The Fiat Cinquecento has always been a car dear to our hearts, and we certainly are not alone in loving this car. It now continues since 2020 its successful career in EV form, and many say that this is the very best 500 ever. The popularity of the 500e is now indeed clearly written in the sales charts: it is an undisputed leader in the European A+B BEV segment with a market share of 14.7%.

Needless to say that we were very keen to take the wheel of this iconic city car for you here…

Just read further!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Wonderful looks inside and out

The 500e is cute from any angle, and the “la Prima” version we tested has some extras which we came to like very much. Such as the full LED headlights with a special signature, making the front end even more attractive with its elegant round headlight contours. By the way, at night, the LED headlights offer of course excellent visibility.

We also loved the 17 inch alloy wheels with a diamond cut pattern, which suited our test car very well.

The proportions of the Cinquecento are nothing less than a stroke of genius. In the electric three door version now, the 500 has grown a bit in size, and thanks to a 60mm increase in length and width, it looks a more imposing car. It runs on a completely new platform, and it is also 4 cm taller, with a 2 cm increase in wheelbase. But the designers left the overall look untouched, and that is nothing short of an absolute masterpiece.

The interior is well finished, and the color patterns and textures of the surfaces were also pleasing to the eye. The finish level is also quite good. The instrument cluster houses very clear and “less is more” driver information, with a well positioned 10,25 inch touchscreen in the middle. Underneath this screen is thankfully an “analog” row of buttons for heating and ventilation.

Sound volume can be adjusted with a manual rolling button on the centre console, very neat and practical. On the left side of this sound volume control, you can choose between the different driving modes. Indeed, you can select either “Normal”, “Range” or “Sherpa”. The regeneration function when you release the throttle increases gradually, and in the “Sherpa” mode, you can easily drive without touching the brake pedal at all, as the deceleration is then quite marked. It takes only a little practice to learn this…Needless to say that this has a very positive effect on brake pad wear…who said that EV’s emit more brake dust than “classic” IC cars?

Stepping into the car, one notices immediately some big improvements. The driving position is now comfortable – it’s set lower and has a decent range of movement to the wheel and seat.

The front seats, elegant with their “Fiat” embossed finish are generously dimensioned, and indeed two up to 1,95 m persons can find a good position behind the wheel. This cannot be said for passengers in the back seat. Children and dogs can find a good home though, but anybody taller than 1,60 m will find life in the back seat rather cramped.

Thankfully, through the third door on the right side of the 500e “La Prima”, it’s easier to reach the back seat, and parents with toddlers will only appreciate this, as it makes (re)moving the baby safety seat more of a breeze.

Smooth performance…

The 500e “La Prima” has a 118 HP/87 kW electric motor, and a 42 kW battery pack. The motor drives the front wheels through a single gear transmission, and this means ultra smooth progress. Indeed, e-power refinement is also to be had in this iconic 500. Almost totally silent and of course vibration free, the 500e offers lively performance. However, we should not forget that with its batteries, the 500e puts somewhat more kilos on the scales, and it weighs 1,4 tonnes. Nevertheless, the 118 HP/87 kW motor develops a healthy 220 Nm of torque, so acceleration from lower speeds is quite brisk indeed. For example, it will jump from 15 to 30 km/h in merely one second and the classic sprint from 60 to 100 km/h costs only 5 seconds. Standing acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is done in 9 seconds. This is (very nearly) as fast as the early Porsche 911… and indeed, subjectively, one has the impression that the 500e is fast in getting up to speed.

Top speed is limited at 150 km/h, but for cruising at legal motorway speeds, the 500e is well suited. Of course, as EV’s go, the range will dwindle dramatically at high cruising speeds. Remember, the 500e has this Sherpa mode, which limits the speed to 80 km/h. But then you have to get very friendly then with the big Scania’s and MAN’s who will overtake and outrun you…

Handling is quite good, with excellent stability in all driving situations. Comfort is adequate, rough sections with potholes and ridges will be felt quite clearly, so the 500e is not a comfort miracle, but it is not bad either.

Steering is pleasantly light, which is welcome for this urban car, and brakes are also very well up to the task.

A reasonable urban range

Speaking of range, maybe some BEV knowledge is useful here. Did you know that the outside temperature plays a significant role? Maybe more than you think. Let’s take a close look here for this “La Prima” with a 42 kW battery.

If we take (very) cold weather, with -10 sub zero temperatures, the range in urban driving is 230 km, when you are venturing on the highway in these wintry conditions, this dwindles down to 165 km. We want to tell here that for the highway, a constant speed of 110 km/h is assumed.

In summer, at a temperature of some 23 degrees with no A/C being used, city consumption rises to a rather impressive 355 km. On the highway in warmer spring weather, now 215 km are possible, but still with no airco. So you will just make a Brussels-Knokke quick retour. Not so formidable it? In winter, you can forget this. What’s more, if you have to make an unforeseen quick retour, it is hardly realistic to expect that your car is fully charged. Keep this in mind when you need to reach in emergency a sick parent or child at a certain distance…

So this means practically that this 500e is a town car, and fit for short commutes only, if you don’t have charging possibilities at home or your destination and/or want to make a quick (evening) retour with no time for recharging “en route”.

When it comes to consumption, the following figures are more realistic: for urban traffic 13,6 kW/100 km, on the open road approx. 18,0 and on the motorway 19,5 kWh/100 km. The official WLTP consumption is given at 14,4 kWh.

Smooth recharging

The 500e offers however the possibility of fast recharging, as it can recharge at up to 85 kW/h. Then you will charge in less than 30 minutes from 10 to 80 pct of the 42 kW battery charge. Practically, one will charge at 11 kW on most public charging points, and then it will take about 4 hours to get fully charged.

Infotainment and practicality

The Fiat 500 boot is pretty small, although there is underfloor storage for one of the two standard charging cables provided. In standard form, the boot space is some 200 liters; using the space until the roof, one has some 35 liters extra. Folding  the rear seats down and loading until the height of the window base, one can pack 460 liters.

You have a DAB+ radio, Bluetooth, 2x USB-A and 1x USB-C connections, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an inductive Smartphone charging station. The navigation informs you about actual traffic situations and charging points. Via a Fiat-app you can heat/cool the car before you leave and be informed about range and charging points on your journey. Last but not least there is a nice JBL Premium-Soundsystem with 320 W system power…

 Conclusion

A formidable, cute looking, absolutely iconic urban BEV, that’s what this Cinquecento Elettrica “La Prima” is. Not the roomiest, nor the most comfortable, but then, with its possibility of having three doors, and even a cabrio version, it will continue to steal many hearts, as it has done so since it rolls of the production lines in the Mirafiori plant in Turin.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Photographers’ notes: We used for the photos again our Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. The 16 x Leica designed zoom lens (a massive 25-400 mm based on 35 mm equivalent) is pin sharp, the color and contrast rendition with this low winter sun was also excellent, needing minimal corrections in postproduction.