FIAT 600e

FIRST DRIVE Stylish small electric SUV scales up 500 city car's recipe

- John Mcllroy

FIAT is finally beginning to plug the AE the brand is able to properly tap into the shared resources of its parent firm Stellantis. We know there's a new Panda on the way, but in the meantime, here's Fiat's take on a more style-focused offering in the smallSUV segment: the new 600e.

It's an indirect successor to the 500X, but the cars will be sold alongside each other for the time being - and it's also meant to replace the 500L MPV. A wide brief, then.

While the current all-electric 500 has its own underpinnings, Fiat has cleverly switched the 600e to take advantage of the economies of scale offered by Stellantis. So what we really have here is a close relation of the Jeep Avenger; the 600e uses the same e-CMP platform and gets the same 54kWh battery and 154bhp motor. It has the same wheelbase, too, to the millimetre.

There are just two versions at launch. The 600e (RED) is the entry point and brings bright-red paintwork, climate control, rear parking sensors, automatic LED lights and wipers, a seven-inch digital dash and a 10.25-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The 600e La Prima gets front parking sensors, a rear-view camera, 18-inch alloys, heated front seats, a gesture-controlled powered tailgate, adaptive cruise and nav.