- 6 hours ago
The electric Fiat 500e looks like a stylish city car with a premium price tag, but the real story is how much it changes the familiar 500 formula. This test drive and review covers the new headlights, updated bodywork, revised rear end, and the compact dimensions that keep it easy to place in traffic and tight parking spaces.
Inside, the 500e gets a digital cockpit, Uconnect 5 infotainment, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a cabin that is clever but still very tight in the back. The review also digs into the 95 hp and 118 hp versions, the 24 kWh and 42 kWh battery options, charging times, real-world range, driver-assist systems, and the quirks of Fiat’s design choices.
It is a grounded electric car review for anyone comparing small EVs, urban runabouts, and stylish hatchbacks. The verdict is mixed: the Fiat 500e is charming, quick enough for the city, and competitively priced at the base level, but range, rear-seat space, and overactive safety systems are all part of the discussion.
Created for viewers searching for Fiat 500e review, electric city car test drive, small EV comparison, urban hatchback range test, and real-world electric car ownership impressions. It also fits searches for compact electric cars, Uconnect 5 review, Fiat 500e range, and practical EV buying advice.
Inside, the 500e gets a digital cockpit, Uconnect 5 infotainment, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a cabin that is clever but still very tight in the back. The review also digs into the 95 hp and 118 hp versions, the 24 kWh and 42 kWh battery options, charging times, real-world range, driver-assist systems, and the quirks of Fiat’s design choices.
It is a grounded electric car review for anyone comparing small EVs, urban runabouts, and stylish hatchbacks. The verdict is mixed: the Fiat 500e is charming, quick enough for the city, and competitively priced at the base level, but range, rear-seat space, and overactive safety systems are all part of the discussion.
Created for viewers searching for Fiat 500e review, electric city car test drive, small EV comparison, urban hatchback range test, and real-world electric car ownership impressions. It also fits searches for compact electric cars, Uconnect 5 review, Fiat 500e range, and practical EV buying advice.
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MotorTranscript
00:00this is the new new new fiat 500 and it's electric will it become a sales
00:06hit like its internal combustion engine counterpart i'll let you make up your own mind
00:44don't worry the internal combustion engine 500 is still available although due to tougher emissions
00:49norms it is now a so-called mild hybrid the regular 500 is still made in fiat's factory in tichy
00:55poland
00:56where the stellantis group will soon start production of new jeep and alfa romeo models
01:00including evs stellantis is the former fiat chrysler automobile now joined by psa today's
01:09stellantis is responsible for abarth alfa romeo chrysler citron dodge ds fiat fiat professional
01:15jeep lancia maserati mopper opel peugeot ram and voxel and now back to the new fiat 500 which is
01:25electric the badge says 500e but it should not be confused with the us-made 500e variant
01:31based on the 2007 model produced in poland at first glance the new fiat 500 looks like another
01:39facelift of the existing model there are new headlights new fascia with a large 500 logo
01:44on the side the indicators protrude from under the bonnet a modern take on the old round blinkers
01:50which were located behind the fenders in the back there are new tail lamps and a modified bumper
01:56because there is no exhaust external dimensions have changed ever so slightly the new 500 is six
02:02centimeters longer than the 2007 model it is also five centimeters wider and four centimeters taller
02:08the wheelbase is just two centimeters longer and the boot capacity remained unchanged which means 185 liters
02:16and that's still more than in the honda e but like in the honda also in the fiat 500e the
02:21charging cables
02:21take up at least a quarter of the boot space that being said fiat offers the most stylish cable bag
02:29i've seen in an ev get in there
02:39instead of the pretty bag i'd rather have a separate storage for cables like a frunk but this is where
02:45the electric motor still lives there are no hooks for those italian boutique shopping bags but there
02:51is a 12 volt socket it's tight in the back i know that the 1950s original fiat 500 was much
02:58smaller and yet
02:59it had a room for four people but this is not a contest how many people will fit in a
03:04small car
03:05i'm just subjectively stating i'd rather not travel in the back here for too long legroom is less of a
03:11problem but the headroom is bad even for me who's 175 centimeters tall with the new console between
03:18the front seats the rear passengers lost their only cup holder if you want better access to the rear seat
03:24because you want to put your kid in a child seat and not break your back doing it fiat now
03:30offers
03:30a 3 plus 1 body style with a passenger side rear suicide door like there was on the first gen
03:36mini
03:37clubman an interesting quirk is a lack of sound when you're locking or unlocking the car only the blinkers
03:45blink but you don't hear the lock latch or unlatch as soon as you get in and try to close
03:52the door
03:53you see something's changed the door handle is now higher and at a different angle you'll realize it
03:59has been redesigned on a rainy day when you try to shut the door with a moist hand and your
04:05fingers
04:05will slip bravo gone are the retro style door handles now in order to open doors you have buttons and
04:13these buttons have the same design like the start button and by the way do these look at all familiar
04:20to you where do you think they came from i'll tell you in a minute but you can drop me
04:25a comment so
04:26pause the video drop me a comment anyway for safety you cannot rely only on electronics you have to have
04:33a redundant physical door opening mechanism so below the buttons next to the door bins are regular pull
04:39handles now are these buttons really necessary and the buttons look like they came from mercedes i suspect
04:49that during the daimler chrysler era both partners used the same supplier and now the supplier called
04:54fiat and said hey i've got a truck load of buttons you want they're frank for mercedes premium
05:02big changes in the front there is now a new digital cockpit new steering wheel new display with a new
05:08infotainment system new console between the seats now i can see this is more than just a facelift
05:15on the driver's display there is information regarding state of charge range driver aids and
05:20basic settings you can even display an entire map you navigate the driver screen menus using buttons on
05:27the left side of the steering wheel on the right side there are buttons related to adaptive cruise control
05:31traditionally for fca now stellante's cars there are additional volume and skip buttons on the back
05:38side of the steering wheel where you can't see them in the middle of the dashboard is a new screen
05:45with
05:45the new version of the infotainment system called uconnect 5. this is where you'll find more driver aid
05:50settings satnav and multimedia the system works with wireless apple carplay and android auto the display is
05:58very bright very crisp and of course it collects dust and fingers prints just looking at it but to me
06:05the
06:05biggest negative is the aspect ratio the screen is very wide and very low which in my opinion is
06:11not optimal for satnav under the screen are physical ac buttons and then there is a wireless charger and a
06:18usb port and underneath it are the drive direction selector buttons i don't like them like in the hyundai santa
06:28fe and
06:28the new tucson i just don't know what i'm pushing what's wrong with a lever or a rotary dial
06:35between the dashboard and the console is a flat floor where you could put a purse but that's a
06:40bad idea because it could slip into the driver's footwell and obstruct the pedals why isn't there
06:46a purse hook or something at the bottom of the console is a fold-out cap holder another one is
06:51inside the storage accessed from top of the console next to it are a 12 volt socket and a second
06:57usb port
06:58on the console is a parking brake button as well as jog dials for media volume and drive modes
07:12so
07:14fiat offers the 500e in two power train and range variants three body styles and three trim versions
07:20you can choose the basic 95 horsepower motor with 24 kilowatt hour batteries usable 21 kilowatt hours or the
07:28118 horsepower version with a 42 kilowatt hour battery usable 37 kilowatt hours for comparison honda
07:36e has a 35 and a half kilowatt hour battery but only 28 and a half kilowatt hours are usable
07:42body styles
07:43the hatchback and the cabrio known from the regular 500 and now there is the 3 plus 1 version i
07:49mentioned
07:49earlier the basic power train is available only in the action trim the other two icon and la prima are
07:55reserved for the more powerful variant
08:03this is the 118 horsepower icon hatchback with 220 newton meters of torque available anytime the 0 to 100
08:12kilometers per hour time is nine seconds i got 9.1 on a wet road so there is potential for
08:17nine or less
08:18from 80 to 120 kilometers per hour i got about
08:21seven seconds and the top speed is 150 kilometers per hour but you're not going to get very far driving
08:28this fast
08:30fiat claims the 500e will use 14 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers and achieve between 320 and up to 460
08:39kilometers depending on whether it's a combined or urban cycle now using simple math you will quickly
08:45realize you would have to use nine kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers to get at least 400 kilometers range
08:53don't forget that you're not using the entire 42 kilowatt hours but only 37 and the rest is used for
08:59battery maintenance so how can you get at least 320 kilometers instead of 264 which come out when you
09:10do the math you have to apply yourself firstly you need to precondition the car before you unplug it
09:16this means setting a departure time and the desired temperature inside secondly you should use the range
09:22and sherpa modes both cut performance and boost regenerative braking sherpa also cuts down climate
09:28control and limits your top speed to 80 kilometers per hour thirdly it's best not to use climate
09:35control at all drive only around the city and you're still going to struggle to get the claimed range
09:45for the first 20 30 kilometers i was quite optimistic as the battery indicator displayed very little charge
09:51decrease i was hoping for 300 plus range but then it became colder and i barely made it to the
09:58charger
09:58having driven less than 200 kilometers even taking into account some time and energy use while i was filming
10:05beauty shots and the car was on i doubt i'd get much more than 200 kilometers in temperatures below 10
10:12degrees
10:12celsius and when the charge drops below 15 percent the battery warning light starts flashing red and it
10:19doesn't stop until you charge charging from a regular home socket takes at least 15 hours at least four
10:30hours from an 11 kilowatt wallbox and 35 minutes 0 to 80 percent of charge from an 85 kilowatt dc
10:37charger if you
10:38have one somewhere on the way most chargers in poland in q2 2021 are 50 kilowatts or less
10:49handling well once you turn off all the drive rates the car is not very involving to drive it's
10:54quick and nimble when it has to be but you could say the same thing about one of those per
10:59minute scooters
11:00you rent out on the town the front collision warning system with emergency braking is over sensitive
11:05and it cuts in even in its lowest setting when i try to region brake the system is active every
11:11time
11:11i start the car also the active lane keeping assist is active every time i start the car
11:16and like the collision warning it also likes to be overzealous to a point it is almost difficult to
11:22overcome it not a huge deal when you're on a road with lanes marked clearly and then it keeps you
11:29in
11:29lane however on roads without clearly marked lanes it adopts some imaginary lane and pulls me towards
11:36the middle of the road for a small overlap crash with oncoming cars
11:46does the fiat 500e have any positives with turning radius of just 4.65 meters it's not far behind honda
11:55e
11:55also visibility is decent and there's an optional reversing camera but you can't have a 360 camera
12:01like you do on the honda e
12:06fiat 500e prices start at 23 and a half thousand euro for the basic 95 horsepower 257 kilometer range
12:13model the cheapest long-range hatchback starts at 29 and a half thousand euro this icon test car with
12:19options costs around 35 and a half thousand the only bright side of the electric fiat 500e is its
12:27relatively low base price this is where it definitely beats the honda e it is equally behind as far as
12:34the
12:34range is concerned and tech whatever you do skip the fiat co-driver pack and how do you like the
12:40new fiat 500e
12:42let me know in the comment section below if you like my sarcastic down-to-earth and possibly mildly
12:51amusing car reviews join me every friday at 3 pm central european time and don't forget to subscribe
12:57and like this video as it helps me with the youtube algorithm thanks for watching and i will see you
13:04in
13:04the next one