In North America, we are obsessed with big things. We have big infrastructure, big drinks, and even bigger bellies. And it’s the same story when it comes to our vehicles. For example, mid-size trucks now are as big as full-size trucks were barely 2 decades ago. For us, a compact car means something like the Honda Civic. But even something like the Honda Civic looks massive next to the Fiat 500e. So, does Italy’s smallest export have what it takes to survive in a continent as vast as North America?
Performance
Motor – The Fiat 500e is only available with a single motor, FWD powertrain. The single electric motor produces 117 hp & 162 lb-ft of torque (87 kW & 220 Nm). 0-60 takes just under 4 seconds… that is 60 km/h. 0-60 mph or 96 km/h is around 8 seconds. If you’re at a drag strip next to a Tesla, you’ll lose. If you’re next to one of those e-scooters, it might be a close race.
It’s not a quick car but jokes aside, high speeds are not what’s important in this. Thanks to the instant torque of the electric motor, it’s the snappy acceleration from a stop that matters most. Like I said, 0-60 km/h is under 4 seconds so you can quickly set off from a stop and dart through city traffic like a mosquito.
Battery, Range, & Efficiency – Under the chic, retro-modern body of the 500e is a 42 kWh battery pack. Fiat claims a driving range of up to 227 km (141 Miles). But that’s under ideal conditions, which in Canada, means for about 30 minutes in the middle of August. If you turn on the heater to flamethrower mode in the middle of January, you’ll probably get about 160 km (100 Miles) of range on a full charge. During my time with the car, I averaged 13.9 kWh/100km (4.47 Miles/kWh) of efficiency.
So, this is strictly a city car. It’s not meant for long trips between your downtown loft and your lake house. However, if you are a bit of a knucklehead and continue to drive the 500e until the battery is nearly depleted, then you can engage something called “Sherpa mode”. This limits the top speed to just 80 km/h (50 mph), it dulls the throttle, and turns off the heating/cooling to maximize range. It is essentially the car saying, “We are going to die if you don’t stop being so comfortable.”
At that point, you’ll need to pull up to a charger. If you can find a DC fast charger, then nearly flat to 80% will take about 35 minutes at a rate of up to 85 kW. If you can only find a level 2 charger, then 0% to 100% takes about 6 hours at 11 kW.
Braking – When you need to slow down, the 500e has regenerative braking to recoup some energy along with a one-pedal mode. In the Normal drive mode, regen braking is similar to that of engine braking. Switch it to Range mode, and one-pedal driving is enabled.
Handling – Handling wise, it doesn’t quite feel like a hot hatch. It’s FWD and the battery pack is in the floor which makes for a low center of gravity. So, it does feel stable when you toss it around an intersection. But the steering is hilariously light and artificial feeling. At least this light steering coupled with its small footprint makes it a breeze to squeeze into parking spots that a Civic driver might find too tight.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – Because of the short wheelbase, the Fiat 500e can be quite bouncy on poorly maintained city streets. The suspension tries its best to soak up the bumps but cars with short wheelbases have an inherently bouncier ride than those that are longer.
Interior Space – This is a 4-seater car. But good luck to anyone trying to sit in the back seats. They’re not meant for humans. They’re for your bags or a very small dog. In the front seats, I can fit just fine at 6’4”. But when I have to look to the right, all I see is the view behind me because I’m looking at the rearview mirror. This driver’s seat doesn’t go down enough. As for the trunk, well, you can fit a couple of grocery bags and a sense of optimism, but that’s about it. 185 L (6.5 cu-ft) of space is not much.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – Up to 50 km/h or so, the cabin of the Fiat 500e is much like any other EV. All you hear are the birds chirping, the rustle of your jacket, and the realization that you should have picked up some milk. But on highways, the peace treaty ends. Being shaped like a stylish pebble means that at triple-digit speeds, the wind doesn’t just pass over the 500e; it gets into a heated argument with it. And then there’s the build quality. Now, Fiat has a “history” with things falling off, but this new one feels solid. It’s a massive step up from the Fiats of old that felt like they were held together by hope and olive oil.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – So what is this stylish Italian EV going to cost you? The 2025 500e starts at $42,290 CAD ($30,500 USD). The La Prima package is another $3,000 CAD ($2,000 USD) and this Giorgio Armani Edition is another $6,595 CAD ($5,000 USD) over the base 500e. But this car is eligible for government rebates which will knock a fair chunk of money off the sticker price. Plus, at the time of writing this article in May of 2026, Fiat is taking another $7,000 CAD off the sticker price. Why am I reviewing a 2025 model well into 2026? Because the 2026 model year 500e’s have not yet arrived at dealerships and there isn’t any difference between them apart from the naming of the different trims.
Gadgets – The 500e doesn’t come equipped like other “compact” cars but it still has the basic essentials. This includes a single-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, a backup camera, power windows, push button start with keyless entry, a wireless phone charging pad, and an auto dimming rearview mirror.
Front and center is a 10.25-inch touchscreen that runs Uconnect 5. It’s a fast responding system that supports wireless CarPlay & Android Auto. It has a small degree of customizability but that just means being able to move the different widgets around the home screen.
Interior Design – Inside, it’s actually quite nice. It doesn’t feel like a cheap car. It feels like a boutique car. The dashboard is a single, sweeping piece of trim that is normally painted in a pearl finish. This Giorgio Armani edition adds some texture to it. It’s a direct nod to the original 1957 car, but instead of a metal plate that would take your head off in a crash, it’s good-quality plastic.
There’s also a few easter eggs like the cityscape of Turin on the wireless charging pad. In the standard version, the seat stitching spells out “Fiat”. In this special edition version, it’s just some design. And there’s “Made in Torino” badges that are tucked inside the door handles.
Exterior Design – On the outside, the Fiat 500e is an adorable car. It’s like a puppy that’s trying to growl at you for taking away its favourite toy. It looks a bit aggressive but in a cute and adorable way. There are also nice little design touches like the little wings on the fenders and “Made in Torino” written on the brake lights.
Safety – The 500e comes with a few safety features but it’s missing a few others. So it has forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning with lane centering, rear parking sensors, and a slew of airbags for the front occupants. But it’s missing things like blind spot sensors, auto high beam, and rear cross traffic alert.
Warranty – The Fiat 500e is covered by a 3 year / 60,000 km new vehicle warranty while the battery and electric motor is covered by an 8 year / 160,000 km warranty. For more information on Canadian warranty, click here. For information on USA warranty, click here.
Conclusion – For that original price, you can get a “compact” crossover with money to spare for a year’s worth of fuel. If you have a family, this car makes no sense. But if you’re a city-dweller and you want a car that makes you smile every time you look at it, it’s great!. Sure, it doesn’t have a lot of range and if you can’t qualify for government rebates and there aren’t any incentives on it, it’s expensive for what it is. But in a world full of boring, grey, electric eggs, this one is different and charming. And maybe, that’s enough.
Thank you to Fiat Canada for providing the 500e. www.FiatCanada.com
2025 Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani Edition Gallery
