The flaws with the previous-generation (2013–2019) Fiat 500e in the American market were plain from jump: It squeezed a 24-kWh battery pack under the floor and into the trunk of the existing Fiat 500, added an off-the-shelf 111-hp motor, stiffened the suspension to accommodate the extra 500 pounds or so, and pretty much called it a day—mostly because Fiat only sold it to satisfy regulatory requirements for EVs. Further dooming the car was its 87-mile EPA-rated range, its lack of fast charging capability, and its high starting price of $32,500 before massive federal and state incentives, the equivalent of nearly $45,000 today. FCA still somehow managed to lose $20,000 on every single one it sold.

Compared to that standard, the new Fiat 500e is an order of magnitude more impressive. Fiat offers the 2024 500e here with a fast-charge-capable 42-kWh battery pack and 117-hp motor, good for 149 miles on the EPA cycle. Pitched as a second or third city car for its owners, the new 500e faithfully updates the previous generation’s styling while also upping interior design and quality via off-the-shelf Stellantis parts—such as switchgear and an infotainment system shared with the quarter-million-dollar Maserati MC20. Pricing starts at $34,095 ($37,595 as tested) for Fiat’s three essentially mono-spec trims.

2025 Fiat 500e COTY Review: Are We Really Trying This Again?

Fiat takes another crack at this electric city car thing during our Car of the Year evaluations.Christian SeabaughWriter

MotorTrend StaffPhotographerNov 19, 2024

Pros

• Great city car
• Charming
• Bound to be rare

Cons

• Too expensive
• Can’t go far enough on a charge for most Americans
• Too niche for its own good?

MotorTrend’s Car of the Year competition is many things—a peek at evolving automotive tastes and technologies and a review of an entire model lineup on its own merits, for instance—but it is not a judgement about business cases. We don’t care if an automaker makes or loses money on a new car, so long as that car faithfully lives up to our six criteria and is a vehicle we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to our readers. Although almost certainly destined to be a loss leader for Stellantis, the 2024 Fiat 500e is nevertheless a vehicle that still somehow makes a strong case for itself as Car of the Year.

The flaws with the previous-generation (2013–2019) Fiat 500e in the American market were plain from jump: It squeezed a 24-kWh battery pack under the floor and into the trunk of the existing Fiat 500, added an off-the-shelf 111-hp motor, stiffened the suspension to accommodate the extra 500 pounds or so, and pretty much called it a day—mostly because Fiat only sold it to satisfy regulatory requirements for EVs. Further dooming the car was its 87-mile EPA-rated range, its lack of fast charging capability, and its high starting price of $32,500 before massive federal and state incentives, the equivalent of nearly $45,000 today. FCA still somehow managed to lose $20,000 on every single one it sold.

Compared to that standard, the new Fiat 500e is an order of magnitude more impressive. Fiat offers the 2024 500e here with a fast-charge-capable 42-kWh battery pack and 117-hp motor, good for 149 miles on the EPA cycle. Pitched as a second or third city car for its owners, the new 500e faithfully updates the previous generation’s styling while also upping interior design and quality via off-the-shelf Stellantis parts—such as switchgear and an infotainment system shared with the quarter-million-dollar Maserati MC20. Pricing starts at $34,095 ($37,595 as tested) for Fiat’s three essentially mono-spec trims.

Somewhat surprisingly, the electric 500e is a convincing city car—especially if you live in dense cities where space is at a premium and maneuverability is paramount, such as San Francisco, New York, or Boston. The car’s quick steering, short wheelbase, and great outward visibility make the 500e feel like a four-wheeled scooter, while the motor feels far punchier than its modest figures suggest. But some of the old lack of refinement still shines through. Be sure, for instance, to keep the wheel pointed straight when accelerating; the 500e clumsily torque steers with even the smallest steering angle dialed in. Good thing no urban driver ever needs to make an unprotected left turn, right? Another strike against its city car image, its suspension tuning feels needlessly firm and can be crashy over typical city terrain such as potholes, speed bumps, Botts’ dots, and rails.

Part of the previous-generation Fiat 500’s magic was how practical it was. It was small, but you could also carry two of your adult friends in back in a pinch or load the trunk with a couple carry-on suitcases. The new 500e, likely due to packaging compromises made for the battery pack, isn’t quite as easy to live with. The back seat is now only suitable for children or small dogs, with headroom being at a premium.

The new electric Fiat 500e is unquestionably a better, more compelling car than the one preceding it, thanks to more range and better performance. Still, its flaws shine too brightly for it to advance in our Car of the Year showdown. “Fiat built a compelling small EV that makes no apologies for its single-track mindset,” deputy editor Alexander Stoklosa said. “It’s a two-door, tiny thing. If that doesn’t work for you, don’t buy it. People buy what works for their lifestyles; for the admittedly small pool of buyers for whom something like the Fiat 500e works, it really works.” We suspect those few and far between Americans will be quite pleased with their cinquecentos. The rest will find more useful cars for their dollar elsewhere.

This review was conducted as part of our 2025 Car of the Year (COTY) testing, where each vehicle is evaluated on our six key criteria: efficiency, design, safety, engineering excellence, value, and performance of intended function. Eligible vehicles must be all-new or significantly revised.