And the new Italian electric runabout won’t enter local showrooms until the second half of the year
The all-new, all-electric 2023 Fiat 500e will carry a starting price of $52,500 plus on-road costs when it arrives in showrooms later this year.
Appearing in the February edition of an industry pricing guide, the unexpectedly high price tag is more than double the starting price of the current entry-level Fiat 500 offering, the Lounge 1.2 hatch ($23,100 plus ORCs).
What’s more, carsales can confirm the new-generation zero-emission city-car won’t arrive in local showrooms until later than previously expected, in the second half of 2023, when it will be released alongside the more aggressive Abarth 500e electric hot hatch.
Fiat Australia is already taking expressions of interest for the battery-powered Fiat 500e via its public website, but we’re yet to see any concrete local specifications or homologation data beyond the single ‘500e La Prima’ variant listed in the pricing guide.
Overseas versions of the 500e are powered by an 87kW/220Nm electric motor that draws current from either a 24kWh or 42kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the latter yielding an effective range of up to 320km.
This puts the pint-size EV in good stead against the larger MINI Cooper SE Classic (233km) in terms of range, however, the two models are split by only about $3000 when it comes to price ($52,500 versus $55,650) and the MINI EV offers more space and significantly more power (135kW/270Nm).
Fiat Australia continues to keep its cards close to its chest regarding the 500e’s mechanical and equipment make-up, let alone whether or when we’ll see any other variants like the 500e 3+1, but it’s clear from its EOI page and the overseas version that the first electric Fiat 500 won’t be lacking for standard gear.
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Keyword: Fiat 500e to cost more than $52K