Unfortunately, the petrol Fiat 500 isn’t currently available (a new hybrid version will arrive later this year), but the electric Fiat 500e is a fine alternative that carries the model’s famous, retro-inspired styling into the new era.
Electric power suits the 500 beautifully, and this bubble-bodied EV is pleasing both to drive and to own.
There are EVs with more power and more range, but the 500 isn’t entirely left behind on that score, provided you opt for the more powerful 117bhp model with its claimed 199 mile range. The 94bhp version, with its 24kWh battery, delivers just 118 miles between charges. Thanks to its tiny dimensions and tight turning circle, too, the 500e fulfils its primary purpose as a city car.
For those wanting to go faster, there’s the Abarth 500e, which turns the electrical wick up to 152bhp but drops the range to 164 miles.
It also features a novel sound generator that reproduces the distinctive snap, crackle and pop of the old ICE car’s Monza exhaust. It’s fun for a while, but soon becomes wearing, and overall the standard Fiat version is better suited to the zero-emissions city car brief.
