Fiat 500 (2008-2024) review

The latest, fully-electric 500 has been with us since 2021, but the older version is still on sale as the Fiat 500 Hybrid — which is actually a mild-hybrid. This means customers who aren’t quite ready to give up on fossil fuels still have a chance to indulge their fondness for the little Fiat’s retro city car charm.

The funky styling and customisation options are as appealing as ever, while the 500 Hybrid’s powertrain is decently economical. The car's small size makes it easy to park, too. Unfortunately, though, the car falls short in other areas, being rather impractical and not much fun to drive. Along with its age, these are factors which make the older 500 increasingly difficult to recommend.

About the Fiat 500 Hybrid

The first modern Fiat 500 has had a long and successful run, which mirrors the success of the iconic original sold between 1957 and 1975. Launched in 2007 and facelifted in 2016, this 21st century interpretation of Fiat’s charismatic little car still cuts a dash as a fashionable metropolitan runabout.

It’s only modern up to a point, though, as the newer 500 is a big step up in terms of tech. Not only is it a lot more up-to-date inside, but it’s also fully-electric. However, for fashion-conscious city car buyers unmoved by the prospect of ‘plugging in’, the petrol-powered 500 Hybrid remains a likeable, albeit dated, choice. 

The most recent Fiat 500 facelift took place back in 2016, and while this did introduce a new infotainment system and some exterior tweaks, other flaws such as flimsy build quality and lacking equipment levels were left unaddressed. 

The 500 Hybrid comes with its fair share of customisation options, though, and the line-up is very easy to understand as Fiat has slimmed it down to only two trim levels: 500 and 500 TOP. There’s also the option of the standard hardtop or a ‘convertible’ 500C version, which offers what is more of a glorified sunroof.

Throughout its long life, there’s also been a plethora of special edition 500s that have come and gone. Some variants have been based on the Gucci and Diesel fashion brands, and one was created in association with Riva yachts, There were also many of Fiat's own specials such as the 500 S, 500 Pink, 500 60th, 500 Mirror, 500 120th and 500 Collezione 1957.

When it comes to competition, Fiat 500 buyers could once consider stylish rivals like the Vauxhall Adam and original DS 3, but both reached the end of their production lives way back in 2019. The shrinking city car market still has some respectable options, though, such as the Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto and Toyota Aygo X. Of course, there’s also the newer Fiat 500.

The 500 Hybrid is powered by a three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine with mild-hybrid technology. This keeps emissions as low as 104g/km, and claimed fuel economy exceeds 60mpg on the WLTP combined cycle. Unlike many of its rivals, the Fiat doesn’t have the choice of an automatic gearbox.

One significant advantage that the 500 Hybrid has over its younger all-electric sibling is a much lower purchase price. Starting from under £17,000, this undercuts the newer model by well over £10,000.

Engines, performance and drive

​The Fiat 500 Hybrid is very simple to drive, but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. The steering is light while the handling is nimble and fun around town. The ride is soft, though, which means there is quite a bit of body roll in the corners. There’s also a limited amount of feel from the steering.

If you are a taller driver, you may feel rather enclosed as the driving position is quite high. Combined with a slightly awkward clutch and notchy, imprecise gearbox, this means that the 500 Hybrid is not as easy to get along with as many of its newer rivals. You’ll find its charms wear a little thin when driving at speed, too, but considering its town-dwelling focus, it’s adequate enough.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

The 500 Hybrid is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that doesn’t follow the modern trend for turbocharging, creating an unusual combination of naturally aspirated power and electrified assistance. This car is only a mild-hybrid, though, rather than a full one.

Fiat claims a top speed of 104mph and a 0-62mph time of 13.8 seconds but, while those figures are hardly electrifying, the 500 Hybrid never encourages drivers to explore the outer realms of the limited performance envelope. On the move, the 69bhp three-pot requires plenty of revs to deliver its best. Although it doesn’t feel quite as laboured as the old 1.2-litre petrol engine, it still isn’t exactly refined. Outside the city limits, you need to thrash it quite hard to maintain speed, which soon becomes tiring. 

The hybrid tech is so mild as to be barely discernible in everyday driving, and there’s no facility to run on electricity alone, even for very short distances or in traffic jams.

MPG, CO2 and running costs

​It may not be a sporty drive, but the Fiat 500 Hybrid at least offers reasonable efficiency offering a claimed average of 61.4mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, along with CO2 emissions as low as 104g/km.

These figures are decent, and the little Fiat should be a cheap car to run. The company says the Hybrid is 30 per cent more economical than the old 1.2-litre petrol 500, thanks in part to the engine cutting out when decelerating below 18mph. The six-speed gearbox plays its part here, too, although you’re unlikely to spend much time in top gear if you like to make decent speed over ground.

Insurance groups

As you’d expect given its limited performance figures, the 500 Hybrid’s group 10 insurance rating should prove affordable for most, but inexperienced drivers may wish to look elsewhere.

Depreciation

Most Fiats tend to struggle with miserly depreciation figures, and while the older 500's initial desirability meant it initially bucked that trend, it's now a very common sight on UK roads. Our expert data predicts that the 500 Hybrid should hold on to around 38-40 per cent of its initial value after three years and 36,000 miles. The convertible 500C Hybrid performs very similarly at a rate of 38-39 per cent.

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Interior, design and technology

This generation of Fiat 500 was first launched in 2007, and it remained largely unchanged until summer 2016 when Fiat tweaked the looks inside and out. At the front, the refreshed 500 got an extra chrome strip — reminiscent of the larger 500X SUV — and new larger elliptical daytime-running lights. To the rear, ring-shaped light clusters with body-coloured centres were added. Very little has changed since then, though.

In terms of spec, the standard 500 Hybrid gets 15-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime driving lights on the outside, while the interior features a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, air-conditioning and cruise control. 

Moving up to the 500 TOP adds in a few extra goodies such as larger 16-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, automatic climate control and a digital dashboard display.

Customisation has long been the theme with Fiat’s city car, so there’s a reasonable amount of personalisation options to choose from. Stripes, a chequered roof, chrome door mirrors and even key covers are just some of the add-ons that can help your 500 Hybrid stand out, but these will drive up the cost.

One problem that has continuously plagued this generation of 500 is the material quality. Some interior plastics are pleasing to the eye and touch, but there’s also some rather nasty door finishes and flimsier trim further down the dash. Fit-and-finish isn’t amazing in some areas, either.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Both the standard and TOP trims get the same 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, USB and DAB functionality.

The combination of buttons, dials and touchscreen interface means this system is easy enough to use, and the optional sat-nav is clear enough, but it’s far from being the most modern system on today’s market.

TOP spec cars also get a 7-inch TFT display in the instrument binnacle which displays graphics representing the status of the hybrid powertrain systems.

Practicality, comfort and boot space

​Buyers of the cute Fiat 500 Hybrid are unlikely to have practicality at the top of their wish list. This is a good thing, because they won’t really find it.

If you need more room, particularly for family use, Fiat also offers the petrol-powered Tipo hatchback and the electric 600e SUV, but these are much more expensive than the little 500 Hybrid. If you’d rather stick with a city car, the Hyundai i10 offers much more outright space.

Dimensions and size

The dinky exterior size hinders outright passenger space, but it’s a bonus around town where these cars spend most of their life. For starters, the 500 Hybrid is extremely easy to see out of and park, helped by a high driving position and big windows.

Leg room, head room and passenger space

Step inside and, up front at least, you’ll find excellent headroom that belies the Fiat’s tiny size. Legroom is adequate, although the narrow pedal box is a bit of an issue for big feet. Things take a bit of a downturn, too, when you find there’s limited height adjustment on the steering wheel and no reach adjustment at all. And while the high-set seat offers a great view out, it’s certainly not to all tastes. Also, beware of the optional sunroof which eats a big chunk of the headroom.

The rear seats are certainly not a place you’d want to make adults sit for more than a few minutes. Legroom is pretty poor, while that curvy roofline means heads will be squashed like in a coupe. If you’ve got young children, however, it’s a perfectly usable space and rear access is easy enough as the doors open wide and the front seats slide forward by a decent amount.

The dashboard-mounted gearlever should free up some extra room, but storage in the cabin isn’t much to write home about. Sure, there are handy compartments below the seats, but the glovebox is small. The few cupholders and door bins Fiat provides aren’t much use, either.

Boot space

Don’t expect too much from the 500’s boot and you’ll find it just about big enough for the odd shopping spree. The 185-litre load space isn’t great when you consider that the Toyota Aygo X has 231-litres, while the Hyundai i10 has even more room at 252-litres.

This space does increase to a full 550 litres with the seats down, but there’s no underfloor storage to be found on the little Fiat. The high load lip and narrow opening also mean you won’t be carrying much home from your local DIY store. But you could argue that’s not necessary in a small car like this.

Reliability and safety

​When it was first launched in 2007, the Fiat 500 Hybrid scored the maximum five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash tests, but it was re-tested in 2017 under the organisation's tougher test regime and lost two stars. 

Fiat fits driver, passenger, side, curtain and driver's knee airbags as standard, making a total of seven, which is impressive for a city car. ABS brakes and ISOFIX child seat mountings feature, too. The hazard lights come on under hard braking to warn traffic behind but the trigger point is over-sensitive.

The older 500’s last appearance in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey was in 2021 where it placed 67th out of the 75 best cars to own. In our most recent best manufacturer rankings, Fiat finished in a very poor 31st place out of 32 brands.

Warranty

The 500 Hybrid comes with a three year/100,000-mile warranty. That’s par for the course, although Hyundai offers five years with its i10 and Kia offers an impressive seven years on the Picanto.

Servicing

All 500 Hybrids need to be serviced every 12 months or 9,000 miles, whichever comes first. Fiat offers fixed Oil Care and Service Care plans at an additional cost.