600 means a lot for both Fiat and Italian motorists. Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino launched the original in 1955 as a two-door fastback, with production coming to a screeching halt in 1982 for the Argentinian and Colombian markets. The 600 further spawned a four-door MPV in the form of the Multipla, which ran between 1956 and 1967 to the tune of 240,000 units.
Fiat resurrected this nameplate as the Seicento rather than 600 in 1997, a small and cutesy urban dweller with three doors and front-wheel drive. Produced exclusively at the Tychy plant in Poland, the second coming totaled just under 1,330,000 examples of the breed through 2010. Fast forward to 2023, and Fiat revived the 600 moniker again, this time for a B-segment crossover.
B segment as in supermini over in the United Kingdom and subcompact in the United States. The newcomer launched in Italy today – July 4 – in two specifications. According to the attached technical specifications and price list, the RED carries a sticker price of €35,950. That's $39,175 at current exchange rates, and this price applies to the 600e electric version. Higher up the spectrum, the 600e La Prima special edition retails in Italy at €40,950 ($44,625).
Before going any further, a few things. The 600e is manufactured in Poland alongside the Jeep Avenger on the Stellantis STLA Small platform, a development of the internal combustion CMP and electric eCMP vehicle architectures developed by Groupe PSA. Think Peugeot and Citroen. The Avenger can be had either with electric muscle or with a turbo'd three-cylinder engine, said powerplant being connected to a six-speed manual.
The 1.2-liter mill is officially rated at 100 metric ponies, meaning 99 mechanical ponies in the United States. Given time, Jeep will introduce a dual-motor electric drivetrain. It's easy to imagine both the 1.2-liter turbo and dual-motor setup carrying over to the 600 series, especially now that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the Frenchies at PSA are joined at the hip as Stellantis. However, the only ICE-related confirmation we have at press time is a hybrid engine coming by mid-2024.
This yet-to-be-detailed engine may be the four-cylinder turbo of the 500X, a 1.5-liter engine with 130 ps (128 horsepower) and 240 Nm (177 pound-feet) on deck. The mild-hybrid system comprises an integrated starter/generator that cranks out no more than 20 ps (20 horsepower) and 55 Nm (41 pound-feet) on full song.
Under the familiar-looking skin, you'll be disappointed to hear that Italy's largest automaker decided on Panhard bar twist-beam suspension for the rear axle. It's not a biggie, though, at least not in relatively light vehicles like subcompacts. The electric motor is located up front, where you'll also find MacPherson strut suspension.
Understandably heavier than a subcompact with internal combustion, the 600e tips the scales at 1,520 kilograms (3,351 pounds). No fewer than 339 kilograms (747 pounds) are the 54-kWh battery with a net capacity of 51 kWh. If those numbers seem familiar, that's because the Avenger EV also features 54 kWh and 51 kWh.
Peak horsepower and torque are 156 ps and 260 Nm, figures that convert to 154 horsepower and 192 pound-feet. Zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) takes 9.0 seconds, and top speed is 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour). Shorter in both length and height than the combustion-only 500X, the 600e is also narrower. The wheelbase, however, is pretty much the same at 2,562 millimeters (100.8 inches) for the 600e and 2,570 millimeters (101.2 inches) for the 500X.
For all the info available on the 600e available today, please refer to the release and PDFs just below.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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