Fiat launches hybrid and electric versions of its new 600 model

With petrol sales outstripping EV sales right now – the electric car market in May fell by almost 40 per cent on the same period last year – Fiat’s emphasis with its new 600 model will be focused very much towards the hybrid version rather than the electric.

The 600 enters a rather crowded market place as a compact crossover and the company is challenged by its waning presence here over the last number of years. A lack of new and innovative models hasn’t helped.

Fiat clearly believes, however, that the relatively popular styling of its 500 will help create interest in the 600 because there are styling cues, such as the headlights, that are closely related.

The car is attractive and features like its colour range and steel wheels give it a certain presence. However, first impressions after a brief test drive suggest the best features are on the outside because the cabin doesn’t feel all that premium.

Fiat is keen to attract customers with its pricing – the hybrid 600 comes in at €28,995. It may be a come get me price at under €30,000, but it still doesn’t manage to compete with the budget-friendly prices being offered by Chinese companies such as MG.

The MG 3 hybrid, for example, starts at €22,995. The MG 4 electric starts at €25,995, while the electric 600 comes in €32,995. These latter prices include grants.

Fiat’s hybrid 600 runs on a three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 100 horse power. It’s very much a city car with just a little extra capacity for longer runs. I checked the longer range consumption on the car I drove – with about 580 km’s on the clock – and it showed up at 4.9 litres per 100 km’s. Even for a three-cylinder car that is an impressive figure if it is maintained on a longer test cycle.

There is plenty of space upfront but the same cannot be said for the rear, which is quite cramped with the front seats extended back. The boot has a modest capacity of 360 litres, but it’s better than some competitors.

The cockpit has good seats and fairly generous storage capacity. It’s main feature – an oblong 10.25″ infotainment screen – looks a bit dated. Again, the MG 3 comes with a similarly sized screen but it has a portrait design and has much more attractive graphics.

The EV version has a claimed range of 408 km but we’ll have to have an opportunity to drive it to see how that claim stacks up in real world conditions. That €32,995 price is reasonably competitive for a car this size but it isn’t the cheapest around either and the comparable MG 4 is about €7,000 cheaper.

We’ll have more on the Fiat 600 when we get an opportunity to become better acquainted.