• Not engaging to drive at all
• Performance is adequate, but rivals are faster
• You can dial back the motor for better efficiency

Electric motor

The Fiat 600e is powered by the same 156hp motor and 54kWh battery pack found in the Jeep Avenger and updated Vauxhall Corsa Electric – and they’re perfectly adequate. Fiat says that’s enough for a 0–62mph time of nine seconds flat and a top speed of 93mph.

Rivals such as the Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Kona Electric are noticeably faster in a straight line. The fastest Kona, for example, has 218hp and it can get from 0–62mph in 7.8 seconds, so it feels much spryer. Still, the 600e has more than enough poke to carve up your average petrol-powered hatch at the lights.

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Like most EVs, performance tails off as you build speed – but it has just enough poke to consider overtaking slower traffic. You can also control how much response and power the electric motor supplies by cycling through the car’s drive modes. The motor’s output is limited in Eco and Normal modes to conserve battery power, but Sport mode gives you the full 156hp.

Thankfully, and unlike some EVs, you can access all 156hp in any mode by planting your foot flat to the floor, pushing down past the kickdown switch. That’s handy if you’ve got an eye on range but suddenly need an additional uplift in performance.

What’s it like to drive?

• Biased towards comfort
• Overly assisted steering system
• Soft suspension = good ride

Uninspiring. It’s a lot like the Jeep Avenger, only softer – but that’s to be expected given the mechanical similarities between the two cars. The 600e’s wheelbase (that’s the distance between the front and rear axles) is identical to the Avenger’s, and its suspension components are identical save for some slightly different tuning.

Despite the hardware similarities, the 600e is noticeably softer than the Avenger which we think is a good thing. The silent electric motor means we could hear the suspension working away, but it does a good job of smoothing off ruts and bumps. You do feel it bobble around a little on broken surfaces, yet it never feels floaty or uncontrolled. At this price point, it’s one of the comfier small SUVs out there.

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It’s reasonably refined, too. Wind noise is kept in check well (thanks in part to the car’s aerodynamic egg-shaped body) and road noise isn’t too intrusive. Wide expansion joins and deep craters will send a judder through the cabin, but the impact felt through your backside is less severe than you get in an Avenger. Or a Cupra Born, for that matter.

There is a trade-off for this comfort, though. Body roll. The 600e really leans over in the corners if you attack them enthusiastically. Push it into a corner especially hard and the stability control system will come down on you like a tonne of bricks, snatching at the brakes to extinguish your fun. While no small electric SUV is a laugh-a-minute, the Smart #3 feels that bit keener.

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The steering really doesn’t inspire confidence. There’s very little feedback and its weight doesn’t build in line with your speed which can make it tricky to judge how much lock to apply when cornering on faster roads. Our testers wrapped their heads around it eventually, while Sport mode adds a little weight if no more feedback.