Electric vehicles are required to emit an alert warning sound at low speeds and by now we’ve all grown used to their weird hum as they pass.
The 2024 Fiat 500e now offers an Italian twist by playing a classical-style composition through its bumper. The brief melody is called the “The Sound of 500,” penned by Flavio Ibba and Marco Gualdi.
Italian culture vultures will thrill to the immersive JBL Virtual Venues audio technology in the cabin. It changes the audio characteristics to those of four venues hand-selected by Maestro Andrea Bocelli, one being the Giuseppe Verdi Opera House, in Pisa.
Choose My Recording Studio and you enjoy the pure acoustics of a virtual space replicating Bocelli’s own studio. My Music Room seats you in the front row, in front of your favourite artists. Open-Air Arena took me took me back to Mick and the boys playing “Start me up” at B.C. Place (ask your dad, kids).
Wonderful. But I must give a thumbs down to the tune played when the start/stop button is pressed. The annoying TV game show Jeopardy theme rings in your ears and you can’t turn it off!
Oh, just remembered this is a car test-drive report so here we go.
It's the lightest EV available and its 42-kWh battery, offers a range up to 227 kilometres. Truthfully, it is a city car, for shopping and running errands so you are unlikely to drain the battery daily. And it’s unlikely you will visit Grandma across the province in this revived Italian classic.
The fast-charge capability adds 50 kilometres of range after only five minutes of charging; and 80-per-cent battery capacity in just 35 minutes. With a Level 2 (11-kW) charger, the most common charger available at work places and condo buildings, six hours plugged in will take it from zero to 100 per cent.
Driving the Fiat is Fun with a capital F, in town and on the highway, where you can leave bigger guys in your dust. Rockets from a standing start to 100 km/h in 8.7 seconds. There are three drive modes, ‘Normal’ duplicates your gas guzzler driving characteristics and helpful if you want to test the acceleration boast.
Selecting ‘Range’ activates the one-pedal-drive function, which optimizes regenerative braking to capture more energy when off the pedal. I used this for most of the week and soon adjusted to the self-braking. ‘Sherpa’ maximizes energy efficiency by limiting the top speed to 80 km/h and reducing power available. However step on the ‘gas’ and it gets you out of a tight spot quickly. Valuable if you are 20 k from home and the battery seems to be almost drained!
The two-door, four-seater, retains the familiar Cinque-Cento look but it is a little larger in width and length than the previously available gas-powered version. Err, two adults up front and two rug-rats or back packs in the back.
Fiat fans will tear-up when they see the rounded cluster and two-spoke steering wheel, reminiscent of the 1957 runaround. But then the practical side of the brain will admire the 10.25-inch centre screen and a seven-inch digital cluster. The redesigned centre console and door panels, provide more space than the original for carrying daily essentials.
The driver’s seat has six-way adjustability, including height adjustment, and both front seats are heated.
There are three colour choices but undoubtedly red is the most popular. Fiat has partnered with RED, an organization founded by U2’s Bono and activist Bobby Shriver in 2006, initially to fight AIDS. Purchase this edition and it triggers a donation to support life-saving prevention and treatment programs in communities most in need.
The 500e Red base price is $39,995, plus $2,095 destination charge. It qualifies for the taxpayer-funded rebates, $5,000 from the feds and up to $4,000 from Victoria – though the latter is means-tested.
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