REVIEW | Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani - It’s a Fashion Statement
Fiat 500e gets a dash of style from Giorgio Armani
Fashion. My journalism career started at a local radio station, and I can remember one of my first outside broadcast jobs was to cover the visit of the Queen to Newcastle. I was busy describing the scene: the Royal Train arriving at the station, red carpet being rolled out, the Lord Mayor waiting nervously, when suddenly my producer said through my earphones, ”Don’t forget to describe what the Queen is wearing.”
After a few minutes, HRH alighted from the train, and I received a second prompt. My response?
“She’s wearing a red coat and a pink frock.”
I think it would be safe to say that my description didn’t go down particularly well. Personally, I’m a big follower of shabby chic…with a very heavy emphasis on the shabby bit.
Of course, when it comes to fashion, the Italians have got it cracked.
Chuck in some goodies and bump up the price
And now Fiat has got in on the act with a limited-edition car that follows a familiar trend - chuck in some goodies and bump up the price.
Fiat has joined forces with Giorgio Armani and produced what is referred to as a ‘collectors edition’ of the battery powered Fiat 500e.
Price
The normal Fiat 500e range kicks off at £25,035 (June 25), but the Giorgio Armani edition lifts this to £34,035. Fiat tells us that this is a car which should be “worn, not driven”. Hmmm. I’m not sure, particularly when you discover the name of one of the two available colours.
Colour options
There’s dark green, and then there’s the one we had. Okay, it looked rather smart, but the colour is called Greige - a blend of grey and beige. Fiat say this is “an extremely sophisticated and refined option, invented by Armani.” To be honest, Greige doesn’t sound very sophisticated to me. Perhaps Giorgio was having an inspirational off day, but I can’t imagine the latest supermodel being too chuffed having to show off a Greige frock.
Powertrain
Anyway, apart from a few styling touches (more about those shortly) this is a Fiat 500e with a 42kWh battery which provides the electric motor with 116bhp. Power goes to the front wheels. The entry level model can also be specified with a 24kWh 94bhp motor, but the Giorgio Armani version gets the bigger battery.
Range & Charging times
Fiat reckons you can manage 199 miles from a full charge. For the record, the smaller battery models have a predicted range of only 118 miles. Charging up to 80% takes a shade over 30 minutes.
Speed
Accelerating from 0-60mph in the more powerful 500e comes up in 9.0 seconds, and the top speed is 93mph. It feels brisk when pulling away from standstill and quickly builds up speed to join quicker traffic, a motorway slip road, for example.
So yes, the Fiat 500e is a city car, its natural environment, but it’s not embarrassed on a motorway. High speeds , however, will sap the battery, so longer journeys will require plenty of forward planning. I reckon with a range of about 170 miles during the summer, you’d need to start looking for a charger when your remaining range drops to around 30 miles.
Driving experience
Driving doesn’t get much simpler than this. Hit the start button, then prod the Drive button, and away you go. Town driving is an absolute doddle because the steering is so light. The compact dimensions also make parking simple. The ride is set up for comfort, so it can get a bit bouncy at times, but overall, this is a car which is a delight to punt around in urban traffic. Don’t forget, the 500 has been with us for approaching 70 years, so Fiat have had plenty of time to get things right.
And, as a city car with electric power, it’s really good.
On quicker roads, you can tell it has a short wheelbase because there’s a bit of pitching and diving, but again, this is a comfy car with a good driving position.
Interior
The interior is a highlight of any Fiat 500e, and the Armani edition takes things even further. There’s a really neat mix of retro design and function, making it feel rather classy with an upmarket feel. I’m not sure about the music which plays every time you switch the car on or off. You even get another burst after about 30 seconds. It was a novelty for the first few days, but it soon got a bit tedious.
The central 10.25-inch touchscreen is quick and clear, as is the driver’s 7.0-inch digital screen. It’s also good to see plenty of colourful materials scattered around the cabin, a lot of which have the Armani signature. The seats are comfy and are trimmed in what’s referred to as eco leather. The front ones are heated and look really good. Something else that’s good is the JBL audio system…great bass. A fixed sunroof also comes as standard, as do rear camera and 360-degree parking sensors,
On the outside, the alloy wheels are smart and, in the case of the Armani special, you get black alloys which have GA lettering styled into the hubs. LED headlamps and a stack of safety kit complete the list of goodies.
Concluding thoughts
The Fiat 500e is ideal for economical city driving and the occasional blast on the motorway. The range will drop if you always use higher speeds, so it’s best to stick to the urban environment. Whether you want to splash out extra dosh on the Armani special edition is up to you.
It’s undeniably very smart, but it starts to make the 500e rather expensive. There is a halfway house between the Armani version and the entry-level 500e models called La Prima. You’ll pocket three grand and still have a well-equipped car. You can even get it as a convertible with a fabric roof that slides back almost as far as the rear window.
Every Fiat 500e looks good in a cheeky sort of way, it even looks good on the Giorgio Armani catwalk.
READ: Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani Collector’s Edition is catwalk ready
words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Fiat
