The city car Fiat 500 Cabrio returns from history to the present to shine with electricity
The Fiat 500 Cabrio is a car with a long and rich history. Aside from its supple roof, it’s identical to its stablemate in the hatchback family, a car whose origins date back to the late 1950s but which brought kicking and screaming into the present with its shift to electric power. To achieve this, it was redesigned from the ground up, yet still instantly recognizable, as an evolution of the gasoline-powered original.
And unlike that C-Class, which is only offered with petrol-assisted mild hybrid power, the 500 Cabrio is all-electric.
And unlike the Fiat 500 hatchback, the Cabrio offers one battery option, but, as you’ll discover, that’s not really a problem.
Therefore, once you have chosen your preferred level of finish and additions, the most difficult decision will be color.
an electric car, the 500 Cabrio’s most obvious competitor is the two-seat Smart EQ, and of course the Fiat 500C Hybrid is natural alternatives if you don’t mind sticking with petrol power.
If you want electric power but a soft top isn’t an issue, other electric competitors include the Honda E, Mini Electric and Peugeot e-208, in addition to the regular Fiat 500.
To see how the Fiat 500 Cabrio compares to this eclectic mix of competitors, we’ll tell you every detail about this car, how luxurious the interior is and whether it fits, and how much of a hole it’s going to make in your money.
But first let’s take a quick look at it.
Fiat 500 Cabrio at a glance
number of decorations
14
number of motors
2
What type of fuel is available and what is the right fuel for you?
and electricity
MPG range across all versions
53.3 – 56.5
Available door options
2
Security
3 years / no mileage limit
Company car tax of 20% (minimum / maximum)
£59 / £1183
Corporate Vehicle Tax 40% (Min/Maximum)
RRP . Price Range
£118 / £2366 £
16,225 – £33,495
Fiat 500 Cabriolet performance and driving
What does driving look like, how quiet is it and let’s start with the battery and charging first
There is no low-cost, short-range version in the Fiat 500 Cabrio’s options, and only a 42 kWh battery pack is available.
However, that’s something we’d recommend anyway thanks to its ability to charge at a faster rate and, crucially, more range.
The truth is, the Fiat 500 Cabrio can’t travel quite like other hatchbacks on a full battery, but its 188-mile range (down to 185 at the top of La Prima) is still significantly greater than competitors like the Smart EQ or Honda H We’ll still have to put the 500 in our hands-on real range tests, but based on our tools and experience, a 150-mile charge range should be easily achievable in the Fiat 500 Cabrio.
Fiat 500 Cabriolet engine
In our tests, the 117-hp electric motor was able to reach 60 mph from zero in 8.0 seconds, and thanks to this instant acceleration, it felt faster than it actually is.
Compared to the petrol-powered Mini Convertible, its role in speed seems more than that of the Cooper S.
the design
The Fiat 500 Cabrio is built primarily for the city, so it has a narrow turning circle, ideal for sliding along narrow streets or avoiding traffic lights.
It does not lean much, even during tight turns, and has a lot of ability to catch a cough;
And don’t expect much feedback from its ultra-light steering.
.
The ride is average, not completely comfortable, not uncomfortable, and it proved to me better at absorbing bumps than the very stiff Mini Convertible.
And while softer competitors, including the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet and Peugeot e-208, are quieter and more stable along faster roads, the Fiat 500 Cabrio is less bothered by potholes, bumps and breaks in and around town.
And while the Fiat 500 Cabrio is easy to use because the healthy range between charges makes long trips fun with various charging conveniences, keep in mind, it’s quite noisy at higher speeds, with lots of wind and road roar.
The Mini Convertible, on the other hand, does not come to be a completely quiet companion.
And when you fold the roof down, the Fiat 500 Cabrio won’t explode as much as you might imagine.
This roof is partly because on the top of the car’s windshield there is an “air cap” that diverts the air over the heads of front occupants.
Unlike the Mini Convertible and the T-Roc Cabriolet, the Fiat 500 Cabrio’s roof pillars remain in place, helping to significantly reduce air friction when the roof is lowered.
The body of the Fiat 500 Cabrio is also stiffer than the competition, so you’ll notice the rearview mirror wobble much less.
Fiat 500 Cabrio’s cabin
Interior design, fit and finish
While you’re driving, you’ll find that you’re sitting very high inside the electric Fiat 500 Cabrio, even higher than in a Mini Convertible or a Peugeot e-208.
You may like it or not, but it’s hard to go wrong with the basics of the driving position thanks to the steering wheel that moves in and out as well as up and down, and the driver’s seat provides ample support in all the important places.
And you may need to get a Comfort seat package, or you can choose the La Prima version, which is the highest category,
The Fiat 500 Cabrio’s distinctive driving position helps the driver, the fact that you are at an elevated position in the car gives you a good view of the road ahead and to the sides.
Over-the-shoulder visibility isn’t great, though, so it’s nice that all trims have rear parking sensors as standard, and the Eye Park Assist package (standard on La Prima and optional on Passion and Icon) adds more sensors in Front and sides with rear view camera.
And you’ll definitely like these items in the Fiat 500 Cabrio;
Because the rear window is smaller than it used to be, the folded-up roof blocks much of the rear view.
However, the fault also applies to the Mini Cabriolet.
The range-topping La Prima version only gets standard LED headlights for better visibility at night, and adding them to cheaper trim levels – as part of the optional Magic Eye package – doesn’t come cheap.
Given its archaic exterior design, you might be surprised at the relatively modern interior.
But the ergonomics are good, and while there aren’t many soft-touch plush materials like on the e-208, let alone the Mini Convertible, everything feels tightly held together.
In short, the Fiat 500 Cabrio doesn’t feel cheap at all on the inside.
And if you choose the entry-level Passion trim, you get a 7.0-inch screen with DAB radio, wireless phone charging, Apple Carplay and Android Auto for smartphone mirroring.
If you choose the Icon trim or La Prima, the touchscreen will grow to 10.3 inches and gain satellite navigation functionality.
This is the only system we’ve tested at the time of writing, and apart from one or two small icons on the home page, the interface is easy to use and the screen responds quickly when pressed.
Space for passengers and luggage compartment
The truth is that
Fiat pulled itself out of trouble, put itself on the road, with the 500 family, and you’ve probably seen quite a few Fiat cars on the road over the past few years, but you’ll see countless Fiat 500s on the road over the next few years, it’s not big car.
It is true that this latest electric version has grown slightly,
There are still no back doors, and even very young adults won’t want to sit in the back for long.
And if the Fiat 500 Cabrio is seen as a transverse four-seater, it’s perfectly fit for purpose.
Front storage is surprisingly good, with a large drawer in the middle above the dashboard which is the perfect size to hold a phone.
As you might expect, this is where Fiat has put the wireless charging pad into the versions that have it.
And if you want to keep valuables out of sight, there is a long (albeit narrow) compartment between the front seats.
But the door pockets are very small.
And trunk access is restricted because the trunk lid is much smaller. However, you’ll find that the Mini Convertible and the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet have the same problem.
I managed to fit two hand bags into the trunk of the Fiat 500 Cabrio, less than a small convertible bag.
The rear seats fold at least 50/50 and are standard on all models.
Costs and judgment
Daily costs, in addition to its reliability and safety
The 500 Cabrio’s electric underpinning means
it’s more expensive than the Mini Convertible or the Smart EQ Fortwo and not much less than the larger Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet .
It is expected to retain its value well, although it is not quite as good as the Apple Mini Converter.
Meanwhile, monthly PCP premium deals are attractive for an electric car, even if it isn’t as cheap as a Mini.
The Fiat 500 Cabrio’s 42 kWh battery allows you to charge at speeds up to 85 kW.
This means that a 0-80% charge takes only 35 minutes, if you can find a powerful enough charger, although a 0-100% charge at home would take much longer and is around 6 hours 45 minutes.
Passion’s entry-level trim gets the basics like manual air conditioning and cruise control, although we think the Icon design makes the most sense.
In addition to the infotainment goodies we mentioned earlier, this trim also offers 16-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing windshield wipers, keyless entry and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
While with the La Prima you’ll get LED headlights and a sturdier stereo, they’re too expensive to recommend.
The latest version of the 500 electric hasn’t been evaluated by Euro NCAP yet, but all versions come with lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition and automatic emergency braking.
Blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control are standard only on the range-topping and top-of-the-range La Prima, but optional on other, cheaper versions.
However, you don’t have to pay extra for alerts on all trim levels.
Summary
The Fiat 500 Cabrio is a great pull-down car that just so happens to be electric.
Despite this, it is well priced, has a decent range and is better to drive than a Mini Cabriolet.
The luggage compartment is naturally small, as are the rear seats, but there’s plenty of room for two people in the front to lounge outside in comfort.
And now, as we are used to, I present to you three advantages and the same disadvantages in the end, as the Cabrio has a decent range compared to its cost, and it is characterized by a large interior space, and gives you the pleasure of driving around the city, but its main disadvantages are those small rear seats, and it is noisy in travel, and finally It is more expensive than the Mini Convertible.
$17,740What’s the Price of 2019 Fiat 500c? Equipped with the standard five-speed manual transmission the base 500 Cabrio is available at a starting MSRP of $17,740, with both the Lounge and 1957 Retro Edition carrying a starting MSRP of $21,240.
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