TURIN — Fiat is doubling its offering in Europe’s crucial small SUV segment with the New 600e, a five-door, five-seat EV that will coexist for at least two years with the 500X, which was introduced in 2014.
Fiat plans to keep the 500X in production until early 2026. The 500X is offered only with internal combustion engines, while the New 600e is full electric.
Fiat opens orders on Wednesday for two editions, (RED) and La Prima, with the first deliveries due in Italy in September. Prices have not been announced.
At 4171 mm long and 1577 mm tall, the New 600e is very close in size to another Stellantis model, the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka (4151 mm long, 1531 mm tall). It is slightly smaller than the 500X, at 4264 mm long and 1585 mm tall.
The small SUV segment is Europe’s largest and is growing fast, with sales increasing 17 percent to 867,017 units through after five months. With 18,335 units sold in the period, the aging 500X did not make it into the top 10 in the segment, which was led by the Volkswagen T-Roc with 79,662 sales through May, preliminary figures from Dataforce show.
Fiat considers the New 600e as the big sister to the electric-only New 500 minicar. The 600e’s front end, including headlights partly covered by the hood, are reminiscent of the New 500, while the rear-end design is closely influenced by the 500X.
The front-wheel-drive New 600e is based on the second generation of Stellantis’ eCMP platform. The small SUV will be built alongside the Jeep Avenger and an Alfa Romeo variant due next year at Stellantis’ plant in Tychy, Poland. The Avenger and New 600e have the same wheelbase, at 2562 mm, but the Jeep has smaller overhangs for better off-road ability, and will be available with all-wheel drive.
Fiat did not say whether or where the New 600e would be offered with an internal-combustion engine. The Avenger will be offered with a 1.2-liter, three-cylinder engine in some markets, including Italy, Spain and Poland.
Like the Avenger and the revamped Opel/Vauxhall Mokka and Peugeot 2008, the New 600e comes with a new 115 kilowatt (156 hp) electric motor from Stellantis’ joint venture with Nidec and a battery pack with a 54-kilowatt-hour nominal capacity, of which 51 kWh is usable.
The New 600e was homologated under the WLTP mixed cycle for an energy efficiency of 15.1 to 15.2 kWh/100 km (depending on version) and a range of 406 to 409 km (252 to 254 miles). Urban driving range is 591 to 604 km. Zero to 100 kph (0-62 mph) takes 9 seconds.
The New 600e comes with a 100 kW fast charger that Fiat said takes 27 minutes to move from 20 percent to 80 percent of charge. The 11 kW on-board charger takes 5 hours and 45 minutes for a full charge, Fiat said.
The (RED) edition, named for a nonprofit group that partners with brands to raise money to fight AIDS and other pandemics, has red trim inside and out. Fiat says it is a “more accessible” version, aimed at young buyers who want an ethical and eco-friendly mobility solution. There is also a New 500 (RED) model.
La Prima is the top of the range and is available in four colors that Fiat says recall Italian beauty and natural landscapes: Sun of Italy, Sea of Italy, Earth of Italy, Sky of Italy.