MIAMI – It’s been parched occasions for Fiat fanatics. The emblem discontinued its 500 style series later 2019, retirement best the four-door crossover-ized 500X on sale, and date it deliberate to introduce the substitute for its 500e electrical metropolis automobile round that moment, a minute pandemic threw a wrench within the works. Now, in 2024, the parents from Turin are after all in a position to let American citizens style the Dolce Vita introduced by means of that unutilized 500e. Has the wait been virtue it? I was at Miami to determine.
As you’d be expecting, the 2024 Fiat 500e is as soon as once more a completely electrical metropolis automobile. In contrast to its predecessor (2013-2019), this 500e seems like a extra whole EV package deal than a “compliance car” supposed to meet laws in states like California. The “Unutilized Fiat 500” has been on sale in Europe since 2020, so date this can be a unutilized style for the USA, it’s by means of now a well-established platform.
Just like the used 500e, the 2024 500e includes a front-wheel-drive form, with an enduring magnet motor offering a whopping 117 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. That motor is paired with a 42-kilowatt-hour battery (round 38 of which is usable, in step with Fiat engineers) for an EPA-estimated length of 149 miles (or 116 with summer season tires). That doesn’t pitch like a accumulation – and it isn’t – however this isn’t a automobile designed for lengthy road trips or super-commuters. Fiat claims a 0-60 moment of 8.5 seconds and a lead velocity of 94 mph, however I think that riding at that velocity could be trouser-browningly sketchy.
Now not that the 500e feels disturbed round the city (Fiat didn’t come with any freeway riding right through my temporary stint with the automobile). It trade in the type of fast, correct steerage and subcompact agility that made the latest 500e so a lot more amusing to pressure than it had to be. The steerage is shiny however no longer overly so and trade in an overly tight turning circle of simply 31.5 toes, making the “Oh wait, there’s a parking spot! Get it!” maneuver a lot more straightforward than it might be in a bigger automobile.
Past the steerage is superior, the 500e’s journey isn’t as delightful. It’s no longer unladen-full-size-truck brutal whatsoever, however calling it busy over damaged metropolis streets seems like a charitable method of placing it. This isn’t a pricey automobile with subtle postponed, and, once more, given its supposed significance case, I wouldn’t depend the journey as a profusion level in opposition to it.
Some of the largest leaps ahead from the used 500e to this unutilized model is the addition of DC rapid charging capacity. The 2024 style makes use of a CCS (mixed charging machine) plug for speedy charging at as much as 85 kilowatts. That sounds extra like a ingesting straw for electrons than the standard 150 or 350 kW firehose-like charging features of most present EVs, nevertheless it beats the Mini Cooper SE by means of 35 kW, and Fiat claims it’ll rate from 10% to 80% in 35 mins. Fiat may be leaning parched into Stage 2 charging by means of giving 500e patrons a decision between a isolated Stage 2 wall charger or $600 in charging credit with Stellantis’ spouse Free2Move.
Being a easy automobile total, the 500e trade in 3 pressure methods. There’s Customary, Space and the questionably named Sherpa. Customary is somewhat self-explanatory, Space chills out the acceleration for higher potency, and Sherpa is like Space form plus. It shuts indisposed the HVAC machine and provides you with the least responsive accelerator pedal and most regenerative braking. Or in Fiat’s phrases, Sherpa form takes “charge of the whole expedition and guides it to the destination” by means of adjusting the ones above parameters. In contrast to EVs from alternative manufacturers (searching at you, Germans) the 500e trade in one-pedal riding, which is perfect for intra-city commuting.
The 500e has a skateboard-style chassis with the battery collect situated underneath the ground of the passenger compartment. That is lovely usual stuff for almost all built-to-purpose electric vehicles and trade in the advantage of an overly low middle of gravity, which makes for a amusing, agile riding revel in. That’s excellent, as a result of agility is what the 500e is all about.
The unutilized 500e has grown in just about each and every course from its predecessor, however no longer by means of a lot. The extra is most commonly felt inside of, and that’s a excellent factor. Up entrance, the unutilized 500e trade in up 39.3 inches of headroom (up 0.4 from the used 500e), 41.8 inches of legroom (plus 1.1 inch) and 49.8 and 51.1 inches of hip and shoulder room, respectively (plus 2 inches and 1.7 inches). That building up is welcome, particularly as an overly imposing – 6 toes, 4 inches – person, despite the fact that as a passenger, I’d find it irresistible if its seat had the similar peak adjustment as the driving force’s seat. Again seat legroom may be up by means of 2 inches, however that also doesn’t manufacture it anyplace you’d need crowd you love to spend a longer duration of moment. Cargo quantity is predictably piccolo at simply 7.5 cubic toes, up a part dice.
The 500e’s inner is ordinary with some sadly cheap-feeling fabrics, nevertheless it’s aesthetically pleasurable and no longer a terrible playground to be. The seats are company and rarity actual bolstering however are clad (in my bottom take a look at automobile) with cool-looking, embossed Fiat emblem upholstery. There are plethora of playgrounds to bundle your entire stuff, despite the fact that best having one cupholder seems like a misstep for a automobile within the U.S., regardless of how tiny the automobile could also be. The 500e additionally will get a wi-fi charging habitat as usual.
From a tech viewpoint, the 500e is in a similar way ordinary. The bottom RED style lacks options like adaptive cruise keep an eye on or lively lane store help, however nonetheless will get such things as automated catastrophe braking, blind-spot threat and lane depart alert. If you need extra motive force aid options, leaping as much as the “Inspired By” trims is the one approach to get them. Infotainment is treated by means of Stellantis’ usually magnificient Uconnect 5 machine, together with a big-for-the-cabin 10.25-inch touchscreen I discovered to be dried and responsive to the touch inputs. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are usual at the side of a superbly serviceable stereo machine; “Inspired By Music” fashions get a seven-speaker JBL machine, however we’re no longer riding the ones.
One thing that Fiat is terribly happy with however that appeared absent on our take a look at cars is the “Acoustic Vehicle Alert System,” which performs a tune on external audio system to warn pedestrians. This tune, which you’ll pay attention to under, is named “The Sound of 500” and used to be written by means of Flavio Ibba-Marco Gualdi. It’s intended to play games each and every moment you put off till 12 mph or every time you dip under that velocity, after give approach to a extra standard white noise. Unfortunately, in spite of my easiest efforts, I used to be not able to cause it. Most likely it used to be a pre-production factor, however both method, the bumper live performance should stay up for any other age.
One great factor in regards to the 500e is that the 2024 is somewhat inexpensive than the used style in spite of being higher in just about each and every measurable admire. It’s no longer reasonably-priced in step with se, for the reason that Fiat thinks of itself as a top class emblem in the USA. Nonetheless, with a sticky label value of $34,095 (together with a $1,595 vacation spot charge) for the bottom (RED) model and $37,595 for the “Inspired By” variations, it’s no longer utterly egregious both. That’s bolstered by means of the truth that the one choices to be had at the RED or “Inspired by” decrease ranges are tire selection (summers or all-seasons) and which of the in the past discussed charging perks you need. Sadly, for the reason that 500e is in-built Italy (in particular, Fiat’s well-known Mirafiori manufacturing unit in Turin), it isn’t eligible for the federal EV tax credit score.
Past no longer terrible, that value is greater than you’d pay for the a lot sooner Petite Cooper SE and its 181 hp. You pay for that too much efficiency otherwise, despite the fact that, with an EPA-estimated length of simply 114 miles. The Petite begins at $31,895, however the bottom spec is moderately barebones with 16-inch wheels and refuse Android Auto as opposed to the Fiat’s awesome-looking usual 17-inch gadgets and wi-fi smartphone connectivity for each Apple and Android gadgets. The Petite additionally best rapid fees at 50 kW, so in the event you plan to significance population DC rapid chargers, plan to spend extra moment ready round within the Petite (and demanding everybody else ready to rate).
Fiat 500e Impressed by means of Song
Now, the solution to the splendid query: Was once the 2024 Fiat 500e virtue the four-year wait? In cut, yeah. Fiat claims that it took the moment between the preliminary announcement in 2020 and now to seek out and cure insects with the automobile and assure it used to be as in a position for the U.S. marketplace as imaginable. In riding it, I discovered that, date nonetheless a minute tough across the edges, it’s an magnificient selection for drivers becoming the 500e’s slender supposed significance case.
It’s nimble, super-attractive (subjective, however impressive), trade in a significance plethora cabin and plethora length and function not to really feel like a hindrance to site visitors or a burden in your way of life. For those who reside in a densely populated city branch like Unutilized York or Los Angeles, the minute Fiat will manufacture moment more straightforward and extra delightful, however in the event you’re someplace with colossal distances between locations, it’s no longer the automobile for you.
I wouldn’t name the refreshed 500e a house run or a shoo-in for profusion gross sales, given its extremely particular goal, however I loved my moment with it and would counsel it to any person on the lookout for a minute little bit of L. a. Dolce Vita.
