Fiat 500e – Weekend Wheels
Yep, we’re going small, electric and extremely fashionable for this week’s suggestion
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After two weeks of premium suggestions for Weekend Wheels (a BMW M3 and Bentley Continental GT, no less), we thought it only right to nominate something a little more attainable this time around. In this case though, attainable has bucketloads of appeal. Fiat’s 500e – the all-electric version of its ever-popular 500 supermini – is easily one of the most fashionable cars on sale, no matter the segment, with its compact three-door body bearing much Italian flair. With its all-electric power, it makes for a perfect city centre brunch trip companion. Rest assured, the Italian for ‘avocado’ is just ‘avocado’.
With a claimed maximum range of 199 miles, the high-spec 500e – equipped with the top-rank 87kWh battery, if you’re asking – ought to have enough juice in the tank to handle most weekend duties and then some. And, thanks to the 500e’s respectable charge times – it’s claimed to be capable of a 20-80% battery charge in as little as 40 minutes, with a 50kW public plug – you needn’t extend that brunch stop should you need to top it up. Not that we’re suggesting you won’t order dessert, even if only to give you more time to ogle the chic look of the 500e parked up outside.
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With its small footprint and feather-light steering, the 500e – like the petrol-powered 500 – is great to drive in town. Let’s not sell it short though, this little number can handle motorway duties, too, with a respectable 119hp supplied to the front wheels. That’s good enough for a claimed 0-62mph sprint time of just nine seconds, which, if that’s just gone over your head, means the 500e is appropriately nippy. Certainly, you won't have trouble getting up to motorway speeds and staying there, although that claimed range will come down a fair bit once you leave town. This is unashamedly a city-focused car. That’ll surprise nobody.
We’re big fans of the 500e’s interior, where there’s a perfect blend of tech and style, in typical Italian fashion. Sitting inside a 500e is a fun experience because it feels so youthful. It’s by no mistake that much of the interior – like the exterior – borrows some of its design from the original 500, which first came out of Turin way back in 1957. Whether you’re based in Italy or Ipswich, the 500e feels wonderfully true to Fiat’s history and the lineage of the 500 family. If you haven’t guessed, we really quite like it.
It's because of all that sparkle that this 500e is our nomination for your latest set of weekend wheels. This particular car, on cinch for £29,450 or the equivalent monthly rate, has only 792 miles on the clock. It’s a 2021 model, so it sits neatly in our selection of ‘nearly new’ cars, where at the time of writing, there are 161 more cars waiting for your examination. When the spring sunshine does eventually arrive (have faith), we can’t think of many better ways to make the most of those weekend jaunts into the city than with Fiat’s catwalk-worthy 500e.
You can find all of the original manufacturer's range claims and other model-related data here.
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