Fiat 600 long-term test
Fiat hasn't traditionally focused on building SUVs, but the 600 is its latest small SUV offering. We're living with one to find out how it stacks up with everyday life...
The car Fiat 600 1.2 Hybrid 48V La Prima Run by George Hill, Used Car Writer
Why we’re running it To find out whether this small SUV can be a successful urban commuter car
Needs to Be easy to drive, comfortable and cheap to run, but also practical on trips out of town
Mileage 4012 List price £27,350 Target Price £24,742 Price as tested £28,000 Official economy 57.6mpg Test economy 47.0mpg Running costs (excluding depreciation) £549.07 (fuel)
24 June 2025 – Bitter sweet goodbye
Graduating from university, moving house or even finishing a good TV series – these are just a few examples of how endings can be bitter sweet. Similarly, this is how I’m feeling about saying goodbye to my Fiat 600, because I’m sad that my time with it is now over, but I’m also glad I can move onto pastures new.
On the whole, I’ve had a good experience with the car, because this small SUV has suited my lifestyle very well indeed. I can’t say this for all cars I’ve lived with; as a resident of London, my old Range Rover was an absolute nightmare for parking and navigating narrow streets. The 600, though? It’s very well suited to city life. Its small size has made it very easy to drive on urban roads and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed its nimble and nippy nature. Its good visibility and useful 360-degree reversing camera (a standard feature on top-spec La Prima trim) have really helped for avoiding kerbs, scratches and near misses, too.
Interestingly, its looks have also caught the attention of several other Londoners. I had one lady stop me in the street to say what a beautiful car it is, with particular attention paid to the Sky Blue paint colour – a £650 option I’m glad I opted for.
On the contrary, the car’s branding has caused some confusion among other onlookers. There’s only one Fiat badge on the bootlid, while the bonnet, steering wheel and bumpers all have 600 badges. As a result, I’ve had one person ask me if it was a BYD, while another thought it was called the ‘goo’, because of the way the 600 badge is styled. Either way, the design and branding have been great talking points, so for me, that’s a win.
One area I was concerned about when choosing the 600 was fuel economy, because petrol SUVs without much electrical assistance can be inefficient in town. However, I can gladly say my car has been very good on fuel; I reported 53.2mpg on one 12-mile commute through London, which I was particularly pleased with. While I would have preferred my average for the last six months to be higher than the 47.0mpg I achieved (and closer to its official figure of 57.6mpg), I still think this is a good result, considering I spent most of my time in town.
The car’s efficiency is largely thanks to its mild hybrid (MHEV) technology. It’s a bit different to other MHEVs, because it can run on electric power alone for very short distances (most can’t do this). This has been good for lowering my fuel bills, but unfortunately it does lead me onto the bitter element of my final report.
The hybrid system, albeit great for performance and efficiency, isn’t very smooth. The engine is theatrical and noisy, especially when it’s cold, with a noticeable shimmy when it fires up. The transitions between petrol and electric power aren’t very smooth when you’re on the move, either. The hybrid system in the Toyota Yaris Cross is noticeably more refined.
Then there’s the regenerative braking system, which generates charge for the hybrid battery when slowing down. This no doubt helped with the car’s efficiency, but I found its default setting to be too strong, resulting in a sudden braking feel when coming to a stop in most instances. Unfortunately, you can’t turn it off; it would have been useful to have a ‘B mode’, like you get in a Lexus LBX, so you can adjust the strength.
When heading out of town on solo trips, the 600 coped just fine. However, when I filled the car up with three people and their luggage on one occasion, the 600 struggled to fit us all in. I had to slide my seat uncomfortably forward to get a passenger behind my driving position (I’m 6ft2in), with leg and shoulder room particularly tight in the back. I can’t help but think a Skoda Kamiq or VW T-Roc would have been better in this instance.
This general sense of ability on my trip out of town just about summarises my overall experience with the 600. It’s been a pleasure to live with when doing more simple tasks, such as urban driving or being good on fuel. However, it’s been a little out of depth when tasked with those more challenging aspects of small SUV life, specifically refinement and practicality.
So, would I recommend one? Well, if you live in a town or city and don’t regularly carry passengers, then yes. But if not, then your experience might end up being more bitter than sweet.
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