New Fiat 600 Hybrid 2025 review: frugal, spacious and packed with retro appeal

Verdict

If you want a larger alternative to the 500, then the Fiat 600 Hybrid is a much better offering than the old 500X. It’s frugal, spacious and comfortable to drive with a hybrid powertrain that seems to feel at home whatever car Stellantis puts it in. Fiat has obviously tried to duplicate the retro appeal of the 500 with the 600 and some surface details are well executed, but it all feels very similar to its immediate Stellantis cousins underneath – making the Fiat’s slightly higher price tag an issue. 

Sometimes, big car manufacturers can be awfully predictable. We recently saw Stellantis roll out its new Hybrid 136 powertrain to cars such as the Citroen C4, Peugeot 5008, Alfa Romeo Junior and Vauxhall Astra. Not one to be left out, Fiat has now introduced this hybrid unit to its 600 crossover – which we’ve just driven.

We’ve experienced the Fiat 600 in all-electric 600e form already – as well as the wild Abarth 600e – and found that while the Italian firm has clearly tried to differentiate the small SUV from the many other Stellantis siblings on the surface, the same all-electric e-CMP architecture shared with the likes of the Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Jeep Avenger EV is always apparent. 

The new 600 Hybrid poses a similar question: has Fiat given its crossover enough of its own identity to not only separate it from its immediate platform-sharing counterparts, but to help it stand out in what is a crowded market? 

First up, that new Hybrid 136 motor. As with the 100bhp version, the Hybrid 136 utilises a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, although as the name suggests, hybridisation comes with a 28bhp electric motor supplemented by a battery. 

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The electric motor is integrated into the six-speed automatic transmission – although don’t go thinking you’ll be making trips (even short ones) on electric power alone, because Fiat claims the 600 Hybrid will run on EV mode for up to one kilometre at speeds of up to 18mph. The hybrid powertrain isn’t designed for EV running, it’s to boost the efficiency of the petrol engine – which it does very well. 

The 600 Hybrid returns 57.6mpg whether you go for the 100bhp variant or the 134bhp version – definitely towards the upper end of the hybrid crossover market for efficiency. Its Stellantis alternatives all produce similar figures, with the 125bhp mild-hybrid Ford Puma returning 52.3mpg and the impressive Nissan Juke Hybrid only just beating the Fiat thanks to its 58.9mpg combined figure. Either way, the 600 Hybrid is significantly more economical than its spiritual predecessor, the 500X, which only returned 43.5mpg.

During our rather spirited drive we didn’t see numbers anywhere near Fiat’s claims, although as we’ve found out in other Stellantis models packing this hybrid unit, a balanced drive should provide solid efficiency – especially with the more powerful 134bhp unit, which doesn’t need to be worked quite so hard. 

We were impressed with the hushed nature of the all-electric 600e and it’s a similar affair with the hybrid model, although the occasional grumble from the petrol engine means it’s not quite as refined as the EV. There’s a bit of wind noise, particularly around the wing mirrors, but thanks in part to our version’s smaller 17-inch wheels, at motorway speeds the 600 Hybrid cruises along rather effortlessly. 

Something the Fiat 600e does well – although the same can’t be said for the hot Abarth – is ride properly. It’s not the last word in comfort, but Fiat has placed its small electric SUV towards the upper end of the table in this respect and it's the same for the hybrid. You get the sense the 600 Hybrid is actually making use of its jacked-up profile to dispatch larger potholes and speedbumps with relative ease, and it settles down well on rougher roads – especially in comparison to the 600e, which weighs 245kg more. 

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Compared to some of its stablemates, particularly the Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida (with which the 600 Hybrid shares its engine), the Fiat isn’t the most engaging to drive. It’s obvious that it has been tuned to be as easy as possible to pilot, with light steering and a relaxed throttle position. Despite having less power than its 154bhp electric counterpart, the 600 Hybrid’s weight advantage means it’s half a second quicker to 62mph, taking 8.5 seconds. There’s ample torque at 230Nm, and it’s competent enough for a small family crossover, but the 600 Hybrid isn’t something to hustle around your favourite bends.

Inside, it retains the same overall design as the 600e with a clear influence from the retro-styled 500 supermini. The gloss dash comes in the same colour as the exterior – unlike its Jeep Avenger sibling, which disappointingly is only available in silver or yellow. The Fiat’s centre console and the 10.25-inch main touchscreen are used in a whole host of Stellantis products, alongside a row of physical climate control buttons, and here the arrangement works equally well. Having another selection of buttons for the gears is an interesting approach, and most will get accustomed to it fairly quickly.

Space in the 600 Hybrid is generally very good, despite its exterior proportions. There’s a decent amount of headroom front and rear, although as with the 600e, the hybrid features a ridge in the rear floor that middle-seat passengers will have to straddle somewhat. Boot space is improved over the old 500X’s 350 litres and the 600e’s 365 litres to a family hatchback-rivalling 385 litres. That’s more than you get in the Vauxhall Mokka (350 litres) and way more than the hybrid Avenger (321 litres), although not quite as generous as the Junior Ibrida’s 415 litres. 

While the Fiat 600 Hybrid is towards the upper end of the segment for practicality, you’ll pay a premium for it. That’s because the 600 Hybrid 100 kicks off at £25,105 with the La Prima starting at £28,105 (the Hybrid 136 adds £1,000 to each list price). While this undercuts the Jeep Avenger e-Hybrid, the similarly equipped Vauxhall Mokka and Citroen C4 with the same hybrid unit are almost £1,000 cheaper.