The first all-new Fiat 500 for Australia in 15 years is electric – and costs nearly twice the price of its petrol-powered predecessor, at close to $55,000 drive-away.
- 2023 Fiat 500e pricing and specifications
- Electric city hatch double the price of the petrol version
- LED lights, dual interior screens, full advanced safety suite standard
- Priced from $52,500 plus on-road costs
The 2023 Fiat 500e electric car is due in Australian showrooms some time between July and September 2023 priced from $52,500 plus on-road costs – more than double the price of the previous most expensive petrol variant.
Arriving in a single, highly-specified ‘La Prima’ model grade, the new 500e electric hatchback is the most expensive Fiat passenger vehicle ever sold in Australia – and the company’s first electric vehicle locally.
It costs nearly double the $27,220 plus on-road costs of the most expensive petrol-powered Fiat 500, the Dolcevita hatch – and is dearer than the $38,400 plus on-road costs of the Abarth 695 Competizione petrol hot hatch.
The Fiat 500e is priced similarly to larger, longer-range electric cars – including BYD Atto 3 Extended Range ($51,011 plus on-road costs) and Hyundai Kona Electric Elite ($54,500 plus on-road costs) – though is about $3000 cheaper than its closest rival, the Mini Cooper SE ($55,650 plus on-roads).
It remains to be seen if a cheaper version of the Fiat 500e follows the launch La Prima (or ‘the first’ in Italian) model in Australia at a later date.
An Abarth 500e hot-hatch version is due in Australian showrooms later this year with a price expected to nudge $60,000 before on-road costs.
The electric 500e will be sold alongside the petrol-powered 500 for the time being – however it is expected to be phased out in Europe next year, which may see Australia follow.
Powering the Fiat 500e in Australia is a single electric motor with 87kW and 220Nm, driving the front wheels with a 42kWh battery pack for a modest claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 9.0 seconds.
Fiat in Europe claims a 311km electric driving range, while DC fast charging at up to 85kW is said to allow a zero to 80 per cent recharge in about 35 minutes.
The 500e La Prima is fitted with nearly all features available on the model in Europe, including 17-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic glass sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, “eco-leather” seat trim, and heated front seats.
A full suite of advanced safety features are standard, including autonomous emergency braking, lane centring assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition and tyre pressure monitoring.
Many of these features – including LED lights, the large touchscreen and advanced safety systems – were not offered on the previous, petrol Fiat 500, which turns 15 years old in 2023.
The only options on the new electric car are metallic paint for $700, and tri-coat Celestial Blue paint for $1600.
The 2023 Fiat 500e electric car is due in Australian showrooms between July and September 2023.
2023 Fiat 500e Australian pricing
- 500e La Prima hatch – $52,500
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
2023 Fiat 500e La Primastandard features:
- 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels
- Dusk-sensing LED headlights with auto high beam
- LED daytime-running lights and tail-lights
- 7.0-inch digital instrument display
- 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio
- Keyless (sensor-key) entry with push-button start
- Automatic climate-control air conditioning
- Wireless smartphone charger
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Rear-view camera
- Six-speaker sound system
- Panoramic glass roof
- Ice beige “eco-leather” seat trim with Fiat monogram
- Six-way manually-adjustable front seats with heating
- Soft-touch leather-look steering wheel
- Woven dashboard trim panel
- 50:50 split-folding rear seats
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Rear privacy glass
- Two USB ports (one USB-A, one USB-C)
- Mode 3 charging cable
- Autonomous emergency breaking with pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane centring assist
- Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
- Traffic-jam assist
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Traffic sign recognition
- Intelligent speed limiter
- Driver attention alert
- Tyre pressure monitoring
Available colours:
- Ice White
- Onyx Black
- Ocean Green
- Mineral Grey
- Rose Gold
- Celestial Blue
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