Fiat 600e review

Non-identical twins don't always look the same from the outside, but they're a genetic match under the skin. Similarly, while the Fiat 600e appears unique, its DNA is shared with six other small electric SUVs.

In other words, the 600e shares its underpinnings, battery pack and electric motor with few similar, Stellantis-owned products. Of the six, we consider the Jeep Avenger Electric the most competitive and, therefore, the most noteworthy. Like the Avenger, the 600e can officially travel around 250 miles on a full charge, and it can be "refuelled" from 10-80% in less than half an hour.

As we mentioned, the 600e has its own distinct exterior styling to help set itself apart from its electric SUV cousins. It almost looks like a beefed up Fiat 500e, just like its predecessor (the Fiat 500X) did. In keeping with its SUV status, it gets cladding around its lower edges to give it a somewhat rugged look. 

However, is there anything else that could give the 600e an edge, and how does it fare against other rivals, like the Ford Puma Gen-E and Renault 4? Read on to find out…

What’s new?

• September 2025: Icon trim level announced for 600e, featuring 17in diamond-cut alloy wheels, black/ivory fabric seats and improved technology 

Most electric SUVs have a choice of battery size, power output and number of driven wheels, but the Fiat 600e is limited to just one option. All models come with a 50.8kWh (usable capacity) battery and a 154bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels.

The 0-62mph sprint takes nine seconds and it feels nippy enough in town. There are three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport. Even Eco mode copes with smooth motorway driving fine, but in Sport the accelerator pedal response is noticeably sharpened up and the full 154bhp is made available.

As you can imagine, the 600e’s mechanical cousins are near-enough exactly the same in the performance department. Other rivals are a different story: the Ford Puma Gen-E is quicker and so is the Renault 4 (albeit to a lesser extent). 

Additionally, those two cars are sharper handlers, the Gen-E being the cream of the crop. On twisty roads, the 600e’s relatively soft suspension results in noticeable body lean and the numb steering doesn’t inspire much confidence when you're driving spiritedly. Combined with a spongy brake pedal that needs a good stamp before the brakes bite, there’s little fun to be had in driving the 600e down your favourite country road.

On the other hand, the 600e handles well enough when driven casually, and it feels well suited to urban environments, where its effortless steering and relatively tight turning circle make it a doddle to drive.

What’s more, you can mitigate the sponginess of the brake pedal to a certain extent if you select B mode, which increases the amount of regenerative braking when you lift off the accelerator. Just note that the braking effect this gives isn’t particularly strong – it's far from a one-pedal drive mode.

Entry-level RED trim comes with 16in steel wheels and mid-range Icon 17in alloy ones, but even range-topping La Prima trim, with its 18in wheels, rides well. The 600e deals with potholes and broken surfaces at lower speeds just as commendably as a Jeep Avenger Electric and it doesn’t buck about on undulating roads like the bouncy DS3 E-Tense. 

It doesn’t remain quite as settled at motorway speeds, but it’s hardly uncomfortable. Factor in a quiet electric motor and the 600e is a comfortable and relaxing companion around town. However, on motorways there’s noticeably more road noise than in its rivals, including the Peugeot e-2008. 

“If you consider it a big sibling to the Fiat 500e, then I think you’ll appreciate its urban focus.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Given the Fiat 600e’s retro exterior styling, you might be surprised by the relatively modern and conventional look of its interior. In fact, inside it shares more than a passing resemblance to the Jeep Avenger Electric. Plenty of buttons, switches and screens have been shared between the two cars, including the infotainment system, gear selector buttons and row of climate control switches.

Speaking of the latter, we appreciate that they’re easy-to-use physical controls, rather than fiddly icons that are buried in the touchscreen like in the Peugeot e-2008. 

Even more so than the Avenger, the 600e is available with brightly-coloured interior trim that helps liven things up a bit – more so than the greyer Vauxhall Mokka Electric, that is. Even entry-level RED models have a dashboard that's painted – surprise, surprise – red. Icon trim is the same story, while in range-topping La Prima cars, the dash is a matt ivory colour. Most of the plastics on show are hard to the touch, but most rivals are no different. The Renault 4 feels more premium inside, but that’s more an exception than the rule. 

Visibility is impressive, thanks to the relatively tall windows. Rear parking sensors are standard across the range, while mid-range Icon trim adds a reversing camera. If you go for the range-topping La Prima you’ll also get sensors at the front and sides of the car.

You’ll find it easy to get comfortable behind the wheel, thanks to lots of seat adjustment. What’s more, you sit higher above the road than you would in a small car, giving it the baby SUV feel you’d hope for. On top-spec La Prima models, seat settings – including lumbar support – are electrically adjustable. 

The 600e's 10.3in infotainment touchscreen is positioned high up in the dashboard, so it’s fairly easy to view while driving. It’s also easy enough to use, thanks to its quick responses and a couple of shortcut buttons below it, but the menus could have a more logical layout and some of the icons are on the smaller side. 

You have to pay extra for built-in sat-nav on RED trim, but we wouldn’t bother because Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come as standard. That means you can sync up your phone and run navigation apps such as Google Maps and Waze, through the touchscreen.

The 600e in RED trim has a four-speaker sound system, while Icon and La Prima have a six-speaker set-up that sounds clear.

“I was surprised to see a massage function on the driver’s seat of our top-spec test car. Mind you, the massage it gives you is fairly namby-pamby.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The Fiat 600e is quite compact by electric SUV standards. It’s a touch longer than the Jeep Avenger Electric but shorter than a VW Golf.

Unsurprisingly, it’s not the most practical family car in the world. In the back, even an average-sized adult will find their knees touching the seat in front. Head room is decent, on the other hand. 

Unlike the Hyundai Kona Electric and Hyundai Inster, the 600e lacks reclining rear seats, even as an optional extra. Mind you, the same can be said for the Ford Puma Gen-E and Renault 4. 

The 600e has a 360-litre boot, which is almost identical in size to the Jeep Avenger’s (355 litres), so it’s big enough for a weekend away. The broad, square boot opening makes it easy to load in chunkier items.

Some rivals have bigger boots, and that includes the Renault 4 (420 litres) and Puma Gen-E (523 litres). There’s also the Kona Electric (466 litres) and Kia Niro EV (475 litres).

The 600e Icon and La Prima trims come with a handy adjustable boot floor – entry-level RED misses out on it. In its highest setting, the adjustable boot floor reduces the big lip at the boot entrance (making it easier to load heavier items) and gives you plenty of space underneath for the charging cables. That's handy, because there's no front boot.

You can fold down the rear seatbacks in a 60/40 split, which is par for the course in the electric SUV class.

In terms of interior storage space, the 600e comes with plenty of cubbies up front. There’s a huge cubby covered by a magnetic lid at the bottom of the dashboard with a wireless phone-charger inside. There are also two cupholders, a cubby under the centre armrest and a phone-sized rubberised storage tray under the centre air vents.

“The height-adjustable boot floor adds an extra layer of flexibility that I think buyers will appreciate.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The Fiat 600e is more expensive than the Renault 4 but similarly priced next to the Ford Puma Gen-E. It undercuts the closely-related Jeep Avenger Electric and Peugeot e-2008, as well as the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV, so it’s certainly one of the more affordable electric SUVs on sale. 

That’s especially true if you go for entry-level RED trim, which is reasonably well equipped. Rear parking sensors, climate control, LED headlights and an EV heat pump all come as standard.

If you can find the extra cash, we’d advise you to step up to the Icon trim, which still undercuts equivalent versions of the Avenger and e-2008. It comes with 17in alloy wheels (instead of 16in steel ones), the six-speaker sound system previously mentioned, plus a wireless phone charger. 

The range-topping La Prima trim is worth considering as well. It gets keyless entry, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat, a hands-free tailgate, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree parking camera.

At the time of the writing, the 600e hasn't been tested for safety by Euro NCAP but it has plenty of aids to stop you from having an accident in the first place, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist and pedestrian detection. You’ll need to upgrade to La Prima to get blind-spot monitoring and automatic high-beam assist for the headlights, though.

The 600e has a maximum charging speed of up to 100kW, for a 10-80% top-up in around 27 minutes. That’s faster than you can charge the Niro EV (80kW) and the same as a Puma Gen-E (100kW), but fractionally slower than the Hyundai Kona Electric (102kW) and Smart #1 (150kW). If you’re plugging into a 7kW home wallbox charger, expect to wait just over eight hours for a full (0-100%) charge.

The 600e was too new to feature in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. Fiat as a brand came 25th out of 31 manufacturers, which is slightly concerning. 

If anything were to go wrong, the 600e is (like all Fiats) covered by a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty. Some rivals can better that: Hyundai offers a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty, while Kia offers a seven-year warranty.

“I’m glad that even the top trim remains reasonably priced.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Buy it if...

- You do a lot of town and city driving 

- You have off-street parking and can charge an electric car cheaply overnight

- You want to pay a reasonably low price (by electric SUV standards)

Don’t buy it if…

- You need a big boot and regularly carry adults in the back seats

- You cover mostly motorway miles

- You like your electric cars quick and fun to drive

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