Tiny Electric Fiat 500e Fits Nicely in Its Niche

After a four-year hiatus, the Fiat 500e brings its Italian subcompact flair back to the US.

The new model is larger than its predecessor in almost every dimension, but only by a bit.

Up front, a circular daytime light signature pays homage to the round lights of the original Cinquencento, but the designers now use the hood's cut line to create a bit of an eyelid.

I don't want to say the new 500e is giving me bedroom eyes, but it's kind of giving me bedroom eyes.

Fiat is structuring the 500e around "drops" or special editions that include unique colors features and styles.

This 500e Inspi(Red) Edition will be the first spec available to US drivers benefiting Project Red and supporting AIDS and HIV research.

All 500e will feature the same 7-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.25-inch Uconnect 5 infotainment suite.

A 42-kWh battery pack is standard equipment. Twice as large as the outgoing model, Fiat expects around 149 miles per charge.

That's not a ton of range by any metric, but it should be more than enough for a day's worth of commuting and errand running.

Like the first 500e, the new model retains its front-wheel-drive layout.

In addition to being cheaper to build, the front-engine configuration frees cargo volume in the rear but doesn't leave room for an underhood frunk.

Owners can expect around 117 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Don't worry, the seat-of-the-pants responsiveness at city speeds feels better than the numbers sound.

Check out our full first drive review of the 2024 Fiat 500e for more details and to learn about its uniquely musical pedestrian alert system.