Fiat 500e 2024: a lot of pressure for a little – Road test

No, print Fiat he is not dead. Even if last year’s sales figures, peaking at 602 cars in the US and 45 cars in Canada, suggest otherwise, they are still very important in the eyes of Stellantis’ parent company. For what? Because of his heritage, but also his playful side.

It goes without saying that the Italian brand needs a big push to get its head above water in North America. The extra 500X is now forgotten, and therefore rests on the shoulders of young children. 500 e absolutely lightning that brings the heavy lifting of relaunching the brand here. As if that weren’t enough, it’s touting itself as the cheapest electric car on the Canadian market, adding to the pressure.

A special style

Although it has been launched elsewhere in the world for 4 years already, and has collected 185,000 copies sold, this third generation Fiat 500 finally arrives here. Despite her age, she is really successful in terms of fashion and doesn’t look any older. Everything is done under the sign of evolution and stylistic accents very close to those of the previous model, but brought up to date. The headlights are the best example, as they pretend to be a round part when instead they consist of a central half-moon, with an eyelet placed on the hood. The presence of the 500 logo on the front also indicates a raised muzzle.

In profile, proportions are respected, even if the car has gained in size. 5 centimeters have been added to the length and width, with the aim of providing better interior space. A character line that runs from the headlights runs through the bodywork and hides the handles integrated into the openings in the door panel. At the back, the position of the window, the angle that continues into the trunk before ending in the bumper, is taken over from the previous generation. The wheels of all versions are 17 inches.

Speaking of differences, only 2 will be released in Canada, while our neighbors to the south will have 3. (500th) Edition ^Red
the one we tried is the entry one. It is priced at $42,095, including transportation and preparation costs. Add $5,000 ($47,095 total) to the more well-equipped La Prima, which will arrive only for the 2025 model year Both models are eligible for two rebates totaling $12,000 for Quebec residents, making it the cheapest of electricity. car in Canada.

Focus on local technology

It’s no surprise that the interior presentation of the Fiat 500e is entirely dependent on the screen. This instrument is designed with a 7-inch screen whose presentation is clear and easy to read. Even a navigation map can be displayed there. Everything is intuitive to use with buttons placed on the steering wheel.

In the center and well placed above the dashboard is a 10.25-inch screen whose interface for Uconnect 5 with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is the same as that of other Stellantis products. From an ergonomic point of view, there are buttons placed at the left end of the screen that provide access to certain main menus. The overall setup is busy, but the usability remains intuitive.

Otherwise, the design is rather simple. The upper part of the dashboard is covered with a red panel that runs the entire width of the car, which gives a nice look to the car. Under the screen and climate control (well placed) is a storage space of all kinds that includes an induction charger for a smartphone, very easy to access. Even if most of the plastic parts are stacked together, a slight push on some of them shows a lack of durability. In addition, some plastics are marked with burrs, especially under the doors.

A significant improvement over the previous generation of the Fiat 500 is certainly the space on board for passengers. This also makes it possible to add a console worthy of the name between the two front seats, which includes a storage space in front of which the buttons for volume and driving mode are placed. If you’re looking for cup holders, be aware that there’s only one up front, accessible via a drop-down panel in front of the console at floor height. Fortunately, pockets on the doors allow you to store bottles.

The front seats are manually operated, and heated in Canada. In the Red version, it is covered with a good quality fabric (leather in La Prima), and the side reinforcement ensures good comfort. Obviously, the two rear seats are more restricted, which basically makes them emergency positions. As for the trunk space, it accepts 185 liters of stuff, a little short of the MINI Cooper SE.

Conservative mechanics

It is certainly not the intention of the car to be a performance bomb. In fact, Stellantis estimates that most people who will buy this car will use it in urban environments, and this affects the entire mechanics, starting with the electric motor. This, installed in the front, produces only 117 horses, but a respectable torque of 162 pounds. It is light compared to the new MINI Cooper SE, which will have a power output of at least 184 horsepower.

Three driving modes are available. The first, called Normal, allows the driver to drive without any external obstruction. There’s also Range world, which I think is the preferred one because it automatically activates one-pedal driving. Finally, the last mode called Sherpa also cuts air conditioning, power and high speed. This is actually a method to use as a last resort, if you are afraid of not reaching your destination with 227 kilometers of authorized freedom.

So the autonomy is greater than that of the Mazda MX-30 and is close to the Nissan LEAF with a standard battery, it comes from a 42-hour kilowatt battery that can be used, placed on the floor of the car. This temperature-controlled battery can be recharged after 6 hours with an onboard charger accepting 11 kilowatts, or with fast charging accepting 85 kilowatts allowing you to go from 0 to 80% in 35 minutes.

This figure, rather anachronistic in comparison with new electric cars, somewhat betrays the age of the model. In its defense, Fiat insists that this is a city car, and that regular buyers will make little use of the quick charge capability. This is a good thing for them, since there is no possibility to put the battery for fast charging in cold weather, leading to fear that the charging performance will be very low in winter.

A happy car

When you use the car for what it was designed to do, in an urban environment, it’s a lot of fun to drive. Despite the low power, the response of the electric mechanics and the short wheelbase, the small turning radius, the very good appearance and the exciting driving make it a lot of fun. It is very easy to get around the city. Power is sufficient for this mission, too.

When you push it a little more, you realize that it has some limits, especially set by the rear torsion beam. This, on bumpy roads, makes the car play a bit, even if you don’t feel a loss of control. And you should also be careful about driving with one pedal, the operation of which is inconsistent, in the sense that it does not always slow down the car with the same braking force, especially at low speeds.

In terms of energy consumption for our route of about 100 km in an urban environment, we got about 20 kWh/100 km. This seems higher for the small size of the car and the fact that we used it mainly in the city. We would have an estimate of the distance of 210 km, figures that will need to be verified on the land of Quebec.

Having

After doing the preliminary test Fiat 500e 2024, I believe that the manufacturer hits the mark with the urban appeal of the car. It is pleasant to drive and the freedom will be more than enough for many drivers who will use it for this purpose. In addition, government rebates make prices easier to swallow and make some frustrations easier to swallow.

Considering the newness in our market, but also the history of the brand that has upset several consumers in the past years, RPM recommends waiting until reliability is proven before buying a Fiat 500e.