New 500 – the eclectic electric

Fiat’s third gen 500 is reborn as an electric charger – with a neat door design.

THE Hyundai Veloster is no longer the only asymmetrical ‘three-door’ car in production – it now has a little friend, from Italy.

Fiat’s determination to push the 500 into a third generation, but this time as wholly electric vehicle to say ciao to the MINI Electric, has come with a novel design twist that can only be experienced in this market at the moment by those who buy into South Korea’s sports coupe.

La Prima' 3+1 is so named because it has an extra, rear-hinged, side door that opens up to allow extra access to the back seats.

The whole point of the 3+1 is an effort to keep buyers within the 500 and Fiat brands when they outgrow a conventional 500, the maker says.

As Fiat puts it: “The young person who darted onto the city streets aboard their 500 after a day's work, is now a 'working mom or dad', struggling to get their one or more children to school in the morning before heading to work, then to their dance class or foreign language lessons in the afternoon, all the while keeping their own personal commitments going. That customer has therefore become a family that needs the interiors to be more accessible, but still 'cool'.”

Olivier François, Fiat’s brand president, says the extra door is a nod to the heritage of the original 1957 500, as that had doors hinged at the rear.

There's no centre pillar for the 500 3+1, and Fiat reckons that it makes getting kids in and out of the back, and especially loading up child car seats, that much easier. The only penalty, according to Fiat, is an extra 30kg of weight.

It has no impact of the car’s overall dimension. In measuring in at 3632mm long, 1683mm wide and 1527mm tall, with a 2322mm wheelbase, the third generation is 60mm longer and wider and has 20mm extra wheelbase over the current car, yet remains a compact choice.

Will we see the new 500 here? The question has been put to brand rights’ holder Ateco Group NZ; no response has been forthcoming yet. 

That the car has been confirmed for sale in the United Kingdom, with deliveries there starting in March, suggests it will be produced in right-hand-drive. Whereas the hatch and cabriolet are international, the 3+1 styling is for left-hook only.

Small cars have been losing ground to like-sized crossover equivalents in this market, but Fiat reckons the world – particularly city dwellers – can do with an “urban Tesla.” 

Even so, the current car, which now restricts representation in New Zealand as an Abarth hot shoe, will continue in production for a while yet.

François acknowledges that as much as electrics are the future, because fossil-fuelled small city cars are among the cleanest on the market already there’s no absolute guarantee all consumers will feel need straight away to switch to a wholly zero-emission line.

“What we don’t really know, what we have no visibility on, is future demand for electric vehicles,” he has explained.  

“But we need to be ready. We know that demand for sure will explode, because of the regulations in city centres. We don’t know to what level it will explode, but we are ready because we have one great nameplate with two approaches.”

Despite all the obvious familiarities, the design is fully all-new. It’s the first fully-electric vehicle designed from the ground-up on an all-new platform from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

The car delivers in 24kWh and 42kWh battery formats, with 85kW fast-charging available from middle of the range, and three trim levels, Action, Passion and Icon.

The entry-level 500 EV is fitted with a 23.8kWh battery pack and a 68kW electric motor, which provides a 0–100kmh time of 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 134kmh. The maximum claimed WLTP range of 118 kilometres will climb to 240km under city driving conditions, Fiat claims. 

Mid-range models and up are fitted with a 42kWh battery pack and 86kW electric motor. The 0-100km time drops to 9s, top speed raises to 149km, and range climbs to 320km, according to the maker. Recharging also picks up, as it will take direct current fast charging, so will recover an 80 percent charge in half an hour. 

Both powertrains offer three driving modes. ‘Normal’ is as being “as close as possible to driving a vehicle with a normal combustion engine”. ‘Range’ engenders higher brake energy recuperation, to the point where it’ll entertain one pedal operability. ‘Sherpa’ preserves as much range as possible, so it limits the top speed to 80kmh, reduces throttle response and deactivates the climate control and other comfort features.

The car is, of course, tailored for around town. So, though it’s 60mm wider, 60mm longer and with a 20mm longer wheelbase, it’s still small. 

The centre console holds a 10.25-inch infotainment system supporting a range of chic smartphone apps, including for checking pre-drive battery level checks and cabin warming and cooling.

Fiat also claims the car is capable of “Level 2” semi-autonomous driving, using a front-facing camera system to monitor the road ahead. Adaptive cruise control with automatic braking and accelerating, lane keep assist, speed limit assist, blind spot warning and 360-degree sensors also arrive.