This is how the Fiat 600e (2023) differs from the Opel Mokka and Peugeot 2008

In recent years we have become more involved FiatNews is always a little nostalgic. Whenever an invitation to launch a new design landed in our inbox, it was always bad. Hybrid technology for bad sellers in particular TypeGame version of Fiat 500X and other thick bumpers, that works. For more than ten years, only Fiat 500 for interesting statistics and other frequencies all play an additional role. Even the B segment, where Fiat once dominated with cars like the 127, Uno and (Grande) Punto, was quietly abandoned in 2015.

And then Fiat became part of Stellantis and suddenly money and technology were available. Now, after more than eight years, the brand is back in the B segment with an all-new car, the 600e. Finally big news from Turin!

New technology, old name

Fiat bought heavily on the Stellantis shelves for the 600e’s technology. The platform is well known from other models, such as the Peugeot E-2008 and Jeep Avenger. Anyone who follows Stellantis news can dream about measurements. They are neat, but not attractive. The electric car has 156 hp, the 54 kW battery can be charged at a maximum of 100 kW. With a full battery you can travel 406 km.

Under the skin, the Fiat 600e is as Italian as sauerkraut and fat sauce. But he has enough Italian qualities to overcome the gray matter. the type name is of course Italian; Fiat already used twice. The first Fiat 600 was presented in 1955 as the successor to the pre-war Fiat 500, better known as the ‘Topolino’ (little mouse). The 600 had a rear-mounted four-cylinder engine and rear-wheel drive. The production of the Italian 600 stopped in 1968, but after an absence of 30 years, the Fiat 600 was released again in 1998. The name was written: ‘Seicento’.

No more ‘Topolino’

The new Fiat 600e, with a length of 4.17 meters is larger than both its predecessors – the mouse has become the vole. On the outside it plays with the first 600, without Fiat going all out on a retro body. You can see it in the shape of the rear lights and – a nice detail – in the direction angle of the trunk lid, with its pronounced curve. The angle is exactly the same as the old 600.

You’ll also notice similarities to the 500: round headlights similar to the daytime running lights, and the type name in big letters on the ‘grille’. To emphasize that this Stellantis product is truly Italian, the Italian flag is displayed on the bumper.

Not spacious, but comfortable

Inside, the 600e is less than original. The dashboard is almost identical to that of the Jeep Avenger, which Fiat rolls off the production line at the Tychy plant in Poland. The central console is dominated by a large screen with a row of visible buttons below it. Under the wonderful flap there is a large storage compartment for water bottles, among other things, which also has a reserved space for charging your phone. There’s no automatic gearshift, instead you choose whether you want to drive forwards or backwards via buttons on the dashboard. The driver can choose from three driving programs: Sport, Normal and Eco.

Fiat is very proud of the Fiat 600e’s space of 4.17 meters, but that is somewhat disappointing. You won’t find a very narrow seat in the back, but if you are 1.80 meters tall, you should gently look at the driver or co-driver to see if the seat can be moved a little forward… Remember that their knees are then in close contact with the glove compartment. Form comes before function in the 600e, because the 360-liter cargo compartment is 20 liters smaller than that of the Jeep Avenger.

The Fiat 600e’s handling is what you’d expect from a compact family SUV, with light steering and a comfortably tuned chassis that filters out bumps adeptly. This also includes a good hundred sprint (9 seconds) and an acceptable top speed (150 km/h). The steering is feather-light and somewhat numb, but we don’t hold that against a car in this class. It is a pity that a single pedal car is not possible, where the car brakes automatically (and returns energy to the battery) so that it is not necessary to use the brake pedal. In the 600e the brake pedal has to work hard. Even if you choose advanced recovery, you must always apply the brakes yourself. Braking is done with little feeling, you have to press the pedal deeply before the response.

Fiat 600 with petrol engine in 2024

Fiat wants to deliver the 600e to the Dutch dealer in 2023. Our Fiat 600e La Prima costs 40,990 euros, but the entry-level Fiat 600e RED is available from 35,990 euros. This makes it cheaper than its ‘American’ counterpart; Jeep Avenger costs 39,500 euros. The name RED says it all: you get the keys of the 600e red, even the dashboard is in that color. For other colors you pay an additional 700 euros. Don’t ask for the gray version, because Fiat says it forbids that color. Although you will find the color Sabbia – Italian Earth in the price list. The entire editorial team looked at the screen as if we were sitting in an optometrist’s chair and concluded that it was a shade of gray.

Petrol drivers can also buy a Fiat 600 from 2024. Then a hybrid version appears, with a 100 hp 1.2 three-cylinder engine and a 24 hp electric motor. So Fiat is sending a clear signal: not everyone in Europe is ready for an electric car. And so the Fiat dealer will finally have something to tell his loyal customers again. In fact he can provide them with various modern models and power trains. The long journey from the bottom of the valley to the top took years, but Fiat looks almost…

Fiat 600e verdict

They do this cleverly at Stellantis: under the skin it is Opel Mokka, Peugeot 2008, Jeep Avenger and similar Fiat 600. Jeep and Fiat even come off the same production line in a Polish factory. And they still don’t have a uniform. If lots of (luggage) space isn’t your top priority, the comfortable Italian will pack you in with ease and its gorgeous looks. If we look into our crystal ball, we expect a bright future for the tasteful Fiat 600.