In an automotive industry where the “bigger is better” ethos tends to be pretty pervasive, is there room for a spunky Italian city car? That’s the question posed by the revived Fiat 500e, which returned to the market in 2024 after a five-year absence. Fiat has marketed some version of its ultra-compact city car since 2012, but the 500 has never made substantial inroads among U.S. drivers. While the gas-powered 500 and performance-focused 500 Abarth failed to survive the hibernation, the reborn 500e is capitalizing on the current EV fervor to give drivers an enticing new option intended to give Americans a taste of the city car lifestyle. The four-passenger model is anything but roomy, but its affordability, style, and small size make it an immediate standout in the current market.
Is the 500e a quirky little novelty or a visionary vehicle that signals a shift in the American auto market? We’ll attempt to answer that question as we take a closer look at the Fiat’s performance and efficiency stats, explore the city car’s tech resume, and delve into an exclusive trim crafted with a famed Italian designer that’s half car and half driveable fashion statement.
Performance
Fiat’s Italian heritage might be misleading for those expecting the EV to live up to the country’s legacy of supercar-level performance. That’s not to say that the city car is underpowered. Its 117 hp electric motor is more than adequate for a vehicle weighing less than 3,000 lbs, but a Ferrari is not. The 500e comes standard with front-wheel drive, and its small size allows it to deliver a fun, lively ride that’s particularly well-suited for urban environs. With a zero-to-60-mph time of 7.8 seconds, the Fiat isn’t about to set any speed records, but it is worth noting that it is faster than the gas-powered version previously available on the U.S. market.
Efficiency
Of course, efficiency, not performance, draws drivers to the EV segment. The 37.0-kWh battery might seem a little undersized. That’s because it is, but only when comparing the Fiat to the larger all-electric models that have become an increasingly popular choice in the U.S. market. Ultimately, the Fiat 500e needs to be judged for what it is, and that’s a true city car that was never intended to compete with the full-size pickups and crossover EVs like the GMC Hummer EV Pickup with its 246-kWh Ultium battery pack. The 500e was designed to zip drivers around the city or serve to get you through your daily commute, not engage in extended road trips or burn a little rubber with some of the unhinged performance machines that have adopted the EV approach.
With up to 149 miles of all-electric driving to its name, the 500e is perfectly capable of getting you through your day without any unexpected stops at the charging station, though longer journeys might require a little more planning. Fiat has bestowed the city car with three driving modes designed to extend the 500e’s range: Normal Mode, Range Mode, and Sherpa Mode. Normal Mode offers a standard experience, while Range mode makes some modest adjustments to allow the Fiat to reach its full 149-mile potential.
However, Sherpa Mode is a pretty unique setting that would be a welcome addition to many of today’s all-electric models. Like the eponymous Himalayan mountain guides, Sherpa Mode will lighten the load, deactivating all of the Fiat’s non-essential equipment to squeeze every last kW out of the EV’s battery when you’re nearing the end of your range or struggling to find a charging station. In addition to disabling auxiliary equipment like the car’s climate control system, Sherpa mode will also limit the Fiat’s speed to 50 mph.
The 500e also offers regenerative braking as a standard feature, which captures the energy that would otherwise be wasted every time to step on the brakes and uses it to continually recharge the EV’s battery. This combination of power-saving tech allows the 500e to offer an EPA-estimated 127 MPGe city and 104 MPGe highway while also adding up to 80 percent to its range in just under an hour when connected to a DC fast-charging station.
Technology
The Fiat’s cabin might not be the roomiest option on the market with just eight cu.ft. of cargo volume, and the rear seats are a tight fit for full-grown adults. However, the interior makes up for its diminutive dimensions with a generous array of standard comfort, infotainment, and safety technology. Aside from the heated seats and upgraded JBL audio system, the three trims share much of the same equipment, starting with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display. The infotainment system includes built-in navigation as a standard feature, but if you’d prefer to use your preferred GPS app, it can be easily accessed using wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, enabling drivers to leverage the full power of their smartphone to stream content, field calls and texts, monitor traffic, and much more. The base 500e also includes a wireless charging pad to keep your device all juiced up, a 7.0-inch digital gauge display that displays the EV’s current charge, and an automatic climate control system designed to keep everyone nice and cozy on your next excursion.
The Fiat EV features a full arsenal of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that improve both convenience and confidence when you’re behind the wheel. Every 500e comes with two standard features that help drivers avoid some of the worst-case scenarios on the road: keeping your loved ones safe and keeping your insurance rates from going through the roof. Automated emergency braking constantly scans the road for any obstacles or wayward vehicles, and can quickly apply the brakes if you’re not quick enough to react. An added pedestrian detection system can detect smaller silhouettes and create a safer road for all involved. The EV also packs a lane-departure warning system with lane-keeping assist that keeps the vehicle centered in its lane. Those in the mood for an even more automated experience should consider springing for the available adaptive cruise control. This marks a significant improvement over the typical cruise control system, maintaining a set speed and safe distance from surrounding vehicles even when they change speed.
Giorgio Armani Collector’s Edition
Fiat’s outside-the-box approach to automotive design and marketing is clearly reflected in the 500e’s trim ladder. The city car’s 2024 lineup was particularly inspired, quite literally, with trims ranging from the base INSPI(RED) to the Inspired by Beauty and Inspired by Music. These names are as odd as they are illustrative, with the Inspired by Beauty incorporating aesthetic updates like a rose gold exterior color, cream-colored synthetic leather interior, and rose gold interior accents. The Inspired by Music adds a premium JBL audio system paired with a moodier color scheme featuring a Tuxedo Black exterior and black interior accents. Fiat keeps the trendy trims rolling for 2025 by introducing two new trims. The INSPI(RED) carries over from the 2024 model year, but the 500e gains a new midrange option in the Icona and a range-topping collaboration in the form of the Giorgio Armani Collector’s Edition.
The automaker had teamed up with the iconic Italian fashion house to craft a 500e worthy of the designer name. The result is a runway-ready car that wouldn’t look out of place at Paris Fashion Week or a sunny Milanese palazzo. The 500e Giorgio Armani Collector’s Edition is half hyper-efficient EV and half fashion statement, providing drivers with a stylish alternative to the standard model that’s “meant to be worn, not driven,” as Jalopnik quotes a press release from Fiat. The trim makes its provenance well known, with the Armani logo splashed throughout the interior and Giorgio’s signature gracing the infotainment touchscreen upon startup. Buyers will also get two exclusive colors, a dark green or ceramic Greige hue, exclusive chevron seat stitching, headrests, and wheels bearing the initials “G” and “A”.
This sort of collaboration isn’t entirely new, and tends to be popular amongst storied European fashion and automotive brands. In fact, Fiat has already experimented with this sort of cross-promotion with the 500C by Gucci back in 2011. Other examples include the Versace Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640, a Bugatti Chiron with Hermès cashmere door panels, and the Mercedes-Benz “Project Geländewagen” G-Glass crafted by Louis Vuitton Artistic Director and Off-White founder Virgil Abloh. While most of these projects were one-off experiments or custom jobs, a few mass market precedents in the U.S. market have paved the way for the new Armani-fied Fiat. Ford teamed up with Eddie Bauer to jazz up some Explorer and Expedition models from the late 1990s to the early 2010s, while Subaru doubled down on its outdoorsy reputation with the L.L. Bean Edition trim for the Outback and Forester models between 2000 and 2008. Fiat’s Armani collab might not win over those unfamiliar with the Italian brand, but it will certainly appeal to the car’s target demographic.
La Dolce EV-ta
The American market wasn’t so kind to the 500’s last iteration, but a growing acceptance of all-electric vehicles and growing EV infrastructure could see the Fiat fare a whole lot better this time around. The EV certainly makes a splash with its unique style, and checks all the boxes when it comes to what buyers expect in a city car. That said, the 500e is probably not the right choice for every driving situation. If you’re the type to regularly put some serious mileage on the odometer with long road trips, or are looking to haul anything larger than the average set of luggage, Fiat’s city car will never pass muster.
If, on the other hand, you’re seeking a plucky little EV that can zip around the city and fit into every parking spot you’re likely to encounter, the 500e could be the perfect choice. Stylish, small, and distinctly Italian, the 500e is unlike almost any other vehicle on the road today, especially when opting for the automotive outfit that is the Giorgio Armani Collector’s Edition. While it might be a tough sell for some, we would urge every driver to test the clever city car for themselves before jumping to conclusions.
