FIAT 600e

Compact electric SUV wades in with design flair, a useful range and reasonable pricing and shuns the bloat of many new family cars

- VICKY PARROTT

TESTED 18.9.23, TURIN, ITALY ON SALE MARCH 2024 PRICE £36,995

The new 600e is an Italian car. Fiat owner Stellantis most certainly won't let you forget it and you can't really blame the company for wanting to push that point. After all, this is the land that gave us da Vinci, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Dante, 'Nino' Farina, Valentino Rossi, the Colosseum, central heating, those strappy gladiator-style sandals, tricolore salad, pizza, pasta, Valentino Rossi, Gucci, Versace, Ducati, Vespa, Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia, Lamborghini, Valentino Rossi and - obviously - Fiat. And Valentino Rossi. To name a few of Italy's resoundingly epic 'things'.

This is nothing if not a colourful, charismatic and dramatic heritage to draw on and Fiat is absolutely right to shout about it from the top of its historic Lingotto test track, while supping espresso, eating gelato and looking effortlessly fabulous.

So, in deference to that, there isn't only an Italian flag embossed on the 600e's rounded rear bumper but there will also be no grey cars here. Fiat will not bow to the universal trend to paint every car in a variety of shades from the conservative end of the Farrow & Ball neutrals collection. Good on you, Fiat. I'd rather have my 600e in blue 'Sky of Italy' or orange 'Sun of Italy', or grey 'Earth of... Hang on. No. Surely not. No, it is. That really is a grey Fiat, cunningly dubbed 'sand Earth of Italy'.

Oh, well: clearly, cunning marketing puff is also an Italian trait. Italy's still very cool, and so is the Fiat 600e, in its own way. It's a larger, compact fivedoor crossover sibling to the 500 and there's no missing the 500-inspired smooth surfacing and cheerful, round-eyed expression, which perhaps looks more proportionate than it does on the 500X, if (some might argue) a little feminine given that it appears to have a heavy-lidded gaze and dramatic eyeliner.