The Fiat 500 is a phenomenon.
No retro car is as accepted as the little Turin car, and the new electric version is also selling well.
At the same time, the old new 500, which has been on the market for 14 years, will continue to be offered as a combustion engine, no less successfully.
Boris Schmidt
Editor in the “Technology and Engine” section.
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The new, electric 500 basically looks like the old one, but technically it's a completely different car, and not just because of the drive system. The platform is new, its dimensions have now increased to 3.63 meters and, as before, it is available as a “convertible” with a roll-up roof. The trunk volume remains at 185 liters as in a small car. What is new, however, is a variant with an additional small door on the right-hand side, which opens in opposite directions and is intended to make it easier to get into the rear. That costs 2000 euros extra and adds 30 kilos of weight. Fiat itself calls the version 3 + 1 and, strictly speaking, is making a mistake that has become commonplace. In two-door cars with a tailgate, which in principle allows direct access to the interior,spoken of a three-door or, in the case of four-door, of a five-door. Although nobody crawls into the car through the tailgate.
It is a different matter, for example, with older Land Rover Defender models. There are four folding seats in the back across the direction of travel or two lengthways, and you get in through the rear door. As soon as an inlet that opens to the side is installed in the rear of SUVs or large off-road vehicles, a door is always referred to anyway, even if it only allows access to the cargo space.
Incidentally, the Fiat 500 E 3 + 1 is not entirely without a younger model. The designers of the Hyundai Veloster, a coupé that was offered in Germany from 2011 to 2016, also resorted to the trick with the third door on the right-hand side (for left-hand traffic it belongs accordingly on the left-hand side). Both doors on the right, however, open in the same, familiar direction. The first generation Mini Clubman (2007 to 2014) is a much more frequent guest on German roads. Like the Fiat 500 E, the almost four-meter-long station wagon version of the Mini has a second, opposing door on the right-hand side, in general. With the larger, second generation (4.25 meters long), there were four conventional doors, with the wing door at the rear remaining as a further special feature.
Furthermore, three doors are quite common in delivery vans such as the VW bus, a second sliding door to the cargo area on the left is often only available at an additional cost. The first Renault Kangoo, one of the founders of the high-roof combi segment in 1997, initially only had one sliding door on the right, as did the basic version of the VW Caddy, which came onto the market in 2003 as a high-roof combi. The Caddy had already started in 1979, but at that time it was still a small pick-up. Another three-door model is the brand new Renault Rapide, the commercial vehicle variant of the Kangoo, which is also unique with the lack of a B-pillar. This creates a 1.45 meter wide access to the cargo space.
The designers of the Centro Stile at Fiat had something similar in mind when they created the 3 + 1. As with the Rapide, there is no separation column, making it much easier to reach the small back seat. With this solution, Fiat wants to meet the high demands on practicality without having to compromise on the design. The dimensions remain exactly the same, the additional weight has no effect on driving behavior or consumption. The door can only be opened from the outside, towards the front door. To close, however, it is first at the back, then at the front. The seat belt for the right rear passenger is hanging on the small door, but it is hardly in the way when getting in. It may be easier to get on board, but it remains tight in the rear of the little Fiat.
There is always enough space for children, and they will have fun at their own door, even if it cannot be opened from the inside for safety reasons.
Unlike the two front doors, which open electrically at the push of a button, the third door can be operated mechanically.
After a 14-day acquaintance with a Fiat 500 E 3 + 1, the editors can report that the third door is already an asset in everyday life, but is the 2000 euro surcharge really worth it?
Only ten percent of German 500 customers have so far opted for a 3 + 1.
More than a third ordered the convertible.
Seen in this way, 15 percent of sedans are three-door.
The top speed is limited to 150 km / h
Otherwise, as mentioned, there are no technical differences to the regular model, but the three-door model can only be ordered with the large 42 kWh battery. In the top version Icon you have to pay 32,990 euros. The electric motor has an output of 87 kW (118 hp) and offers a fine maximum torque of 220 Newton meters. The performance is perfectly fine, the top speed is limited to 150 km / h.
For the large battery - the small one has only 180 - Fiat advertises a range of 320 kilometers, but in practice during cold days in December it was at most 200 in everyday life. Our average consumption per 100 kilometers was 17.34 kWh. That is around 15 percent more than Fiat writes in the data sheet. On the autobahn with direct current, the 500 charges with a brisk 85 kW, so it can go on relatively quickly, empty batteries are full again after around 45 minutes. At home on the 11 kW wallbox, it takes a good four hours with alternating current. More than 15 should be estimated if only a normal household socket is available.
All electric cars have these disadvantages (range, charging times), but hardly any one has as much charm as the Fiat 500 E. The third door does not break, it is not noticed at all and only makes the car even more interesting.
All good things are three and in this case not one door too many.