THe Fiat 600either in Gasoline “moderate” Hybrid version or as one The all-electric Fiat 600eis a very attractive package. It has the same delightful retro vibes. The much-loved Fiat 500 (across all its generations), and as a compact SUV, the chunky, furry styling at least gives it a more distinctive and characteristic air.
It’s usefully larger than the 500, and ideally sized for a young couple or small family. The boot isn’t particularly roomy or versatile, and is the best choice if you’re concerned about space. Skoda Comicblender but very practical. If you care about appearance, except for the frog face Nissan Jukethe Fiat Excellent choice.
As one STELLENTS GROUP product (and we’ve heard a lot about this company Recently), the 600 and 600e share a good deal of their technology with their internal combustion and group siblings – the Peugeot 2008, Vauxhall Mokka, Jeep AvengerCitroen C4 and Alfa Romeo Junior (among others).
The packaging is different, and obviously so, but the driving characteristics of the 600 and 600e are in line with their domestic competition.
All in all, that’s a good thing, as they’re all easy to drive and comfortable, and, without making any grand pretensions to sportiness, they’re all almost as entertaining.
Peugeot’s perceived quality is higher than the more playful interior of the 600 range, but that’s all a matter of taste. The main drawback is the automatic gear selection, with the Park, Neutral, Reverse, Drive and “Manual” buttons a little too far forward on the center console for those of us with smaller arms.
(By the way, the “manual” setting means you can use the paddle flaps to shift gears up and down in what’s really an automatic manual box – but that’s useless unless you really want to throw the thing. don’t want to.)
Spec
Fiat 600 Hybrid 136 La Prima
Price: £27,975 (as tested; range starts from £23,975)
Engine Capacity: 1.2l petrol, 3-cyl, 6-sp auto + 48v selective system
Power Output (HP): 136
Top speed (miles per hour): 124
0 to 60 (seconds): 8.5
Fuel Economy (mpg): 57.6
CO2 emissions (WLTP, g/km): 109
The mild hybrid version doesn’t have the full-on hybrid technology you’ll get Toyota Priusso it won’t run more than a mile on battery power alone – that’s to boost fuel economy and add a bit of performance. It works.
For example I returned really good fuel consumption in mixed driving, with the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine easily achieving 60mpg overall. And the electric version has more than 200 miles of real-world range.
There’s even a choice of hybrids – 100hp or 136hp versions, with the battery electric knocking out a more powerful 154hp, with torque to match.
Maybe because the electric variant doesn’t have the metal lump under the bonnet, the steering felt light, but it’s not a hard round town, the car’s natural. métier.
All versions are bright and funky inside, with good visibility and, in the higher-end versions, autonomous aids that aid in safe driving.
The only thing that went wrong with any of the 600 cars I drove was the electric boot mechanism. After getting my head into it, a purely human error, the one-time automatic shut-off that you activate with a handy button refused to come down completely. So I had to push her down manually against her will.
It sorted itself out after a while, but I wondered if the creature was really as useful as the designers thought. The boot lid isn’t particularly heavy or high, and if it goes wrong you’re left with a vehicle you can’t lock. Obviously more trouble than it’s worth.
As an EV evangelist – a tough call to make at the moment – I will always advise people to consider at least one electric alternative, of which there is now a wonderful variety.
As one of the more attractive and better value options in its segment, Fiat The 600 Hybrid should be tried by a potential buyer, but it would be a shame not to try the 600e as well, with its extra refinement achieved by a virtually silent run and a slightly faster acceleration from comfort.
Under normal circumstances, the question would be whether the £7,000 or so premium demanded for the electric version over its mild hybrid equivalent, the likely annual mileage (the higher the better for a battery car) and the charging at home. I ease.
However, things are far from normal in the car market right now, with conflicting incentives and incentives Net zero Causing near chaos and indeed some industrial disruption.
So here’s a new or near-new Fiat 600e from a major discounter right now – almost the same as the hybrid 600 version – no “electric premium”, or even a discount.
There are great bargains out there, and there’s nothing wrong with cars, just the policy framework that surrounds them.
It might not last long, but at any rate, your choice of petrol hybrid or electric has been made much easier by the leveling effect of current market trends.
There’s not much to be optimistic about yet when it comes to raising our standard of living, but the advent of the bargain electric car – cheaper to buy and cheaper to run than its internal combustion equivalent. – Something to celebrate.
The Fiat 600 and Fiat 600e provide the most interesting case studies. For a while, you can have your cake and eat it too. have fun