The Second Technology Electrical Cinquecento Provides Dolce Vita!
It wasn’t an enormous shock when Fiat introduced the 2019 500e was in its last 12 months of being imported to America. Solely obtainable in California and Oregon, its enchantment was challenged by an 84-mile all-electric driving vary (AER) that had lengthy been surpassed by rivals.
Transfer forward 5 years. All-new for 2024, the second technology Fiat 500e this time is out there 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 normal 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 inside combustion 500 was a blast to drive.
Clean, 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 high pace is 94 mph. We discovered this tempo to be completely acceptable because it felt even sooner for freeway merging and passing huge rigs. The acceleration is easy, quiet and zippy—and fairly addictive—the great thing about EV torque is it being obtainable, at any pace, any time. When taking your take a look at drive, pay attention 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 enhance from the primary technology. Additionally it is just about what we skilled. With a lot emphasis positioned on driving vary, it is very important word 39.7 miles is the typical pushed each day in the USA. Yep, that’s it people. Meaning the 500e would fulfill a really giant variety of these folks’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 based mostly 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 12 months, however could also be obtainable used.
Automotive Leisure
The Fiat 500e is enjoyable to drive, and possibly might be thought of a type of automotive leisure. Round city as a metropolis automotive, it’s utterly in its factor. The 31.5-feet turning radius and the electrical energy steering made simple work of transferring the two,952-pound 500e in-and-out of parking areas and navigating the tightest of alleys.
Out on the open street, even with the brief 91.4-inch wheelbase, it felt assured at freeway speeds. No gusts of wind or street situations gave any concern. The McPherson strut entrance and twist-beam axle within the rear smoothed-out most street irregularities. Our solely difficulty is the 205/45R Pirelli Cintuarato all-season tires will be loud at freeway speeds.
The 500e is nicely balanced because the battery weight underneath the floorboard makes for a low middle of gravity. The responsive steering has a correctly heavy really feel and good street suggestions. Being tight and sporty, we had 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 via Fiat, or $600 in charging credit via Free2Move Cost. This explains the program to ease the electrification transition.
Regenerative Charging and Drive Modes
Charging additionally happens via 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 will be set to totally different ranges of drive.
There are three driver selectable drive mode settings, managed by the “e-MODE” swap on the middle console, permitting the driving force to optimize vary and return vitality to the battery.
- Regular – Probably the most related setting to a gasoline powered automotive and doesn’t have regeneration
- Vary – Prompts the one-pedal-drive and regeneration perform
- Sherpa – Retains the regeneration drive. Sherpa additionally limits the highest pace to 50 mph, turns-off the heating and air-con, and reduces the facility, however doesn’t prohibit a full throttle if wanted.
The placement of the regen settings management swap is exclusive to the Fiat 500e. On virtually all of the plug-in automobiles Clear Fleet Report checks the regeneration is about by paddles on the bottom of the steering wheel. We want this technique as drivers can regulate motor regeneration with their fingertips, by no means eradicating their eyes from the street.
The 500e format on the middle console requires a fast look to search out the swap. After per week driving the 500e, we grew to become comfy with the placement, however want to see it moved to a extra typical 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 enduring Cinquecento (first launched in 1957 and offered in numerous types in the USA via 1983), the brand new, first technology 500 was launched in 2012, adopted by the all-electric 500e for 2013-2019.
Fiat has a novel strategy to introducing the 500e, taking a web page from the style world. There will likely be a collection of “drops” identical to the style homes do with their clothes traces. The primary drop earlier this 12 months was “RED”; every buy despatched a donation to the International Fund to assist life-saving prevention and remedy applications in communities most in want. All the launch version 2024 Fiat 500e fashions are painted in non-metallic clear coat Crimson.
The following drops, with every solely coming in a single exterior coloration, but in addition with extra normal options, had been “Impressed By Magnificence” (Rose Gold), “Impressed By Music” (Tuxedo Black). “Impressed by Los Angeles” (Marine Layer Mist) was launched late Summer time 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 working 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 direction of the roof, which ends with a rear hatch spoiler. Chrome items are non-existent save however for the “500” badge on the elevate gate subsequent to the LED tail lights. The automotive 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 handbook changes, making it comfy 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 mates any additional than a neighborhood restaurant except you don’t need them to be your pals for much longer. The perfect use for the 500e is to put down the 50:50 cut up rear seat and luxuriate in zipping round with sufficient cupboard space 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 implies lengthy gadgets can’t be accommodated.
The 500e sprint has been utterly redesigned from the sooner technology. It’s clear, trendy, smooth and trendy with all the things nicely inside attain of the driving force. The flat backside steering wheel has controls for the cruise management on the fitting aspect, and voice activation and controls for the 7-inch instrument cluster on the left aspect.
We’re huge 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 safety features.
The 7-speaker JBL audio system offered AM/FM/HD and SiriusXM, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus entry to entrainment apps. Controlling the radio capabilities on the 500e is our favourite of all of the programs 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 street to search out your favourite station.
Comfort options embody energy home windows and door locks, keyless entry, 12V and USB energy shops, a wi-fi cellphone charging pad, automated 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
Customary superior driver help programs (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 equipment, brake help, hill begin help and auto maintain.
Pricing and Warranties
The 2024 Fiat 500e RED we drove had a base worth of $32,500. There aren’t any choices obtainable, so together with the $1,595 vacation spot payment, the MSRP was $34,095. Communicate 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 note on the street. It isn’t laborious to think about your self in Rome, the place the Cinquecento appears to be in every single place.
Effectively utilizing its saved electrical energy and respectable charging instances, it’s right-sized for one or two folks to deal with all their in-town, city and brief journey wants. If you don’t want to haul round 4 adults, the 500e might be a great second automotive.
Fiat calls the 500e a “metropolis automotive” which in fact it’s, however that sells it brief. It additionally works nicely for suburban dwellers, not simply these residing in a metropolis middle resembling San Francisco, Boston, New York Metropolis and Chicago. If you happen to spend nearly all of your time on brief haul commuter freeway driving, working errands and infrequently negotiating the craziness of a metropolis, the 500e could be best for you.
The 2024 Fiat 500e is strictly 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 judge, usually for per week at a time. Our street checks are based mostly on this one-week drive of a brand new car. Due to this we don’t handle points resembling long-term reliability or complete price of possession. As well as, we are sometimes invited to producer occasions highlighting new autos or expertise. As a part of these occasions we could also be supplied 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 provide the most effective gasoline financial system of their class, which leads us to emphasise electrical automobiles, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and different environment friendly powertrains. We additionally function these environment friendly gas-powered autos which might be among the many high mpg autos of their class. As well as, we goal to supply evaluations and information on superior expertise and the choice gasoline car market. We welcome any suggestions from car house owners and are devoted to offering a discussion board for different viewpoints. Please tell us your views at [email protected].
