The Second Technology Electrical Cinquecento Gives Dolce Vita!
It wasn’t an enormous shock when Fiat introduced the 2019 500e was in its ultimate yr of being imported to America. Solely accessible in California and Oregon, its attraction was challenged by an 84-mile all-electric driving vary (AER) that had lengthy been surpassed by opponents.
Transfer forward 5 years. All-new for 2024, the second technology Fiat 500e this time is obtainable in all 50 states. It brings a number of upgrades, together with being larger (two inches wider, longer and taller), extra highly effective, with an extended driving vary and extra customary options. The 500e works laborious to make Fiat’s case of “not needing to set foot in Italy to expertise Dolce Vita!”
Probably larger information is the five hundred will now include electrical propulsion solely. Here’s a flashback to our time within the sporty 2019 500c Abarth Cabrio; the final inner combustion 500 was a blast to drive.
Easy, Quiet and Zippy
You energy up by urgent the beginning/off button (accompanied by distinctive tones). The sprint gauges awaken, telling you the 500e is able to drive. With none engine noise or vibration, the sprint readouts are your solely indication you’re good-to-go.
The electrical motor places out 117 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. A single-speed transmission drives the entrance wheels, managed by giant buttons on the sprint. Powered by a 42-kWh battery, the 500e scoots alongside from a cease to 60 mph in about 8.5 seconds. Its prime velocity is 94 mph. We discovered this tempo to be completely acceptable because it felt even quicker for freeway merging and passing massive rigs. The acceleration is clean, quiet and zippy—and fairly addictive—the fantastic thing about EV torque is it being accessible, at any velocity, any time. When taking your take a look at drive, hear for the music that performs at 20 miles per hour.
The 2024 Fiat 500e is rated at a 149-mile all-electric vary, which is a markedly important improve from the primary technology. It is usually just about what we skilled. With a lot emphasis positioned on driving vary, you will need to word 39.7 miles is the typical pushed every day in the USA. Yep, that’s it of us. Meaning the 500e would fulfill a really giant variety of these individuals’s wants. Clear Fleet Report placed on 182 miles tooling round Southern California the place we averaged a really respectable 3.9 miles per kWh.
Opponents primarily based on AER are the Mini Cooper SE at 114 miles and the Nissan Leaf S, additionally at 149 miles. The Mazda MX-30, at 100 miles, was discontinued following the 2023 mannequin yr, however could also be accessible used.
Automotive Leisure
The Fiat 500e is enjoyable to drive, and possibly could possibly be thought of a type of automotive leisure. Round city as a metropolis automobile, it’s utterly in its component. The 31.5-feet turning radius and the electrical energy steering made simple work of shifting the two,952-pound 500e in-and-out of parking areas and navigating the tightest of alleys.
Out on the open highway, even with the quick 91.4-inch wheelbase, it felt assured at freeway speeds. No gusts of wind or highway circumstances gave any concern. The McPherson strut entrance and twist-beam axle within the rear smoothed-out most highway irregularities. Our solely concern is the 205/45R Pirelli Cintuarato all-season tires may be loud at freeway speeds.
The 500e is nicely balanced because the battery weight beneath the floorboard makes for a low middle of gravity. The responsive steering has a correctly heavy really feel and good highway suggestions. Being tight and sporty, we have been tempted to assault a number of tight curves the place we discovered there to be no physique roll, pushing or lack of grip. A smile was our reward!
Plug-in Charging
Charging the lithium-ion battery is thru the 11 kW onboard charger. It is very important word chilly climate can have an effect on the charging time and driving vary.
- 120V (Stage 1) @ 13 Amps – 37 hours – 5% – 100%
- 240V (Stage 2) @ 48 Amps – 6 hours – 0% – 100%
- DC Quick Charging @ 85 kW – 35 minutes – 0% to 80%
Unique 2024 500e house owners have the choice to obtain a Stage 2 charging wall unit by Fiat, or $600 in charging credit by Free2Move Cost. This explains the program to ease the electrification transition.
Regenerative Charging and Drive Modes
Charging additionally happens by motor regeneration when coasting or braking, which converts kinetic vitality into electrical vitality and returns it to the battery. The 500e has two one-pedal driving settings, the place the regeneration may be set to totally different ranges of pressure.
There are three driver selectable drive mode settings, managed by the “e-MODE”a change on the middle console, permitting the driving force to optimize vary and return vitality to the battery.
- Regular – Probably the most comparable setting to a gasoline powered automobile and doesn’t have regeneration
- Vary – Prompts the one-pedal-drive and regeneration operate
- Sherpa – Retains the regeneration pressure. Sherpa additionally limits the highest velocity to 50 mph, turns-off the heating and air-con, and reduces the ability, however doesn’t prohibit a full throttle if wanted.
The situation of the regen settings management change is exclusive to the Fiat 500e. On nearly all of the plug-in vehicles Clear Fleet Report checks the regeneration is ready by paddles on the bottom of the steering wheel. We choose this method as drivers can alter motor regeneration with their fingertips, by no means eradicating their eyes from the highway.
The 500e format on the middle console requires a fast look to seek out the change. After every week driving the 500e, we turned snug with the placement, however want to see it moved to a extra standard set-up.
Retro Design
Constructed on the Mirafiori meeting plant in Turin, Italy, the Fiat 500e is all about being cool, and having unmistakable Italian design and enjoyable. Fiat proudly says it’s “100-percent Electrical, 100-percent Italian.” Based mostly on the long-lasting Cinquecento (first launched in 1957 and offered in varied varieties in the USA by 1983), the brand new, first technology 500 was launched in 2012, adopted by the all-electric 500e for 2013-2019.
Fiat has a novel method to introducing the 500e, taking a web page from the style world. There can be a sequence of “drops” identical to the style homes do with their clothes strains. The primary drop earlier this yr was “RED”; every buy despatched a donation to the International Fund to assist life-saving prevention and remedy applications in communities most in want. The entire launch version 2024 Fiat 500e fashions are painted in non-metallic clear coat Pink.
The subsequent drops, with every solely coming in a single exterior coloration, but additionally with extra customary options, have been “Impressed By Magnificence” (Rose Gold), “Impressed By Music” (Tuxedo Black). “Impressed by Los Angeles” (Marine Layer Mist) was launched late Summer season 2024. On the LA Auto Present in November Fiat introduced a Giorgio Armani Collector’s Version coming in early 2025.
The 500e has a enjoyable face with spherical LED projector headlights, with eyebrows and daytime operating lights, and a pleasant smile within the mouth-like grille. At slightly below 12-feet lengthy the 500e has an upright design with sides that slope inward in the direction of the roof, which ends with a rear hatch spoiler. Chrome items are non-existent save however for the “500” badge on the raise gate subsequent to the LED tail lights. The automobile has angle.
Cozy Inside
The cabin is compact, however in actuality it truly is roomier than anticipated for the driving force and passenger. The heated entrance seats have guide changes, making it snug and offering ample headroom even for 6-footers.
The rear seat is for 2 adults of as much as about 5-foot nine-inches, so don’t plan on taking buddies any additional than an area restaurant until you don’t need them to be your pals for much longer. One of the best use for the 500e is to put down the 50:50 cut up rear seat and revel in zipping round with sufficient space for storing for in-town errands. The cargo capability is compromised a bit because the rear seat doesn’t lay utterly flat. Identical story with the passenger seat, which suggests lengthy gadgets can’t be accommodated.
The 500e sprint has been utterly redesigned from the sooner technology. It’s clear, trendy, glossy and fashionable with every part nicely inside attain of the driving force. The flat backside steering wheel has controls for the cruise management on the precise aspect, and voice activation and controls for the 7-inch instrument cluster on the left aspect.
We’re massive followers of the fast-operating and easy-to-understand Fiat UConnect 5 system that’s the gateway to the infotainment system, 3-D navigation and different useful security and security measures.
The 7-speaker JBL audio system supplied AM/FM/HD and SiriusXM, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus entry to entrainment apps. Controlling the radio features on the 500e is our favourite of all of the methods we take a look at. There are small up-and-down buttons on the bottom of the steering wheel to, with a easy contact of a finger tip, management the channel and audio settings. No taking eyes off the highway to seek out your favourite station.
Comfort options embody energy home windows and door locks, keyless entry, 12V and USB energy retailers, a wi-fi cellphone charging pad, computerized temperature management (Yay for bodily buttons!) with cabin air filtration, energy exterior mirrors, entrance and rear seat cup holders, tilt and telescopic steering wheel column, rain sensing wipers and a safety alarm.
Security
Commonplace superior driver help methods (ADAS) embody Stage 2 autonomous driving, seven airbags, backup digital camera, digital stability management, traction management, entrance and rear park help, blind spot and rear cross detection, distant keyless entry, engine immobilizer, tire strain monitoring system, tire restore package, brake help, hill begin help and auto maintain.
Pricing and Warranties
The 2024 Fiat 500e RED we drove had a base value of $32,500. There are not any choices accessible, so together with the $1,595 vacation spot charge, the MSRP was $34,095. Converse together with your CPA earlier than visiting a Fiat seller to see if the 500e qualifies for federal or a state tax credit. The 500e is eligible in lots of states for a solo driver HOV sticker.
All Fiat 500e fashions include these warranties.
- Fundamental/Powertrain – 4 Years/50,000 miles
- Electrical Powertrain/Lithium-ion Battery – Eight Years/100,000 miles
- Corrosion – Eight Years/Limitless Miles
Observations: 2024 Fiat 500e
The 2024 Fiat 500e is nimble and enjoyable to drive, simple to park and handles twisties nice. The design is exclusive in comparison with the rest you will notice on the highway. It isn’t laborious to think about your self in Rome, the place the Cinquecento appears to be in all places.
Effectively utilizing its saved electrical energy and respectable charging occasions, it’s right-sized for one or two individuals to deal with all their in-town, city and quick journey wants. If you don’t want to haul round 4 adults, the 500e could possibly be an excellent second automobile.
Fiat calls the 500e a “metropolis automobile” which in fact it’s, however that sells it quick. It additionally works nicely for suburban dwellers, not simply these residing in a metropolis middle similar to San Francisco, Boston, New York Metropolis and Chicago. In case you spend nearly all of your time on quick haul commuter freeway driving, operating errands and infrequently negotiating the craziness of a metropolis, the 500e is perhaps best for you.
The 2024 Fiat 500e is precisely what it’s meant to be. Mission completed.
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Story and images by John Faulkner.
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Disclosure
Clear Fleet Report is loaned free take a look at autos from automakers to guage, usually for every week at a time. Our highway checks are primarily based on this one-week drive of a brand new automobile. Due to this we don’t tackle points similar to long-term reliability or whole value of possession. As well as, we are sometimes invited to producer occasions highlighting new autos or know-how. As a part of these occasions we could also be provided free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our greatest to current our unvarnished evaluations of autos and information irrespective of those inducements.
Our focus is on autos that supply the most effective gas economic system of their class, which leads us to emphasise electrical vehicles, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and different environment friendly powertrains. We additionally characteristic these environment friendly gas-powered autos which might be among the many prime mpg autos of their class. As well as, we intention to supply critiques and information on superior know-how and the choice gas automobile market. We welcome any suggestions from automobile house owners and are devoted to offering a discussion board for various viewpoints. Please tell us your views at [email protected].
