Fiat 600 Hybrid Review (2024)

Introduction

The Fiat 600 comes in two distinct flavours.

One is the fully-electric 600e, launched in late 2023 with a range of up to 254 miles.

The other is this, the traditionally-fuelled and more affordable Fiat 600 Hybrid. As the name suggests, it’s a frugal mild-hybrid with modest amounts of power but serious amounts of personality.

And the 600 Hybrid is Fiat’s answer to an age-old conundrum: ‘I like the retro-Italian styling of the much smaller Fiat 500 supermini, but can I really live with the lack of interior space?’

Of course, putting la dolce vita into a mid-size family car is a problem Fiat has attempted to address before, with mixed results.

The 600 Hybrid will eventually replace the outgoing 500X in Fiat’s line-up, which is another vehicle that rides on the coat-tails of the diminutive Fiat 500’s universal charm. For the record, the 500X is ever so slightly longer, wider and taller than the sleeker Fiat 600.

The other issue for Fiat is that the leasing market is chock-a-block with compact SUVs and crossovers, many which also boast hybrid powertrains.

So can the 600's vibrant character shine-through among competitors like the Nissan Juke and Ford Puma? Let’s get behind the wheel and find out.

At a Glance

First impressions are strong. Our test model arrives with a vibrant teal paint scheme and eye-catching blacked-out 18-inch alloy wheels. After all, 2023 saw Fiat declaring itself the ‘brand of colours’, having decided to ditch making grey cars and instead focus on shades inspired by the Italian sea, sun, earth and sky.

The 600 Hybrid’s intricate front end is dominated by elliptical, half-moon LED headlights and a squared-off, cut-out nose. There’s plastic cladding on the wheel arches and side skirts, all of which enhance the 600 Hybrid’s SUV-like qualities while lending it a sense of purpose.

Park it in a suburban street next to the inevitable slew of family hatchbacks and the 600 Hybrid stands out.

The cabin is a pleasant surprise, too. It’s clearly built with busy families in mind as there are stowage bins galore, including a big bucket between the front seats.

Our review car is in range-topping La Prima trim which boasts cream quilted synthetic leather upholstery with the word ‘Fiat’ embossed into the seats. We wouldn’t want to chuck a muddy dog into such a plush environment but it’s a nice place to be, with the situation enhanced by heated and massaging seats.

We get comfortable behind the compact flat-bottomed steering wheel, punch ‘D’ for drive on the centre console - because all versions of the 600 Hybrid come with a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and have done away with any sort of gear shifter - and see what it’s all about.

Key Features

You’ll feel right at home in a Fiat 600 Hybrid very quickly, and that’s largely thanks to the level of kit that comes with all variants.

The entry-level model boasts 17-inch alloys, a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, as well as rear parking sensors, an electric parking brake, and safety tech like autonomous emergency braking. That’s not bad at all for a car that begins at £23,975 to buy outright.

Our swanky La Prima model dials up the creature comforts considerably. There are chrome-coloured exterior and interior style flourishes, rear privacy glass, larger 18-inch alloys, sat nav, wireless charging, heated and massaging front seats, a rear view camera, and highly-desirable adaptive cruise control.

The La Prima trim is well worth considering purely for the plush eco-leather seats alone.

Performance & Drive

The Fiat 600 Hybrid is arguably most at home in the urban jungle. But we decided to point it at the mountainous roads of Eryri National Park, North Wales, to see how it would get on - and it’s safe to say it didn’t disappoint.

At the heart of the Fiat 600 Hybrid is a 1.2-litre petrol engine that’s supported by mild-hybrid technology. So far, it’s pretty much par for the course when compared with other rivals in the crossover sphere.

But things get a little more interesting when you examine the 600’s hybrid system. Unlike a lot of other mild hybrids, the 600 is actually capable of travelling short distances using electricity alone. Fiat reckons the 21 kW e-motor will allow you to travel for around 1km during urban cruising.

It might not sound a lot, but it worked a treat as we made slow, often emissions-free progress from Wales back to Cheshire on the highly-congested A55. It’ll also be enough to have a significant effect on your fuel bill if you spend a lot of time in stop-start traffic.

That mild hybrid system is one you’ll also find in rivals like the Citroen C4 and the Peugeot 2008, both of which fall under the umbrella of mega manufacturer Stellantis. Overall, you can expect fuel economy of around 58 miles to the gallon, which isn’t to be sniffed at.

Another thing that surprises about the Fiat 600 Hybrid is its pace.

On paper, it’s packing relatively modest power of 100 hp. But, bizarrely, the 600 Hybrid rarely runs out of puff and its acceleration feels much quicker than the 0-62 mph in 10.9 seconds that we’re told it’ll do.

That’s largely thanks to a pretty seamless eDCT-6 gearbox and gutsy torque delivery from the e-motor. It’s brisk without ever feeling sporty and it’ll be more than enough for most lease customers.

On the move, the Fiat 600 Hybrid offers a refined and comfortable ride and it proved agile through the narrow, twisty roads that we traversed as we made our way to the foothills of Yr Wyddfa (the mountain formerly known as Snowdon).

It’s not as settled through potholed roads as more premium cars but it’s perfectly acceptable for the price point. Opting for the slightly smaller 17-inch rims would likely prove helpful in this respect, too.

The steering feels nicely weighted and the compact wheel is nice to the touch.

Meanwhile the regenerative braking system that channels power back into the mild-hybrid system is unobtrusive and helpful when it comes to scrubbing off speed.

Our test model also featured paddles behind the steering wheel to control the gear shifts when you put the car in ‘manual’ mode.

The other key thing to note here is that the Intelligent speed assistance (ISA) system - which sounds an alarm should you go over the speed limit - is wonderfully understated compared with other vehicles we’ve tested recently. There’s no shrill warning, just a gentle popping - like a goldfish releasing a bubble - should you stray above the allotted mph.

All in all, it’s a hassle-free and stress-free experience, even when you’re getting up to motorway speeds. Big tick for the Fiat 600 Hybrid here.

Running Costs & Emissions

The ‘Hybrid’ bit of the Fiat 600 is a mild-hybrid. That means that it never needs to be plugged in and you can do without the faff of cables and chargers.

But it also means that you won’t get far using electricity alone - Fiat reckons you’ll be able to journey around 1km via the battery alone.

Still, fuel economy is good at up to 57.7 mpg and CO2 emissions are low at around 110 g/km.

The hybrid 600 might not make a lot of sense if you’re a company car or salary sacrifice customer, where you’re better off in the fully-electric Fiat 600e, but as a sensible school runner or commuter the stats are tough to argue with.

Interior & Technology

The Fiat 600 Hybrid excels here, without being particularly showy.

The smaller Fiat 500 really plays on being retro, with coloured panels on the dash and console and plenty of heritage style toggles and buttons.

The 600 dials it down slightly, instead opting for a cleaner and more modern look while still giving a nod to Italian flamboyance.

Fiat is also clearly listening to the demands of customers. Yes, the infotainment touchscreen is intuitive and clearly laid out and you can scroll through screens with a flick of the finger.

But underneath that, there’s a row of proper, chunky buttons that control things like the temperature, fan speed, and windscreen demister. There are also clearly-labelled ‘Home’ and ‘Car’ buttons underneath the touchscreen which take you directly where you want to be when looking at the infotainment system.

Speaking of which, hit the big ‘Car’ button and you’ll also be taken directly to the screen where you can temporarily turn off the Intelligent speed assistance (ISA) system, without having to scroll through endless menus. Other manufacturers, please take note, as Fiat has got things bang on here.

There’s no traditional gear shifter, a fact that frees up space in the cabin and allows Fiat to place a huge storage bin in the centre console.

Instead you just hit the ‘P’ for park, ‘R’ for reverse, ‘N’ for neutral, or ‘D’ for drive buttons and away you go. Some lease customers might prefer a gear selector stick but once you get used to it the set-up seems less like a compromise.

Boot Space & Practicality

The Fiat 600 Hybrid’s boot weighs in at 385 litres with all of the seats in place and it expands to 1,256 litres with the rear seats down.

How does that compare against rivals? 

Well, the Ford Puma’s boot is huge at 456 litres while the Nissan Juke has 422 litres. So, the 600 Hybrid is down on those rivals, but it does have more luggage space than either the Vauxhall Mokka or Jeep Avenger.

There’s ample room for passengers in the rear and the cabin feels light and airy despite our model coming with tinted windows.

Safety

At the time of writing, the Fiat 600 Hybrid hasn’t been crash tested by the experts at Euro NCAP.

In fact, the most recent Fiat to get the Euro NCAP treatment was the electric Fiat 500e, which earned a respectable four stars in 2021.

But the Fiat 600 Hybrid offers enough safety systems as standard to allay any fears you might have. Even entry-level models feature autonomous emergency braking, driver attention assist, lane keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, and the now-mandatory Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA).

Lease customers can also expect rear parking sensors and an emergency ‘E-Call Assist’ system.

Options

Besides the different trim levels, there aren’t a whole heap of options when it comes to configuring your Fiat 600 Hybrid lease.

With entry-level models, the colour ‘Pastel Red’ is your no-cost choice, while shades like Black, Sunset Orange and Ocean Green will set you back around £14 extra per month.

On the La Prima trim, the Sunset Orange hue comes free of charge. And it’s at this grade where you’ll also enjoy the ivory interior with turquoise details.

Rival Cars

The hybrid variant of the Jeep Avenger - another car from the Stellantis manufacturing group - is a good benchmark for the Fiat 600 Hybrid.

The Avenger hybrid also features a 1.2-litre petrol mild hybrid powertrain. And in the Avenger’s case you can also choose a manual gearbox, which you can’t with the Fiat 600 Hybrid.

There are other major rivals for the Fiat, including the ubiquitous Nissan Juke and Ford Puma, both of which can be leased with a hybrid powertrain.

The Puma is the one you want if a sporty, spirited ride is a priority, as it’s a hoot to pilot through the twisties, while the Juke trumps the Fiat by offering a self-charging full hybrid powertrain with up to 143 PS.

Verdict & Next Steps

‘Likeable’ - that’s the word we’d use to best describe the Fiat 600 Hybrid and it’s a car that pleasantly surprises at almost all levels. In fact, we’ll go out on a limb here and say it’s almost impossible to dislike.

The hybrid powertrain feels more sprightly than the numbers suggest, the cabin is spacious and practical, and the infotainment system is a breeze to use while also being completely intuitive.

A big row of physical buttons either control the essential systems or get you to precisely where you need to be in the touchscreen, which comes as a breath of fresh air to anyone feeling fatigued by complex in-car menus.

And with handling that straddles a line before comfy and capable, the 600 Hybrid will stray well beyond the confines of the city despite it being aimed at the suburban and urban market.

Some leasing rivals will offer more in the way of refinement and there are plenty of crossovers with more performance.

But as a solid all-rounder, the Fiat 600 Hybrid is easy to recommend.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Fiat 600 Hybrid

**Correct as of 15/08/2024. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £3,103.83 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.