Our opinion on the Fiat 600
Fancy a small electric SUV with Italian flair? Try the Fiat 600e. It’s a solid return to the class from Fiat, marrying a handsome exterior inspired by the smaller 500 electric but providing a good level of extra practicality. Add in a decent equipment list, and you have a compelling package.
The cynical might think of this as just another spin on the Stellantis group small SUV platform, but there’s enough differentiation between the Fiat 600e and the group’s other offerings to give the car an identity of its own. The 600e doesn’t have the same sense of fun as the 500, but then the 600e is intended as a more mature offering with greater family-friendly practicality than that car.
About the Fiat 600
Sometimes, things are sweeter the second time around. Take the Fiat 600, for example. It’s the spiritual successor to the controversial Fiat 500X, a car that sold well enough, but caused some upset by using the famous 500 name that was once the reserve of the brand’s smallest city car.
But the world has moved on considerably since then, to the point where buyers will accept that the MINI badge can reside on a sizeable family SUV like the MINI Countryman, a car longer than a Nissan Qashqai and taller than a Range Rover Evoque, and not have to denote something small. So why shouldn’t Fiat give the 500 brand a healthy stretch?
That’s not to say the 600 is getting anywhere near the dimensions of the aforementioned Countryman, for this is a car positioned squarely between superminis and family SUVs. Buyers have a wider choice when it comes to fueling the 600, too, as it’s available with either a mild-hybrid powertrain or as the fully electric Fiat 600e.
We’ve driven both the hybrid-powered 600 and the electric 600e, pitching the 600e against the BYD Dolphin in a real-world twin test. The BYD’s superior value for money, performance and standard kit, helped in taking victory over the Fiat, although we did find that the 600e was more engaging to drive and just that bit more refined on the move.
Fiat 600 prices and latest deals
Pricing for the Fiat 600 Hybrid starts from just under £26,000 for the entry-level Pop trim. It’ll cost you another £1,500 to move up to Icon spec, while the fancier La Prima is priced from around £29,000. If you prefer sportiness over plushness, the Fiat 600 Sport costs the same as the La Prima, but offers its own unique features and styling tweaks.
Those looking at the electric Fiat 600e will face a fairly modest premium of around £1,000 compared to the equivalent hybrid, as this model kicks off from around £27,000 in Pop trim. Again, the Icon trim ups the price by £1,500, while the La Prima and Sport start from around £30,000. You can build your perfect Fiat 600 through the Auto Express Buy a Car service, and we can even help you to sell your car.
Although it’s officially named Fiat 600 Hybrid, this model is technically just a mild-hybrid. There are two power outputs, either 110bhp or 145bhp, with the latter using the same Hybrid 145 powertrain that’s shared with a range of Stellantis stablemates including the Citroen C4, Vauxhall Mokka, Peugeot 2008 and Alfa Romeo Junior. Both setups consist of a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a six-speed automatic dual-clutch transmission. The electric aspect comes courtesy of a single, rear-mounted motor.
If you’d rather go down the electric route, every variant of the Fiat 600e is powered by a single, front-mounted motor producing 156bhp. By default, or in Normal mode, the Fiat 600e doesn’t deliver its claimed power output, but rather a reduced figure of 107bhp. There’s good throttle-pedal modulation, and enough instant EV punch for the 600e to feel pretty comfortable with life without the need to flick the switch into Sport mode to access the motor’s full potential.
While it’s not as softly sprung as the Citroen C3 Aircross, both versions of the Fiat 600 do a respectable job of dealing with the worst of the UK’s road surfaces. If you want to tackle particularly tough terrain, though, we’d steer you towards the closely-related Jeep Avenger instead.