Fiat has launched an all-new variant of the 600 SUV and it’s not only the cheapest you can buy, but also the first to be offered with a manual gearbox. Available to order now from just a fiver under £24,000, the petrol-powered Fiat 600 undercuts the fully electric 600e which, even with the Government’s Electric Car Grant included, costs £3,000 more. Just like its freshly facelifted Jeep Avenger sister car, the Fiat 600 gets a new entry-level powertrain comprising a 1.2-litre three-cylinder pure-petrol engine – with no mild-hybrid assistance – mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. With an output of 99bhp and completing the 0-62mph sprint in 10.5 seconds, the 600 offers far superior acceleration to the smaller Fiat 500, which is now also offered with petrol power and a manual gearbox. The 600’s top speed stands at 114mph. However, with a keen starting price of £23,995 for the base POP trim, it’s fuel economy that most 600 buyers will likely be interested in. Fiat says that, depending on specification, the petrol-powered Nissan Juke rival should be capable of anything up to 50.4 mpg. However, with CO2 emissions between 127 and 129 g/km, the petrol Fiat 600 is both less economical and less environmentally friendly than the more-powerful mild-hybrid model, which instead comes with an automatic transmission. Fiat is offering the petrol 600 in entry-level POP guise, as well as the mid-spec Icon (£24,995), and finally the range-topping La Prima and Sport trims (£26,995). As standard, all get LED headlights, climate control, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and rear parking sensors. The extra £1,000 for the Icon model will be a worthwhile investment for some thanks to that model’s reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, upgraded stereo, body-colour interior accents and wireless phone charging pad. Finally, top-spec La Prima and Sport trims add appropriately chic and sporty upholstery respectively, plus luxuries including heated seats, a powered bootlid and adaptive cruise control. The only way drivers will be able to differentiate the manual 600 from automatic variants is, as you might expect, the six-speed shifter, which takes the place of the Fiat SUV’s magnetic iPad case-style storage bin. The gearlever itself gets a leather cover and a metal-effect knob, which is in keeping with several other faux-aluminium surfaces throughout the interior. This latest addition to the Fiat 600 range aims to increase the appeal of the Italian brand’s small SUV following the launch of the smaller, funky-looking Grande Panda last year and ahead of the larger Fiat Grizzly SUV’s arrival later in 2026. All three cars are – or will be – offered with both petrol and electric power, although the Grande Panda and Grizzly sit on a newer platform than the 600, which instead shares more with the likes of the Peugeot 2008 and aforementioned Jeep Avenger.
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