FIAT 500E First Drive: Will The World Famous Abarth 595 Hater Be Impressed? 

Can i just say that i still think the headlight design is one of the coolest details out there atm? I love how they continued the circle on the hood. They could have easily removed the upper light part and make it look angry like everybody else, but they didnt.

USB-c is universal and license free. There are a lot of good reasons to have USB-C on both ends. For instance, it allows higher charge rate without and additional license. It allows better compatibility for charging laptops and other USB-C devices if it's USB-C on bSB-C is a wonderful thing.

My wife has one (replaced her Abarth 595!) and I actually really like driving it. Very relaxing and I use it now for all my local driving. Helped that we can get Fiats through a friends and family scheme and we snuck in under the more generous government grant system.

It's just too expensive for what it is. It says something that they still have and will keep on producing the old model! The lack of colour choices is just baffling, especially since with the old generation it was a huge selling point of the car that you could customize a cheap car in so many colours inside and out!

I test drove one of these last December and was so impressed that I immediately placed an order for the Passion version in rose gold with graphite alloys. I got a small discount (paid under £25K) and the car arrived two weeks later. I've driven it in one pedal range mode for the last 7 months and get between 4 and 5 miles per Kilowatt hour. It is a great all-rounder and equally capable in town, country roads or motorways with good handling and plenty of power. Fiat have got it right with this one.

7:27 to be fair "unmatched" just means that you won't find anything that sounds "exactly the same". It doesn't mean that it will be better, it just implies that it might be. If it's terrible in comparison, that's still "ummatched", the lawyers will be proud of that one.

The circuit on top of the old fiat factory is so cool

I had one of these as a courtesy car and was really pleasantly surprised by it. When they've depreciated to about £22k or so, they'll be a great little bargain. Funny, I was looking to see if any of my favourite automotive RU-vidrs had done a review on it and this video was in my sub box! Great review as always James. Cheers

I’ve just got one of these as a run around and really rate it, it’s a lot of fun. The range did start much cheaper last year. When it was introduced there was a £19,995 smaller battery car that was only a few grand more than the equivalent piston 500. Recently they’ve switched to only offering the top two trims - i guess with the shortage of components they’re maxing out their margins on what they can build.

You hit the nail on the head. £15K yes, £30K no. EV prices and totally inadequate charging sites make them a folly for me.

Noticed that this is local to me, if you’re still in the north Fife region head back into anstruther, some of the best fish and chips the county has to offer, the Waterfront takeaway or the classic famous anster chippie are great, although the queue for the latter can be ridiculous sometimes The isetta you reviewed a few months back was a video I showed to my partner as she absolutely loves old isettas, she drummed on about the time we ran down a cobbled street in Edinburgh to catch a glimpse of one, until we read the reg of the one you reviewed and realised it was the same car! He has an interesting fleet of vehicles himself, few bubble cars. Keep up the great content and happy to see you visit my area for reviews, is always a surprise when I recognise the filming locations!

The sherpa mode connection to Sherpa must be the Sherpas important mission to administrate the pace, energy and resources to maximise the chances of reaching to the top

The car looks pretty cool. I like the way that you can have a smaller battery for cheaper, or a bigger battery that gets you a reasonable range. A couple of nitpicks - charge rates are kW not kWh (that's a measure of total energy, which is why batteries use that as a unit), USB-C is going to be the standard at both ends of a cable very soon (if it isn't already), and you need to be very careful using a 3-pin plug to charge on a regular basis (they have been known to heat up the socket and melt stuff!).

More quality content - thank you 😊

I had a Fiat 850 once. It was slower than Molasses! Almost died in it & still have a giant scar from Ralph Towner running the red light & smashing me head on! So this looks a lot safer & would be a rocket ship in comparison.

I do fancy driving the 500e, the petrol 500's are a bit rattily. However I have seen these go way north of £30k (the convertible I sat in was circa £37k). I remember the days a 500 was around £11k

I hope they'll make a RWD/AWD Abarth version. Given the size of electric motors it shouldn't be too difficult

Just managed 240 miles on the Zoe I'm borrowing as a courtesy car. Was amazed. That was mostly urban driving with about 50 miles on motorways. In ECO with "B" selected, this outclasses the FIAT. But, the FIAT just looks so much cooler and you can get it with a slide back roof. I wonder what others think of the comparison?

Cute and fun little car. I just wish it came it more fun colours. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

Sherpa mode is for 'Getting you home' by eaking out as much range as possible.

I've really wanted to see this review from you because of the reputation. Great video and review 👏🏼👏🏼

Minor point on charging nomenclature (edit for timestamp; 15:15), battery charge is measured in kWh, charging rate is measured in kW. The first is a measure of energy capacity, the second is rate of energy transfer (aka power). In the interest of not confusing people, because the two terms are admittedly very similar sounding, please try to keep these two straight when talking about them in future? Love the videos, keep up the good work!

usbc It is designed to work in any orientation, carry between 15w and 100w of power depending on voltage which means 2X to 12X faster charging depending on device. This CAN ONLY WORK if BOTH ENDS are usb C. The extra power can charge many new laptops and all new tablets and phones . This means one cable can charge nearly anything connected either way round or upside down. Needs to be in ALL NEW CARS. NO EXCUSE.

Jay you've had your first "Get off my lawn!" moment! USBC is better because it has greater speed, greater capacity, it's smaller, and you can't have the plug backwards when you connect your phone. It's superior to the legacy USB in every way. :-) I think it's a pity they include the old one because the wires will get harder to find in the future.

Love your hair JayEmm, looks sharp.

It's a great looking car which, to be fair, is a miracle considering it was styled by a blind musician. You gotta laugh at that collaboration. Well done Andrea

A fair review, though I must say literally no one other than car reviewers care about “scratchy plastics” on parts of the car you almost never touch.

Just viewed this for the second time as we are looking at one to replace the 500hybrid. You mentioned £15k well you can get a Spec the same as this for about £15-16k 2year old. Makes much more sense then. With no finance involved it’s cheap day to day driving. Going to try just the three pin plug for now and once or twice a week charge at home. Otherwise it’s about £700 for a charger which is all your fuel savings gone for a year or if you factor in the weekly charge at home and the odd fast charge then it’s around 15months of fuel. Misses does around 7-8k a year in the old 500 at 48mpg average.

I believe the seat fabric is 100% Seaqual, which is some sort of recycled plastic which supports marine clear ups, acting in some form of offset like carbon neutral. You can research it if you like. I got bored 2 lines in 😂

I’ve always loved the Fiat 500 both ICE and EV 😊 small is where it’s at 🙌🏾

THANK YOU. EXCELLENT. 10/10. Regards.

sometimes randomly he reveals he is not really the smartest guy but it is what it is , video is not too bad so thats good

As someone who learned the basics of driving in one of the old 500s (yes, the little 2 cylinder in the back, start & choke levers between the seats), I'd quite like to have a go in one of these . . . I'm sure that "Sherpa mode" would bring back some memories.

One thing I dislike about it is the very restricted footwell on the driver’s side.

The most interesting thing about this video is the new haircut, looks good, taken years off you.

Re the website: a lot of car websites are virtually unusable - trying to find your way around them is so frustrating and any attempt to specify your preferences can lead you round and round in circles. It's much easier to put your coat on and go down to your local dealer. A point about the internal door release - if it were covered in the same material as the seats it would look nice but not for long. It would quickly get soiled and grubby and make the car look scruffy.

10:48 Finally someone said it now this is proper motoring journalism

You are a natural presenter. You have that ‘clarkson’ quirk. For sure

I put my order in back in July and was recently warned that the delivery date was going to be September 2023 so will have to wait and see when it actually arrives

'sherpa' mode, slow and steady wins the the race

When the car was indoors all I could think of was this a bumper car

It’s a small electric hatchback that’s fun! Sounds cool except for the price.

I've always liked the look of the old new Fiat 500, but this is more sophisticated and fresher. I really do like them...except for the chosen driveline that doesn't work for my needs.

Great review.

Bit late today Jay 😉. Great review as always.

Agree about the homepage. Don't know what the UK one is like, but if it's anything like the swedish version it's atrocious. On ours you barely get the base prices for each trim level, it doesn't give any info on what's actually in each of them and any time there's a picture of the version of the 500e you wanna know more about and click on the link in the picture, it brings you back to the 500e main page. We also for some reason don't get the configurator. If you wanna spec the car to your liking to see what it would cost with colour etc, it just pops up a form to fill in to book a test drive or to be contacted by a dealership with a sales pitch. Had to switch to the german website to use the configurator. About the seats, i read somewhere they used some vegan friendly leatherette? i guess a lot of EVs these days try to go the vegan friendly route and i suppose it makes sense to try to appeal to every potential buyer. From what i could gather on the homepage, Sherpa mode is more like "limp home" almost, not so much Eco. Range is supposed to be Eco mode and Sherpa is kinda Eco++. Think of it as "crap i don't have enough juice to get home" mode, everything is limited down to give you a chance to just barely make it to your door or a charge point, when you're really in trouble. Even Fiat seem to say it's not necessarily an ordinary drive mode, but more emergency, last resort.

God exists... I was waiting this review for so long. 😅 Thank you Mister. 👍

Good review. My wife and I had a real blast in the convertible version about 16 months ago on a gorgeously sunny day. Boot even smaller on that one and rear really cramped. But this car has charm and we were impressed with the fit and finish overall and tech. Still not enough range. Useable battery is 37.5 kWh I think. And just a reminder that battery storage is in kWh and battery CHARGING speed is in kW (not kWh). So charge speeds of up to 85kW for this car and not 85kWh.MM

Hey James, when are you going to give an abarth grande Punto a go? Look for the t-jet one. Hopefully that could persuade you that not all FIATs/abarths are mediocre.

1:26 norway also got them

All USB variants are one way only, except for USB C. This is why USB C is the only variant to have the same connector at both ends of the cable.

I actually enjoyed watching that one nearly turned it off when I realised it’s a EV but persevered and glad I did, as I’m a masochist and run to large V8 vehicles as daily’s I’m starting to warm to EVs.

As another owner of an awesome looking Ocean Green 500e La Prima and the ride has improved with the miles. Interestingly the quoted 87Kw power is only in low power mode, in reality its 102kW peak 97kW sustained for 140bhp~ think the added temps recently didn't help with the owner feeling a slight drop in oomph but equally in any petrol car you'd have a loss of power all the time in higher temps. Glad you enjoyed the drive though, I came from an Alfa Giulia and the steering is very akin to it as is the balance of the car, obviously different chassis dynamics with FWD but I find the rear rotates through the corner like the Giulia's giving it a very neutral/oversteer feel but easier to drag back into line. Also worth noting if the owner didn't know that it limits power in corners to as much as it can without producing slip so that equally could've been what he felt, usually this disappears the second the wheels lined back up. Excellent review though

Well, it makes much more sense than an electric SUV or Crossover! Still, there is no comparison to the first and second generation 4x4 Pandas I found in South Tyrol. They are brilliant little machines.

14:40 to be fair the old Leyland Sherpa van wouldn't go much over 50mph so maybe that's the link

I don't think this video made me more knowledgeable about the Fiat 500e, but I am sure I will never forget the new world famous tenor called "Botelli" 😂

And i forgot to mention that you are wrong with the dimensions: loading is not in kilowatt hours but in kilowatt. Kilowatt hours is a capacity, for example in the battery and kilowatt is the power that means how strong loading is. Someone who does Car Reviews should know that;!

Great video

Was offered one of these as a hire car in Madeira the other month. We went for the petrol version. We wern't specifically looking for charging points but only saw one in a week.(being used so that would been helpful)

Sherpa mode means it moves like an old Sherpa (an LDV van ) 🤣🤣

Supposedly the Abarth variant would hit the U.S. I do hope so.

James, I hope your gonna try the new Abarth 500e

i feel that ev range hasnt improved much since the first electric car in 1914?? i do like the fiat 500 in abarth spec thats it the only one to have. for around they are brilliant any further utter useless with a small range. things need to pick up a notch for me to have an ev. always great videos as ever.

These electric city cars are simply too expensive for what they offer. There should be a much cheaper, naked and unspectacular version on 14 inch steel rims, with ordinary fabric seats and just the most essential things you need. Most people cannot afford such a car and so the e-mobility will never really take off.

Most phone charger cables are usb c on both ends. Thats why they are doing it

As the owner of the vw e-up I 100% agree that the interiors just lack in ev cars especially right now in the market, I don’t know how much more it would cost to just fit a well made authentic interior to sell as a sell at loss product reflect it in the price and or availability what feels like a step in the right direction with this car ultimately, funnily had the chance to rent a new petrol fiat 500 while away about a month ago and found myself asking the same question would I have one of these if it was electric and as a once 500 doubter I also believe these really do serve an usp in the market for how they just are as an overall package especially if you had the much lower running costs that comes with lots of frequent mileage I could see why someone could really grow fond of it after purchasing……. (Rationally with just a 3 pin plug needed to charge and a drive it’s a very tempting economic electric car

thanks for testing this and mentioning a comparison with the Honda and Renault...I think the urban nature of these should really be reconsidered as more like a compact area - whether country or urban or smaller islands, its the potential scope for owners driving distance that is key. Disappointed to hear about some of those plastics and switches. but happy to see two types of usb sockets - i've taken to always carrying two types of cables to allow for hire/zipcars with different set ups..

Hah! I’m literally racing around Mallorca as we speak in an Abarth 595 Turismo Cabrio. I find it to be a great pocket rocket in the sun. We’re all enjoying it. Wave if you see a white Cabrio with a loud exhaust😎 We’ve been browsing the classifieds for a 695 Competizione Cabrio but to no luck. There are 3 595’s in Norway one of which is a 2021 Cabrio priced at 49000€’s with few kms on it and tricked all out🤩

Pub Bore factoid: The infotainment screen in the 500e is shared with the Maserati MC20.

Please do the electric 3door Mini SE.

I think an EV is good for those who only do short journeys around town, but with there still being a shortage of charging points nationally, it will be a while before I commit to buying one. Plus I will need to save up a little more before I can get a decent one as they are far from reasonably priced.

I think Sherpa refers to endurance.

30 miles is in fact about the average miles driven in a day for a car in the UK, so that 5 minute thing has some connection to reality.

I wish Peugeot/Citroen would do a EV version of their 108/C1. They will be game changers in the EV market, particularly if the price is right. They are part of Stellantis Group like Fiat, so maybe one day.

Superb! I loved the reference to the suicide door. Without wishing to sound facetious how does a blind person design a car?

Great video and I really like the (visual) look of this. But as an old BMW i3 owner it doesn't feel like it's moved the game on. I think if I was going back to this segment I'd be comparing it against the BMW.

I guess they interpreted Sherpa to mean "will get you there", which that mode would appear to do... Not sure why they didn't just go with "Eco", like every other manufacturer though.

For a minute there I thought you said thats 30 grand 😳

Looks like a _much_ better option than both the Mini-E and Mazda MX-30 EV.

Genuinely shocked when he said the price lol

Definitively too expensive but nevertheless one of the most appealing small EVs. We test drove a ‘La Prima’ convertible, which my wife loved. However, Fiat approached us inviting us to test drive one with the promise that a lease would be about £250/month with a small deposit. The top spec one was actually about £550/month which is ridiculous and negates any running cost savings that might be made. The base model simply doesn’t have enough range unless you’re a city dweller. Clearly the assumed depreciation makes the finance companies nervous and the government now reducing the subsidy to £1000 doesn’t help. A maturing second hand market is needed or some stronger state support perhaps to make a ‘people’s car like Mr Hitler instructed in the 1930s might help save the planet a bit more!

It should be way way cheaper . 15-20000€ max . Price is the biggest killer in my opinion

White on a steering wheel seems like a good way to quickly show you how dirty your hands are.

Nice car, wonder if they will do abarth version.

30K!!!!....Faaaarrk!!!!!

Loving the shirt

USB-C Stupid? How is having the Same and Reversible plug on both ends a bad thing? :)

The 500e gets my hopes up for the electric Giulia to be fun & great too. They seem to be serious about keeping their cars italian (fun) in the future. That Giulia would have no real competitors this side of the Taycan, for me. And prob a LOT cheaper

GLARING OMISSION GOOD VIDEO 📹 but I think you can buy this car as a retractable roof as a no cost extra. this is the only electric convertible car available at this extremely good price the continental 3 door is desirable. mclaren style door handles 😎

James ... you mention that the one you're driving had the interior designed in conjunction with Andrea Bocelli. This seems somewhat strange as Andrea is blind! My research suggests that he was asked to contribute only to the ICE. Just a thought.

very sad we don't get this in the usa. If fiat is not going to sell the 500 in the USA they just need to shut it down.

Is this a really cool looking EV? Yep.

I think as a £20k electric city car it is just about OK, but nasty plastics and £30,000 is too much.... Especially with just over 100bhp and only OK acceleration. The VW up is more practical and the MG electric cars are far bigger for similar money. Stalantis haven't got this model correct yet.

Nowadays, if it ain't says vegan, it's probably leather

14:19 it is possible nobody from Turin (Torino) claimed Mount Everest. lol 😆 🤣 😂

I looked at one of these at local show recently. The price is ridiculous. EVs are not for me until they're half the price with twice the range.

Extremely harsh for no reason for the cheapest electric car in the market excluding the verdict

Just no. Bloated, heavy, frighteningly expensive, embarrassing range, and it’ll be worth nothing in 5-10 years time once the battery gives out.

£30k?! Holy crickets batman.

Not being a rocket ship from a dead atop is going to save your tires. It is such a problem for Tesla owners Tesla has had special designed tires for the new cars. The instant torque from electric motors can be a detriment, as well as the hundreds of HP many EV have. Who needs 800HP for a car they drive to work? Fiat markets the 500e as a city car, nothing more, with some Italian style.thank your EU friends for USB-c.