True believers will tell you resurrections are quite inspirational. Perhaps it is with this in mind that the first version of the Fiat 500 to return to the U.S. marketplace after a five-year hiatus would be the 2024 Fiat 500e Inspi(RED).
Benefitting the worldwide humanitarian organization (RED), a portion of the purchase price of the 500 EV goes to support health workers providing HIV/AIDS.
Benefitting the worldwide humanitarian organization (RED), a portion of the purchase price of the 500 EV goes to support health workers providing HIV/AIDS testing, treatment and care in places where injustice has enabled the pandemic to thrive.
First Impressions
Resplendent in its coat of brilliant red paint, the 500e with which I spent the week attracted a lot of inquiries. Surprisingly, most people did not know the diminutive coupe was a Fiat. What’s more, far too many more than the folks at Stellantis would probably like to believe didn’t know Fiats were even being sold in the United States.
Clearly somebody on the marketing side of the company has a lot of playing catch up to do. After all, I’m located in the highly cosmopolitan San Francisco Bay Area, where people tend to be up on these things.
That said, the impression the 500e made on people was uniformly positive—and that was before I told them part of the proceeds from the sale of the car goes to fight HIV/AIDS. One of the smartest things the styling team at Fiat did was to endow the electric 500 with a smiling face.
Propulsion is generated by a 117-horsepower electric motor exciting the front wheels. Torque output is rated at 162 pound-feet.
Seriously, it does. Look carefully at that front end. The Fiat has eyebrows, eyes, a nose and a smile. Exuding friendliness, the 500e endeared just about everyone.
Powertrain/Fuel Economy
Propulsion is generated by a 117-horsepower electric motor exciting the front wheels. Torque output is rated at 162 pound-feet. Three drive modes are offered; Normal, Range and Sherpa. Working your way down through that list enforces steadily increasing range preservation.
The Fiat claimed 150 miles of range on its fully charged 42 kWh battery, which admittedly is on the light side these days. However the 500e makes up for it with extraordinarily fast charging. I saw it gain 30 miles of range in just five minutes at an EVgo fast charging station.
Interior Design/ Comfort and Convenience Features
The body-colored dash, nice fabric upholstery (embossed with Fiat logos) and revised switchgear give the interior a substantive appearance missing from previous versions.
The folks at Fiat 500 did quite a bit of work to the 500e’s interior while it was away from this continent. The result is far more upscale in appearance than that of the previous example of the car I drove back in 2019.
The body-colored dash, nice fabric upholstery (embossed with Fiat logos) and revised switchgear give the interior a substantive appearance that was missing from preceding iterations of the car.
To a person, everyone I invited to have a seat in the 500e was astonished to experience the Fiat’s spaciousness. More than capable of transporting two full-size American adults in comfort, the Fiat offers plenty of leg, hip and shoulder room — for front seat occupants. As for the rear seat — well — that’s a different story. However, the back seat does fold away to amplify cargo capacity.
Comfort and convenience features include a responsive 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment interface positioned center stage at the top of the dash, as well as an additional seven-inch display behind the steering wheel.
More than capable of transporting two full-size American adults in comfort, the Fiat offers plenty of leg, hip and shoulder room — for front seat occupants.
The latter provides battery range information, along with a readout of the speed at which the Fiat 500e is traveling. Wireless smartphone charging and satellite radio, as well as navigation, CarPlay and Android compatibility are also fitted.
Driving Impressions
Given its size, you’d expect the 2024 Fiat 500e Inspi(RED) to handle well, which it does. It’s also reasonably quick — if not exactly thrilling — off the line. The 500e is also stable on the highway, even in crosswinds. This was pleasantly surprising, given the tall profile the tiny Fiat presents to the wind.
Set up for one-pedal driving, you’ll seldom need the 500e’s brakes. Lifting off the throttle gradually will slow, and eventually stop the car. Getting it just right was an exercise I found both fun and oddly satisfying.
All in all, the 2024 Fiat 500e Inspi(RED) is a great little city car.
Oh, and about those drive modes I mentioned earlier, the “Sherpa” mode limits the 500e’s top speed to approximately 45 mph. That’s something you so don’t want to learn while accelerating onto a briskly flowing motorway — trust me.
In Conclusion
All in all, the 2024 Fiat 500e Inspi(RED) is a great little city car. Yes, I‘d be reluctant to do long treks in one without some planning, because its range is so limited. However, you can do long trips if you stick to routes on which you’re likely to encounter lots of charging stations along the way, placed between 75 and 100 miles apart. Charging the 500e’s battery pack is super fast, so while you’d stop often, you wouldn’t experience an inordinate amount of downtime.
Plus, there’s the knowledge your purchase also helps fund a very worthy cause.
I like it.
Pricing starts at $32,500, the price as tested was $34,095.
If you want to support a charity, send a check. Don’t spend $32K on a car you’ll regret.