2024 Fiat 500e city EV has its allure

The 2024 Fiat 500e is a small electrical three-door hatchback that appears remarkably much like the earlier Fiat 500, offered within the U.S. from the 2012 via 2019 mannequin years. This one’s provided solely as a battery-electric automobile (therefore the “e”), at the very least for the second. However Fiat plans to promote it as a vogue accent as a lot as a small sensible, short-range EV. 

We drove the 500e via Miami visitors for 3 hours final week, giving us an opportunity to pattern one in every of its sturdy factors: fast cut-and-thrust city driving. Whereas it has nowhere close to the rocket-ship acceleration provided by some EVs, it’s peppy sufficient—and sufficiently small to sneak into areas even compact SUVs can’t handle.

Sadly, we weren’t capable of take a look at whether or not the brand new 500e retains the entertaining and pleasant dealing with of its predecessor, the 2013-2019 500e, which was offered solely in California and Oregon. Miami is fully flat and remarkably congested. We bought precisely one large sweeping activate a ramp over a freeway; it did positive. However till we get it into some correct hills and twisties, we are able to’t totally overview its driving habits.

General, the 500e is a enjoyable little EV at an inexpensive value: The ‘Crimson’ base mannequin begins at $34,095. Its EPA-rated vary of 149 miles might postpone some consumers who ought to contemplate it extra severely. Given its small dimension and its vary, Fiat execs are reasonable after they say the brand new 500e “didn’t come to be a gross sales chief”—which means it could be uncommon in some areas of the nation. As an alternative, the automobile will “take a look at and study what Fiat desires to be within the U.S.”

Immediately, clearly a Fiat 500

The brand new 2024 Fiat 500e is immediately, identifiably a Fiat 500. Barely bigger than the earlier era—2.4 inches longer, 2.2 inches wider—it shares the identical upright-coupe profile and brief, stubby nostril. The entrance finish has the identical “moustache” form, although the spherical headlights are literally a semi-circle within the entrance panel with a lit arc lower into the hood to complete the form. Bigger wheels with pretty low-profile tires, now 17 inches vs the earlier mannequin’s 15 inches, hold the little Fiat proportional however add extra of an grownup really feel. 

Inside, the inside is basically shades of black plastic, with a repeating Fiat brand within the grey seat inserts. A lot of the plastics are exhausting, not soft-touch, although textured to make them a bit extra fashionable. Crimson plastic on the sprint of our crimson take a look at automobile recalled the metallic dashboard of the unique 500, up to date for security rules that didn’t exist 60 years in the past. 

A 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster is normal, as is a ten.3-inch central touchscreen show with a UConnect 5 radio. The drive mode and radio quantity controls are on the middle console.

The 2024 Fiat 500e won’t ever substitute a household SUV, but it surely’s not meant to. It makes a superbly good second automobile, commuter automobile, or maybe major automobile for a single driver or couple residing in tight city quarters. 

500e vary and acceleration: Match for the town

The battery capability is 42 kilowatt-hours (37 kwh usable), utilizing Samsung cells made in Poland. It powers an 87-kilowatt (117-horsepower) motor driving the entrance wheels, with quoted torque of 162 lb-ft. The brand new 500e has no entrance trunk; the area below the hood is occupied by the 12-volt battery, charging gear, the ability electronics, and naturally the motor. 

It’s pretty apparent Fiat might drop a transverse engine and transmission into the area if it chooses to. Rumors recommend it’s going to. However for now, the 2024 500 is electric-only.

There’s no “Begin” or “energy” button; the automobile is able to transfer as soon as the motive force its down and has buckled the seat belt. Park, Reverse, Impartial, or Drive are chosen utilizing flat black buttons on the decrease fringe of the central sprint (beneath a handy telephone charging pocket). One “shock and delight” characteristic of which Fiat may be very proud: beneath 20 mph, the automobile broadcasts the necessary pedestrian alert sound. However the first time it exceeds 20 mph, it performs a customized musical theme Fiat calls “The Tune of 500”. It was exhausting to listen to even with the home windows open (driving subsequent to a strong concrete wall helps mirror it again), but it surely’s positively there.

Fiat quotes a 0-to-60-mph acceleration time of 8.5 seconds, however the 0-to-30-mph time that could be extra helpful in city jousting is simply 3.1 seconds. Usually, it’s fully appropriate for city use—although we are able to’t assist however marvel about an Abarth model that is likely to be loads punchier and extra enjoyable. There’s nothing to say on that entrance in the present day, Fiat execs stated firmly. Prime velocity is 94 mph.

It has three driving modes: Regular, Vary, and Sherpa. Regular makes the EV behave like a combustion-engined automobile, with low regenerative braking. 

Then there’s Vary, which boosts regen and permits one-pedal driving right down to a cease—if in case you have plenty of area. We discovered the 500e’s regenerative braking fairly mild. It took some follow to study when to elevate off to get the automobile to sluggish itself right down to a cease; the primary few instances, it decelerated in such a leisurely means, we stomped on the brake to keep away from the automobile forward. It’s fully learnable, however extra highly effective EVs have extra highly effective regen—which isn’t the case right here.

Lastly, the Sherpa mode equates to an Eco mode, decreasing energy from 87 kw (117 hp) to 67 kw (90 hp), switching off all heating and cooling (you’ll be able to swap it again on), and capping most velocity at barely greater than 50 mph. Sherpa mode isn’t as dangerous as you may think, so long as you drive it aggressively—and don’t have to go greater than 50 mph.

Whereas the efficiency is satisfactory, the automobile excels in tight areas. With a turning circle of simply 31.5 ft, it’s straightforward to sneak into small parking areas. And with a curb weight of solely 2,950 kilos (50 kilos lighter than the final, smaller 500e), it doesn’t really feel huge behind the wheel.

500e seats two adults, two tiny folks, and one drink

Entering into the 500e is a matter of compressing the electrical launch beneath the door “deal with” slot. Novices need to study that to exit the automobile, they need to press the spherical button on high of the door arm-rest to launch the electrical latch. As soon as inside, drivers will discover they sit excessive sufficient over the battery pack that they really feel much less weak than they’d in a lower-slung automobile of the identical dimension. Stellantis’ head of inside design, it seems, is 6’8”—and he matches into the five hundred, which means there’s loads of headroom. 

The rear seat has a cupholder in the midst of the decrease cushion, underscoring the automobile’s (nominal) four-seater designation. Whereas its rear seat is bigger than the final era’s, that’s relative: You continue to gained’t match 4 American-size adults inside for something wanting punishment.

The upright seating and good outward visibility over the brief, beveled nostril give the automobile extra presence from inside than it could have on the road. Solely when wanting on the small solar visors or the tiny little “modesty panel” to cowl a 5-inch slot displaying the contents of the load bay is the 500e’s small dimension bolstered. The rear seatbacks don’t fold flat, although; they simply tilt ahead.

One main flaw within the new 500e inside: There’s solely a single cup holder, which folds down into the tunnel from the bottom of the console. Should you’re carrying a passenger who additionally has a cup of espresso, one in every of you is out of luck. The Fiat staff assured us they’re properly conscious of this and are engaged on a quick repair. Nonetheless, it appears a silly oversight, because the earlier 500e had two of them—and that Fiat has had 4 years because the European model was launched to deal with this.

Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has but rated the 2024 Fiat 500e for crash security, and given its possible low quantity, these scores might not emerge for a while if ever. The brand new Fiat has seven airbags, and a raft of automated driver-assistance methods together with automated emergency braking, lane-keeping help, and blind-spot and pedestrian alerts. 

The 500e’s adaptive cruise management will work right down to 0 mph when you study it; the automobile reads and shows speed-limit indicators; and it’ll additionally learn and show different visitors indicators when cruise management is engaged. Fiat guarantees “Degree 2 ADAS” on the “Impressed” trim ranges—which means some degree of energetic lane management along with that, offering the motive force stays attentive—however we weren’t capable of take a look at these fashions, so we are able to’t weigh in on the way it works.

Particular version “drops”—like sneakers

The bottom Fiat 500e mannequin for 2024 is the ‘Crimson’ trim. Obtainable in crimson, white, and black as precise exterior colours, the ‘Crimson’ label refers to a charity tie-in that helps Product Crimson, which raises cash to fund analysis into HIV and AIDS.. Apart from exterior shade, the 500e ‘Crimson’ mannequin solely provides a single choice: Goodyear summer season tires or Pirelli all-season tires. 

Fiat has leaned into the concept of the electrical 500 as a vogue accent and elegance icon. In response to Fiat’s North American model head, Aamir Ahmed, the corporate will announce a “drop” of a restricted version model two or thrice every year, out there just for a brief interval—echoing the mannequin used efficiently for high-fashion sneakers and different items. Video advertisements that includes Spike Lee, Giancarlo Esposito, and different icons reinforce the model strategy.

The primary two particular editions are “Impressed by Magnificence” (in Rose Gold) and “Impressed by Music” (the Tuxedo Black one, which provides a seven-speaker JBL audio system with audio traits of 4 ‘digital venues’ inbuilt). They are often ordered in the present day, with deliveries within the third quarter. 

The ‘Crimson’ version of the 2024 Fiat 500e carries a base value of $32,500 plus a compulsory $1,595 supply payment, for a bottom-line sticker value of $34,095. “Impressed” variations add $3,500 to that. Its closest competitor is the Mini Cooper SE, additionally a three-door hatchback, with a spread of simply 114 miles. With the Chevrolet Bolt EV vary now defunct, the Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Kona Electrical are barely pricier, however each supply 4 doorways and ranges of greater than 200 miles.

Small automobile, large charging

Regardless of a smallish battery, the 500e can fast-charge at as much as 85 kilowatts, so charging from 0 to 80 % can take as little as 35 minutes below ideally suited circumstances. The extra possible dwelling charging by way of an 11-kw Degree 2 station takes six hours for a cost from 0 to one hundred pc. On a regular 120-volt wall socket, the 500e will cost from 5 to one hundred pc in 37 hours. The cost port is on the right-rear nook, and the charging twine is housed below the cargo-bay ground.

Fiat will supply consumers the selection of both a Degree 2 charging station (the client pays to put in it) or $600 of free charging by way of networks which can be a part of the Stellantis Free2Move system (though taking part networks for the U.S. haven’t but been introduced). 

No warmth pump is accessible, although the cabin is sufficiently small that resistance heating will not be as power-hungry as in bigger autos. Heated seats are provided, however not a heated steering wheel.

All 2024 Fiat 500e vehicles are constructed on the firm’s Mirafiori manufacturing unit outdoors Turin—as proven in a molding inside every door’s inside arm-rest, which says “Made in Torino” with a silhouette of an unique 500. Which means they don’t qualify for a U.S. federal buy incentive, although leasing the automobile restores the complete credit score. The 500e nonetheless qualifies for a lot of state and native incentives.

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Fiat offered airfare, lodging, and meals to allow Inexperienced Automobile Studies to deliver you this first-person drive report.