Fiat 600e: la dolce vita extended and enhanced

Expanding the appeal of the 21st-century version of the Fiat 500 smash-hit city car has not always been easy. The 2012 five-seat 500L and seven-seat 500L MPW (or Living) models never quite kept the proportional charm of the smaller 500 and consequently failed to ‘chart’ in the same way. 

So Fiat’s designers ripped up it and started again. The all-electric three-door 500e, with its closed-mouth, smiling front lights with raised-eyebrow light signature was a tidy kick-off point for the five-door 600e, which now replaces the 500L in a much smarter suit.

Fiat 600e

The keys to the 600e’s improved proportions over the 500L are a slightly longer body and a significantly lower roof, sitting on a shorter wheelbase, while the 600e’s width remains almost identical. The result is transformational. Where the 500L always looked a little dumpy – and the seven-seat MPW even more so – the 600e appears taut, together and potentially agile.

It has a longer nose than the smaller 500, with its front ‘mouth’ partially opened and a more pronounced horizontal eyelash added to its headlights, but it still retains the 500’s basic rounded character and sense of fun. It’s a good-looking relation.

The interior exudes that feeling too. There are lots of non-threatening ovoid shapes and distinctly stitched comfortable seats, derived from the ‘Fiat’ word mark repeated within the central area to form a pleasingly padded abstract pattern. But the stand-out detail on the LaPrima trim level is the two-tone centre console storage cover. It unfolds in measured stages and the mottled leather-look grey cover is complemented by a turquoise blue faux suede underside, below which there’s plenty of room to place a smartphone on a wireless charging pad. 

The effect is unusual for a car interior, but very Fiat at the same time. The 10.25in central infotainment screen is simple to pair with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and regular USB and USB-C charging points are also available.

In the back, there’s a USB-C charger in the centre and although it’s quite tight for knee room, scooped out ceiling spaces on the left and tight ensure decent headroom for four, if not quite five passengers. The boot isn’t large, but this is still after all, a small 4.17m car. The load floor can lower and the rear seats split-and-fold to provide more space.

A good driving position is easy to attain and the dashboard and window line both sit quite low, so the view out is good. While the interior door cards do feel a little plasticky, your eye is drawn away from them by the padding on the doors’ armrests, and the material cost savings probably do enable the car to start at a decent price.

That positive visual perception is backed up – to an extent – by the 600e’s road-going ability. Although the steering is extremely light at low speeds, as you drive faster and with more spirit, it tightens up well. The auto selector Drive button has a B setting for extra regenerative braking and there are three drives modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – as is now commonplace on modern cars.

Overall, the 600e can more than keep up and handle, but it’s far from a racer – the Abarth 600e version due later this year will cover the sportier side of things. And nothing bleeped or flashed at me from the dashboard for minor perceived road safety infringements or issues throughout the test, which was refreshing. In the 600e you appear to be able to self-determine.

The 600e’s 54kW battery is good for a 254-miles range and is on sale now. But if you’re not quite ready for the full-electric plunge, the Italian brand is also offering a 100hp 48V Hybrid version from June 2024.

Fiat 600, hybrid model starts at £23,965, 600e EV from £29,995, Fiat.co.uk, @Fiat_UK