Fiat 600e (2023-): first drive review

Fiat's long history of making small cars gives the 600e a stylish look that hides a practical interior, and is a fine choice for both city and motorway drivers.

Note that this review is based on our initial drive of the Fiat 600e. Our full review and verdict (complete with the car's overall score, plus scores for safety, reliability and more) will be available to Which? members once all our extensive lab and road tests are complete.

Looking to buy an electric car? Our guide to the best electric cars shows the models that excelled in our lab and road tests.

Fiat 600e: overview

Fiat has a rich history of making small cars such as the Fiat 500 and Fiat Panda, which the 600e will look to continue. It’s only slightly larger than the old Fiat Punto (which the 600e indirectly replaces) but is smaller than the current Fiat 500X SUV. Fiat intends to sell the 600e alongside the 500X for a number of years.

Like the Jeep Avenger, the 600e uses a relatively small 54kWh battery, with its electric motor generating a perfectly usable 154hp. It also promises a range of up to 254 miles, which is slightly more than the Avenger. A petrol mild-hybrid version of the 600 will be released in 2024.

All models can be charged at up to 100kW DC, which should replenish the battery in 27 minutes (from 20-80%). The 600e can also be charged using an 11kW AC home charger, which Fiat claims takes 5 hours and 45 minutes for a full charge. We’ll check these claims when we lab test the 600e, but they compare well to SUV rivals such as the Hyundai Kona Electric and MG ZS EV, which take significantly longer to charge.

We show you how much it costs to charge an EV in our guide.

Two trim levels are available at launch. Entry-level (RED) models come with automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers, LED headlights and a 10.25-inch touchscreen. Top-spec La Prima models add alloy wheels, front heated seats, a wireless phone charging pad and sat nav. 

What’s the Fiat 600e great at?

Fiat has made great efforts to create a small yet spacious SUV, and for the most part they’ve been successful. During our initial test drive we found it had plenty of headroom for both front and rear passengers, while the boot is also a useful size.

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What’s it like to drive?

Even though the 600e has only 154hp at its disposal, there’s still enough power to allow for sufficient, if not startling, acceleration. It doesn’t let up at high speeds either, although the responsiveness of the electric motor is noticeably dulled in Eco mode. The other two driving modes (Normal and Sport) are more responsive but at the expense of driving range.

It’s also very quiet to drive as barely any annoying motor noise makes its way into the cabin, and both road and wind noise are limited.

The car has been designed with urban use in mind and its steering is both light and is easy to use. Outside of town (or on twisty roads) the lack of ‘feel’ becomes apparent. We found it hard to judge the steering angle required to get around a corner. The steering is reassuringly smooth and accurate, though.

There’s a fair amount of lean into bends, but this is to be expected from an SUV. And while straight-line stability is good, the steering’s centre position could be defined better to improve driving precision.

At speed, the suspension is very comfortable and absorbs bumps well. You’ll feel bigger bumps on uneven surfaces, although this shouldn't be quite as apparent with the (RED) model, which comes with smaller 16-inch wheels.

The brakes are surprisingly light - we found the pedal needed a fair shove when slowing down in short distances. You can select a regenerative braking function, but this too is quite light, meaning one-pedal driving (where you brake simply by lifting your foot off the accelerator) isn’t really an option.

Inside, the 600e borrows much from the Jeep Avenger along with other models produced by the Stellantis group. The 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system is pleasingly easy to use and comes with a physical home button, while buttons are also kept for the climate controls.

The materials used in the cabin look better than they feel, as hard plastics completely dominate across the dashboard and on the lower trim. The colour-coded interior panel on top of the dashboard does brighten things up, however.

We also noticed that one of the rear headrests rattled whenever we drove quickly during our test drive, which soon became annoying.

The relatively small size of the 600e means that all-round visibility is rather good, although the rear roof pillars are quite wide. All models come with rear parking sensors, while top-of the-range models add a reversing camera and all-round parking sensors.

How reliable is the Fiat 600e?

As the Fiat 600e is a brand new model, we don't have any data to assess its reliability. However, we have heard from enough Fiat owners to rate the dependability of the brand as a whole. 

To find out more, head to our guide on the most reliable car brands.

How comfortable and spacious is it?

The SUV-like ride height and wide door openings of the 600e make it easy to get in and out of the front. Getting into the back is also reasonably easy, although the door opening is slightly smaller and the rear wheel-arch eats into the available space slightly.

The front is very spacious, and even six-footers will find there’s comfortably enough head and legroom. All 600e models have six-way adjustable seats (electrically and with lumbar adjustment in top-spec models) which makes it easy to find space.

Tall drivers may be affected by the relatively small footwell area in the front, depending on your preferred driving position.

There's also plenty of rear headroom for six-footers (apart from in the raised centre rear seat, which is only suitable for short trips). Legroom is only acceptable, though. With shorter passengers in the front it’s not a problem, but when our 6ft 2in tall driver adjusted the driver’s seat to sit comfortably, there was very little room left in the rear seats - only enough legroom for small children.

Fiat claims that there’s 360 litres of boot space in the 600e (five litres more than in the Avenger). While this isn’t too bad, it’s significantly less than you get in both the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV. The 600e doesn’t come with a storage area under the bonnet, either.

Loading the boot is straightforward thanks to the relatively low gap between the ground and the boot floor, although there’s a noticeable step when you do place items inside the car. Top-of-the-range models come with a variable boot floor, which can be adjusted to reduce (but not entirely eliminate) the loading lip.

The rear seats can be folded in a 60/40 configuration (for 1,231 litres of storage space) and there’s no step in the floor when they’re folded down, although they don’t fold completely flat.

As ever, we’ll provide our own figures on both cabin and boot space once we’ve lab tested the 600e.

How safe is it?

The Fiat 600e hasn’t been crash tested by Euro NCAP yet. Plenty of safety kit is offered, with all versions featuring six airbags, lane keep assistance, cruise control and autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

Adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring are only available on top-spec models. These cars also come with level two autonomous driving features, where the car will accelerate for you if you need to change lanes to overtake.

Is there anything I should look out for?

Fiat doesn’t have a great reputation for dependability and the 600e doesn’t entirely banish this. The leatherette folding cover on the centre cubby hole doesn’t feel particularly durable, while the colour-coded plastic insert on the top of the dash feels cheap and scratchy to touch (notably cheaper than in the 500e). 

Fiat 600e: Which? first drive verdict

Price: from £32,995

Pros: Comfortable seats, intuitive touchscreen system, quiet electric motor

Cons:  Steering lacks feel, brakes are quite light, limited rear legroom

The Fiat 600e is certainly a step up for the brand: it’s refreshingly modern and feels like a car that will appeal to families. It’s accomplished around town thanks to its compact dimensions and should have enough space to cope with most situations. And if you don’t want an electric car just yet, the mild hybrid Fiat 600 may be the car for you.

While we’ll reserve full judgement until we lab test it, the 600e has enough to stand out among a crowded competition.

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