Test Car Specifications
Model: 2025 Fiat 600 Hybrid La Prima
Price: 600 Hybrid from £25,360; La Prima Hybrid 136 from £29,360
Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol
Transmission: six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Power: 136hp
Torque: 205Nm
Emissions: 109g/km
Fuel economy: 58.9mpg
0-62mph: 8.5 seconds
Top speed: 124mph
Boot space: 385-1,256 litres
Styling
Visually, the 600 takes much of its inspiration from the 500, with the same doe-eyed look as the 500e, and a vague similarity to the rear end and tail lights. But it grafts all those traits onto a bigger, five-door body that's something between a hatchback and an SUV. And it looks pretty good. It doesn't quite have the charm of the 500, but like the old 500X that preceded it, the 600 pulls off the 'big 500' look quite well. Especially as Fiat is offering it in a range of eye-catching and upmarket colour schemes, as it claims to have eschewed grey cars completely. Ocean Green is our favourite, but Sunset Orange, seen in these pictures, looks better on the online configurator than it does on the car.
Interior
From the driver's seat, there isn't all that much difference between the 600 and the 500, and there's very little difference whatsoever between the 600 Hybrid and the 600e. As standard, you get a two-spoke steering wheel, a digital instrument display and a touchscreen infotainment screen, both of which use Fiat's latest-generation technology and are acceptable, if not all that remarkable. The screens respond sharply most of the time, and they look great, but some of the menus are a bit fiddly at first. At least the 'hotkey' shortcuts beneath the screen help you navigate things more easily.
Tech aside, the layout is quite minimalist, while the design largely follows the exterior in its bid to be modern and retro all at once. The oval shapes are throwbacks, but some of the design features, such as the big storage bin in the centre console, complete with the magnetic lid, are quite useful. The buttons for selecting gears won't be to everyone's taste, but they're fine, if a bit plasticky.
Which brings us neatly on to the question of quality. The 600 isn't exactly upmarket in its pricing, but customers like a bit of luxury, and while the seats of this range-topping model provide that nicely, the dashboard and door cards feel a bit cheap in places. But these days, and at this price point, that's par for the course, and the Fiat is no better or worse than any of its immediate rivals.
Practicality
As the more practical alternative to the 500, the 600 kind of blurs the lines between hatchbacks and SUVs in its bid to offer a bit more space. And it does indeed do that, with a 385-litre boot that's more capacious even than that of a Volkswagen Golf, albeit only slightly. More to the point, it's more spacious than the Jeep Avenger, with which it shares so much, and the 600e, which only gets a 360-litre luggage space. But it's some way behind the Peugeot 2008 and Seat Arona.
Worse still, rear cabin space still isn't all that brilliant. You can just about fit four adults in there, but they won't want to stay for very long. Legroom is best described as limited, and while headroom is semi-acceptable for most, it isn't exactly generous.
Performance
Not all hybrid 600s are equal, but there are similarities. Each and every one is based on the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine used so regularly in Fiat’s sister brands’ products. It’s in the Vauxhall Corsa and the Peugeot 208, among others. But you can choose whether you opt for the basic 100hp option or the more powerful 136hp version tested here. There’s nothing to choose between the two in terms of fuel economy – both manage just under 60mpg on the official economy test – but the 136hp car performs much better, getting from 0-62mph in a respectable, if not especially rapid, 8.5 seconds.
Either way, you’ll get a six-speed automatic gearbox and front-wheel drive, but be warned, the hybrid system isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Yes, it’s efficient around town, where the electric motor does a surprising amount of the work, but on a motorway, it’s not quite so impressive. Still, you can expect about 50mpg on a long run, and it is quite refined most of the time. But while the 136hp hybrid works quite well in a 208, it seems ill suited to something as big and heavy as the 600. The motor, the engine and the gearbox seem to tie themselves in knots at times, leaving an unpleasant jolting sensation from the drivetrain and a roar from the engine.
In its defence, the 1.2 sounds okay when it’s worked hard, but the annoyance comes at low speeds or when you try to put your foot down. It’s as though the 600 is just a little bit too bulky for the system to iron itself out comfortably.
Ride & Handling
Like the 500, the 600 drives nicely, but only up to a point. The steering and pedals are all quite light, which is nice enough around town, but doesn't always feel reassuring on a faster road. Body control is pretty good, too, in that there's limited roll in corners, but there's a definite softness to the way the 600 has been set up, suggesting it would prefer it if you didn't drive like your hair is on fire.
Instead, the 600 makes a reasonable attempt at being comfortable, soaking up the worst of the bumps quite ably, but the odd one will send a shockwave through the car, just to remind you that British roads really are quite naff. And that the chassis isn't quite as supple as Fiat might have you believe.
Value
Like the 500, the 600 drives nicely, but only up to a point. The steering and pedals are all quite light, which is nice enough around town, but doesn’t always feel reassuring on a faster road. Body control is pretty good, too, in that there’s limited roll in corners, but there’s a definite softness to the way the 600 has been set up, suggesting it would prefer it if you didn’t drive like your hair is on fire.
Instead, the 600 makes a reasonable attempt at being comfortable, soaking up the worst of the bumps quite ably, but the odd one will send a shockwave through the car, just to remind you that British roads really are quite naff. And that the chassis isn’t quite as supple as Fiat might have you believe.
Verdict
The hybrid version of the 600 promises more flexibility than the 600e, and there's no arguing it delivers, but at what cost? While the 600 is a more spacious alternative to the 500, it still isn't that roomy, and the hybrid system that performs fine in a Peugeot 208 seems overwhelmed by the 600's bulk. When so many rivals are more refined, more practical and more enjoyable to drive, that makes the Fiat something of an also-ran.
