Fiat 500 Hatchback Review 2023
The Fiat 500 Hatchback is a compact and stylish city car that offers retro looks and decent practicality. An absolute classic on UK roads, the 500 Hatchback is perfect for city dwellers who need a practical car to get them from A to B.
Rivals to the 500 Hatchback include the Volkswagen Up, Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10, and Suzuki Ignis.
Our Fiat 500 Hatchback review covers:
- Iconic styling with some nice modern touches
- Compact interior that's well organised
- 185-litre boot
- A 1.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine is available
- Three trims: 500, Red, and Top
Pros:
- Iconic styling
- Good fuel economy
- Well equipped with plenty of kit
Cons:
- Rear space limited
- Not great on the motorway
- Infotainment system tricky to use
The 500 Hatchback is perhaps the best-looking city car on the market. It combines retro design like round headlights with slick features such as a stylish front grille and 15-inch alloy wheels.
Because it's a city car, the 500 Hatchback isn't that generous with interior space. However, there should be enough room to accommodate four passengers, albeit a bit tight in the rear. Up front, there's a good amount of space for two adults, while the rear seats are more oriented towards children.
Boot space comes in at 185 litres for the 500 Hatchback, which is significantly less than the 250 litres in the Volkswagen Up. There's enough space for a weekly shop in the standard boot, and if you're carrying longer items, you can split and fold the rear seats 50/50.
The interior of the 500 Hatchback looks good, but scratch beneath the surface, and you'll find cheap plastics that are all too common. Although this makes it fall short of premium cars, the interior of the 500 Hatchback fits the bill for a city car.
On the dashboard is a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system that has a DAB radio, Bluetooth, USB, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. It's a decent system with sharp graphics, but it can be fiddly to use when on the road.
If you want more tech, upgrade to the Top trim, which has a seven-inch digital instrument display behind the steering wheel.
Three trims are available: 500, Red, and Top.
500 comes with 15-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, a Technoleather steering wheel with audio controls, body-coloured and electrically adjustable/heated door mirrors, a 50/50 split folding rear seat, a fixed glass roof, and cruise control.
Red adds to this with 16-inch alloy wheels, unique red interior and exterior styling, and a cabin air filter.
The range-topper Top adds aluminium door sills, dark tinted rear windows, automatic climate control, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, rear parking sensors, and 3D navigation on the infotainment system.
Just one engine is available in the 500 Hatchback; it's a petrol mind-hybrid unit that has front-wheel drive and is paired to a six-speed manual transmission. It combines a three-cylinder engine with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery to recharge when braking.
It's powerful enough for city driving, coming with 70hp and accelerating from 0-62mph in 13.8 seconds. However, what will interest most is its fuel efficiency, returning an excellent combined 61.4mpg.
The 500 Hatchback is best suited when operating in an urban setting. It has good handling, which makes it pretty easy to manoeuvre on tight roads, and its suspension does its best to soak up potholes when cruising at low speeds.
As you get up to motorway speeds, it becomes clear that the mild-hybrid engine is being pushed to its limit with a fair bit of wind and tyre noise inside the cabin.
Prices for the new Fiat 500 Hatchback start from £15,774.00 OTR* or to lease from £160.63 per month.
Looking to get behind the wheel of the Fiat 500 Hatchback? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and offers a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.
Leasing may be cheaper than an outright purchase, thanks to a low initial deposit and fixed monthly rentals.
*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change; always check with your nearest retailer.
