Fiat 500
New from £18,540 / £295 p/m
Is the Fiat 500 Hatchback a good car?
Read our expert review
Words by: Catherine Kent
"Fiat scored an ace when it reincarnated the 500 in 2008 and it only made minor changes to the design before eventually retiring the model last year. This left the all-electric 500e to continue living la dolce vita alone. Now, Fiat is bringing a petrol-powered version back by swapping out the 500e’s battery for a mild hybrid system. The resulting 500 Hybrid is just as charming as its predecessors with the advantages of all the latest tech. Like before it will be offered as a hatchback or convertible in a choice of bright colours to liven up your driveway. However, many of the car’s ergonomic and practicality compromises remain and while the 500 Hybrid is very easy to fall in love with, models like the Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10 and Toyota Aygo X offer a more rounded package."
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Running costs for a Fiat 500
4/5
We don’t have confirmed prices for the 500 Hybrid yet, but its whole purpose is to be more affordable to buy than its electric sister, so we expect it to start below £20,000. Rivals like the Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10 will likely offer better value for money, but the 500’s unique style goes some way to justify the extra premium. Given hardly anyone buys a new car in full, it will all come down to how competitive Fiat can be with its finance offers. The 500 Hybrid’s small engine shouldn’t be too thirsty and should manage around 50mpg on a good run, though during our spirited city test drive we were getting closer to 30mpg.
Reliability of a Fiat 500
4/5
Fiat has previously had a mixed reliability reputation. However, the new 500 Hybrid takes the body of the electric 500e and adds the mild hybrid system from the previous generation 500 and Panda, so the parts are tried and tested if not in this exact combination. Fiat claims when it has used this system before less than 0.3 per cent of the engines have had issues recorded, which certainly sounds promising. Fiat is also very proud to build the 500 Hybrid in Italy with final assembly taking place alongside the 500e in its hometown of Turin.
Safety for a Fiat 500
3/5
As the 500 is pint-sized you don’t have as much metal between you and any obstacles as you would in a larger car. However, there’s a whole new array of safety systems compared to the previous model including driver attention monitoring, traffic sign recognition and emergency braking. Visibility out the front in pretty good, helped by the sloping bonnet which don’t obscure your view. However, the small rear windows make looking out the back more challenging, you do get rear parking sensors to help you out, though, and range topping La Prima trim gains a reversing camera, too.
How comfortable is the Fiat 500
3/5
There will be two main trim levels when the 500 arrives here next year: Icon and La Prima. Plus, there’ll be a special launch edition Turino model to celebrate Fiat’s founding city. The 500’s interior looks just as appealing as the outside, so you’ll forgive some of the scratchier plastics and the limited space in the back. The Turino model we tested didn’t have a split in the rear bench, which reduced practicality further, though we are told the Icon and La Prima version will get this extra flexibility. In the front the seats are very high with no height adjustment, and they aren’t very supportive for longer journeys, however, we do love two-tone upholstery. In La Prima models the front seats will be heated, and you’ll get a matt pearl dashboard rather than the external paint colour. Out on the road the 500 Hybrid can be a little bouncy over lumps and bumps, but it generally copes well with rough surfaces around town.
Features of the Fiat 500
3/5
You don’t get loads of features, but this iteration of 500 Hybrid is a big upgrade on the previous version. All cars come with automatic air-conditioning, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 10.25-inch central infotainment display. We’d love to tell you how intuitive it was to use, but it was set to Italian, so we didn’t get very far through the menus. It seemed responsive, though, and we liked the handy toggles for controlling the temperature settings so you’re not overly reliant on using the touch-screen. La Prima cars get larger wheels, a fixed glass sunroof, tinted rear windows, and chrome door sill plates. We particularly like the Turin skyline motif on the little central shelf, which doubles as a wireless phone charger.
Power for a Fiat 500
3/5
The Fiat 500 Hybrid offers a driving experience you'll remember. This is a car you can drive enthusiastically, upping the revs and working through the gears without instantly hitting the speed limit. It is slower than its predecessor with just 65 horsepower to play with and, while this number looks tiny on paper, around town the 500 is nippy enough to keep up with traffic. We enjoyed embracing the busy streets of Turin, dodging trams, buses and parked cars on our test route. Yes, the steering is super light with a lack of feel, the six-speed gearbox is imprecise so it’s easy to catch the wrong gear by mistake and you do have to work to gather pace, but the little 500 put a big smile on our face and the plucky little engine has real character. Our test drive didn’t include a section on the motorway, however, so we will have to wait until it arrives in the UK next year to find out how quickly it runs out of puff.
Lease deals
These deals are based on terms of 8,000 miles, for a 36 month lease with a 6 months initial payment.
Standard equipment
Expect the following equipment on your Fiat 500 Hatchback. This may vary between trim levels.
Other vehicles in the 500 family
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