In short
Electric city car
Marketed in November 2020
95 and 118 hp, 180 to 320 km of autonomy
From 24,500 €
The Fiat 500 responds wonderfully to Fiat’s adage that “the past never leaves us”. Born in 1936 under the surname of “500 Topolino”, it had its first moment of glory between 1957 and 1975, with its second generation, the “nuova 500”. Then in 2007, 50 years to the day, the “new” Fiat 500 marks the second hour of glory of this model, stung in neo-retro sauce.
And depending on whether we consider the Topolino to be the first 500 or not, it is therefore the 3rd or 4th generation of the 500 that debuted in 2020 (we consider it to be the 3rd). By adopting for the occasion an electric motor, and only electric for that matter.
The electric Fiat 500 at the 2021 Caradisiac show
Fiat 500 and: “Dolce Vita electrified” * – Salon Caradisiac Electrique / hybride 2021
Video shot at the Caradisiac show on 05/18/2021.
In doing so, she absolutely does not deny her neo-retro style, which continues to jump in the eyes as soon as you see her. Its curves, its curves, its closed grille are reminiscent of the previous generation as much as the 1957 500. Some details are interesting, such as the well hidden door handles (you open with a small button) or the two-part optics, the one under the hood, the other on the hood, forming like an eyebrow. The light signature is always round anyway.
Now 3.63 m long, it grows 6 cm, but remains a “mini”. Originality of this latest generation, it can be ordered in a “3 + 1” version (that of our living room), that is to say with a small additional opposing door, passenger side, to improve accessibility to the rear seats. It costs 2,000 €. The price of practicality.
Inside, the dashboard impresses with its level of quality, its modern design and its simplicity. Thanks to its level of technology also with 100% digital instrumentation, a 10.25-inch Uconnect 5 multimedia screen, classic smartphone connectivity but also induction charging and voice assistant activated by a “hey Fiat”.
The disappearance of the central gear lever also frees up a lot of space, the driving position is improved by adjusting the steering wheel in height and depth, while the rear seats remain reserved for children or teenagers for long journeys. The trunk volume remains unchanged at 185 liters, and the charging cables find their place under the floor thereof.
Technically, the electric 500 has an entry level with a 70 kW engine, or 95 hp, and a 24 kWh battery which promises a range of 180 km. But the most interesting version is undoubtedly the one equipped with the 118 hp (87 kW) engine, which comes with a larger 42 kWh battery, thus allowing 320 km of autonomy in the WLTP cycle. It is compatible with 85 kW fast charging, which recovers 80% of the battery in 35 minutes.
And to drive? Our tester Alexandre Bataille returned delighted from Turin. He saw colossal progress in handling, comfort, steering precision, and of course silence. The performances are also at the rendezvous and the autonomy of 320 km widely achievable (including the theoretical 460 km in the urban cycle).
The prices of this electric 500 are between 24,500 € with the small motor and the small battery and 34,900 € in high finish La Prima and large battery (excluding ecological bonus).
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Video test – Fiat 500 electric (2020): the most successful 500
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* Electrified Dolce Vita, or sweet electrified life
PROSPECTIVE RELIABILITY
You will often see it written in this box, present in many articles devoted to all the vehicles of this second auto show organized by Caradisiac: it is very complicated to speak of reliability when it comes to a car that has just been released. And yet it is of great interest to potential buyers. So, failing to be diviners, we can do a little foresight based on today’s findings.
First, the overall average reliability of electric vehicles is higher than that of thermal cars. Thanks to a lower number of moving parts, and to the absence of components liable to fail or break, such as turbos, pollution control system, exhaust, starter, alternator, etc.
Moreover, Fiat is now a thousand miles from its reputation for poor reliability, which sticks to the basques. Today, it is a brand that is rather well talked about, with some of the most reliable models on the market, such as the Panda or the Tipo. So certainly, this new 500 th starts from a blank page, but should not know a career too chaotic.
