on the front passenger seat as well as the outer two positions on the rear bench. A pity, though, you have to upgrade to the more expensive version to get the really useful aids like blind spot warnings and a more sophisticated reversing camera in place of the standard bleepers.

With its slightly raised stance the 600e has a sense of the confidence inspiring height many drivers seem to appreciate without looking too aggressively SUV. Which we liked. Forward visibility is also better than many of this type, taking the stress out of junctions and low-speed driving around town. It’s also very easy to drive, with light, positive steering, smooth controls and respectable ride quality even on the lumpy streets of Fiat’s hometown of Turin where we tested it. While it doesn’t have a direct impact on comfort the quality of the interior materials does influence the overall ambience and here the 600e does feel a little plasticky and basic, even in the higher trim level we drove. But the style is good, so it’s not all bad. Rear space is a little on the tight side behind an average driver or front seat passenger, and the central storage unit robs knee space if you draw the short straw and get the middle seat in the back but kids should be fine. Boot space is OK, with the higher model getting a variable height floor under which you can stash your charging cables. Don’t be fooled by claims of ‘front storage’ and expect extra luggage room under what would be the bonnet as in some electric cars – Fiat is referring here to the commendably large selection of storage bins between the front seats and amount of stash space they offer for drinks, phones and other odds and ends.

All 600e’s get a digital instrument display and a decently sized touch-screen with a commendably straightforward operating system, though if you want navigation on the basic trim level you’ll need to connect your phone and use your mapping app of choice. Thankfully this is quick and easy to do, with wireless support for both Apple and Android handsets. We also appreciated the physical switches for things like heating, ventilation and volume control. With its small, plastic-trimmed wheels, regular climate control and reduced range of driver assistance systems the entry-level Red version meanwhile looks quite sparse in equipment terms, meaning it might be worth weighing up the extra monthly costs of upgrading for the creature comforts it brings. This includes synthetic leather made from recycled water bottles, heated front seats and even a massage function for the driver. You also get a handsfree bootlid you can open by waving your foot under the rear bumper, which is useful if you have your hands full of shopping and are in a rush to get going.

Like its relatives from Vauxhall, Citroën, Peugeot and Jeep the 600e uses a pragmatic combination of a smallish battery and modest power output instead of chasing pointless bragging rights for range and acceleration. Bravo for that, the smaller battery keeping weight and cost down and the 156 horsepower delivering perfectly adequate performance for a car of this type. Use Eco mode and it cuts the power noticeably, which helps range and is perfectly fine around town. Normal and Sport meanwhile have that sense of effortless and silent acceleration that makes electric cars so relaxing compared with their petrol and diesel equivalents. The official range of just over 250 miles looks enough for most regular driving, though given the efficiency we scored on our (admittedly short) test drive you’d be lucky to get 200 miles on a single charge. To be fair this isn’t reflective of the way most EV drivers use their cars, and those with the facility to do so will simply top up each night to be charged and ready for the morning. Longer trips may require a bit more planning, though.