Fiat’s model range is now slightly confusing because the old car lives on as the Fiat 500 Hybrid (despite being only a mild hybrid). The one you want, however, is the newer electric 500.
It might look familiar, but it’s only when you see them side by side that you realise the new electric 500 is completely new.
Fiat has done a marvellous job of retaining the modern-day 500’s cute retro looks while making it into a car for the modern age.
Because it was developed as a purely electric car from the outset, it has a fairly sizeable (for a small car) 42kWh battery and a theoretical WLTP lab test range of 199 miles, although we discovered that translates to more like 140 miles in real-world use.
There is a cheaper Fiat 500 Action model with a 24kWh pack, but we don’t think the financial savings are great enough to offset the much shorter range.
The electric Fiat drives substantially better than any other 500 as well, with its 117bhp motor making it surprisingly zippy and fun for a city car. Yes, we found the steering to be quite light, but there’s plenty of grip and an absence of body roll – and while it’s not exactly at home on the motorway, it copes remarkably well.
The interior is also a massive improvement over that of previous 500s too. It’s still quite plasticky, but it looks great, the seats are comfortable and the infotainment is logical and responsive.
There’s even a convertible model with a roll-back canvas roof. It’s still not great for tall drivers, though, and it goes without saying that you shouldn’t plan on carrying adults in the rear very often.
Inflation and the death of the Plug-in Car Grant have not been kind to the electric 500’s list price, though. At launch, you could buy one for under £20,000, but now the range starts at around £30,000.
If you want the longer-range version, you’ll need to fork out even more. That’s a fair chunk of change for such a tiny tot, but we’re still quite fond of this tiny, fashionable EV that’s surprisingly good to drive when you escape the city.