New Fiat 500 Action 2021 review (from Autoexpress)

[Deckard Cain]

New Fiat 500 Action 2021 review | Auto Express

The new all-electric Fiat 500 Action is only available with a smaller 24kWh battery, but is significantly cheaper than the 42kWh model

www.autoexpress.co.uk

Verdict​

If you’re buying the Fiat 500 as a first car, or if it’ll be used as the second in a two-car household, most will find the range of this base-spec Action model absolutely fine. While it misses out on some fancy tech, it’s still easy to drive, and stands out from the city car crowd. Factor in monthly finance payments that comfortably undercut its closest competition, and the new electric version is likely to be just as popular as its petrol predecessor.

Available in entry-level Action trim only, it opens the range with prices starting from £20,995 including the government’s £2,500 grant for electric vehicles. That’s a full £3,500 cheaper than the next step up, and £5,000 less than the most basic MINI Electric. It’s £50 cheaper than Volkswagen’s smallest electric vehicle, the e-up!.

So what do you miss for the reduced price tag? Well as it stands, the priciest component in a typical EV is the battery, so to cut costs, Fiat has chopped the capacity down from 42kWh to 24kWh. As a result, the official WLTP range stands at 118 miles (down from 200 miles). Not as versatile as the other variants, then, but it’s still on par with those other style-led but more expensive rivals from MINI and Honda.

But the crucial difference between the two is the cost on a monthly finance deal. Strong residual values and a further £950 deposit contribution from Fiat swings things greatly in the 500’s favour. With a £2,000 payment up front from the customer, a three-year PCP deal comes to £251 per month for the 500, compared to £334 for the e-up!.

 

[patfromigh]

Alas, this trim won't be playing here, if the Fiat 500e comes here at all. Back up cameras are mandatory in the USA and the vastness of the land means a greater battery range is needed. So when an imported 500e is adapted to American life, a base model won't be basic anymore.

I don't trust the people running FiatUSA to make the right decisions on which models and trims to import either. The last remaining Fiat sold here is the 500X. It only comes as a fully loaded AWD model. The next level up Passion trim on the New 500e would be a good fit in our showrooms. Many of us don't want to pay for the extras we don't want. Will the decision makers listen to the potential customers this time? They didn't the first time around.

 

[Deckard Cain]

I really hope so. This Action trim level is perfect for most European countries where commute distances are shorter, and incentives to buy EVs are lower than in the US.
I hope that this time they nail the trim levels in the US. Granted that as an EV with a 42kWh battery you will always have people complaining of the low range. But I hope that they don't ship models with the 24kWh battery to the US.