Fiat 600e review: Spacious and comfy, but not without its problems

There’s quite a lot to like about the 600e, an electric family car which is neither rocket-ship fast, nor so stiffly suspended it rattles out your fillings, nor so expensive it’s only really unattainable by the well-heeled upper classes. 

Yet, since it costs the same to make a great-looking car as a bland one, you wonder why Fiat’s designers didn’t opt for the former. Those brakes are a pain and the steering could have been a lot better. It’s cheap, spacious and comfy, and a decent if more expensive rival for the MG4 and BYD Dolphin, but it’s hard not to think the mild hybrid, when it arrives next year might be all of that for ten grand less.

The facts

On test: Fiat 600e La Prima

Body style: five-door battery-electric family hatchback/SUV

On sale: This year, hybrid to follow next spring

How much? From £32,995 for Red version, £36,995 for La Prima

How fast? 93mph / 0-62mph in 9.0 seconds

How economical? 4.6m/kWh (WLTP Combined), on test 4.2m/kWh

Electric powertrain: 54kWh gross, 51kWh net, lithium-ion nickel manganese cobalt CATL battery with permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, front-wheel drive

Electric range: 249 miles (WLTP combined), 224 miles on test

Charge times: 10-80 per cent charge on 100kW DC 27 minutes, on a 7.4kW wall box a 100 per cent charge in 7hrs 17 mins

Maximum power/torque: 154bhp/192lb-ft

CO2 emissions: 0g/km (tailpipe), 27.9g/km (well-to-wheels)

VED: £0

Warranty: 3 years unlimited mileage, battery warrantied for 8 years and 100,000 miles

The rivals

BYD Dolphin

From £25,490