Fiat 500
New-generation city car goes electric, with a longer range than most rivals On sale Early 2021 Price from £32,500 (est)
THE NEW FIAT 500 is about as on trend as it’s possible to be right now. Its small stature makes it ideally suited to life in the city, it’s got chic, retro-inspired looks, and it’s fully electric, so it can nip in and out of ultra-low-emissions zones such as the centre of London without attracting any fees.
This is only the second generation of the 500 to be launched since it was reinvented in 2007, taking inspiration from the original 500 that was made from 1957 to 1975.And just as the human race has done over time, it has grown larger with this iteration.the new car is longer and wider than the existing 500 and its front and rear axles are set farther apart.
That means there’s more room for you and your passengers inside, although boot space is unchanged compared with the current car, so don’t expect it to swallow more than a few shopping bags.as with the existing model, the new 500 will initially be available only in three-door hatchback and convertible forms.
Powered by a 117bhp electric motor, the 500 promises to be nippy around town, with a 0-31mph time of 3.1sec.top speed is 93mph.
Energy is stored in a 42kwh battery.that’s larger than what you’ll nd in the rival Honda E (35.5kwh) and Mini Electric (36kwh) but smaller than the 52kwh battery in the Renault Zoe, our 2020 Small Electric Car of the Year.
As a result, the 500 has a longer of cial range than the Honda and Mini, covering up to 199 miles between recharges.
However, the Zoe eclipses it with an of cial range of up to 245 miles.
The 500 can be topped up to 80% in as little as 35 minutes via a suitable public rapid charger. Buyers choosing the ‘La Prima’ launch edition of the 500 – limited to 500 units – also get a free 3kw home charger, which can be upgraded to a 7.4kw version for faster recharging.with the more powerful charger installed, the 500 can be recharged fully in around six hours.
Inside, there are far fewer buttons than in the existing 500.A new infotainment system is presented on a 10.25in touchscreen and includes both Apple Carplay and Android Auto smartphone integration.there’s also an on-board wi- hotspot and – on La Prima models – a virtual assistant that recognises natural speech, much like Amazon’s Alexa.
In place of traditional analogue dials, there’s now a 7.0in digital instrument panel, while a companion app lets you check