Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani: Suited, but a little subtle

According to Fiat: “Never before have two global icons of Italian design, style, skill, ingenuity and success come together to create an ‘instant classic’.”

Impressive as this latest, of many, variations on the successful Fiat 500 theme is with the 500e Giorgio Armani Collector’s Edition, I can’t believe that the little car exceeds, say, Sophia Loren modelling one of Armani’s sensational outfits. Indeed, Fiat has previously collaborated with two other “icons” to knock out a 500 special – the Fiat 500 by Gucci Edition (2011) and the Fiat 500 Riva (2016). There was also a pretty funky Fiat Panda Alessi (2006). There may be other examples. So maybe not “never before”, and “never better” would just be rude. Almost routine, you might add. Maybe one day they’ll produce the Fiat 600e Giorgia Meloni. I’ll leave it at that.

Another reason for researching these past special editions is to assess their investment potential. I regret to say that, thus far, they don’t seem to go for much more than their unspecial peers, with the partial exception of the Panda Alessi. Unlike the Mini Inspired by Goodwood or the Aston Martin Cygnet, two more or less handcrafted versions of popular small cars, which have held their value very well, the 500 specials don’t really justify the premium, leastways in economic terms. My test car, at £34,035 (nearer to £30,000 if you shop around), is quite the fashion premium, and only really makes sense on aesthetic grounds.

On that challenge, the old boy has done a good job. At 91 this month (Buon compleanno!), I’m not sure exactly how hands-on he’s been, but the car literally bears his signature (on the touchscreen and discrete balding on its flanks), and the “GA” logo adorns the light grey artificial leather seats and the smart 17-inch alloy wheels, which catch the eye. The paint job works surprisingly well. It has a silky, mild sort of gloss to it, ceramic-style. The shade is “greige”, midway between grey and beige, and a lot nicer than that sounds (there’s also a teal blue alternative).

On a long (140-mile) drive to the excellent Heveningham Concours in Suffolk, where the Armani edition fits in effortlessly, I found the level of all-round comfort perfectly acceptable, and being electric only, it’s fairly refined, plus the boot is big enough for an overnight bag. As a town car, it can cope with the occasional adventure. Fiat claims a range of 192 miles on a single charge but, in my experience, this is over-optimistic. Using “Sherpa” mode a lot to save energy, meaning poor acceleration and top speed of 49mph for much of the drive I squeezed about 140 miles out of it, plus 50 miles spare, and that was also on a hot day. In winter, on the motorway… much less. Petrol or hybrid 500s are no longer available, by the way.

In fairness, I should add that the 500e is actually made in Italy, rather than Poland as its immediate predecessor was, and is the first collaboration between four (loosely speaking) Italian “icons” – Fiat, Armani and, albeit posthumously, Federico Fellini and Nino Rota.

open image in gallery

Rather than using a conventional electric whining sound for the legally-mandated pedestrian warning, Fiat took the opportunity to make a sonic brand. It’s a melodic sample from Fellini’s 1971 comedy-drama Amacord – which translates as “fond memory” – composed by Rota. It is broadcast through the front spoiler when you hit 12mph, but if you have the windows down you can hear it. It is delightful and unique.

Chimes apart, the reason why the 500 is so popular has a lot to do with its looks, and here they are gently enhanced by the Fiat and Armani designers. In fact, I found it all a bit too subtle: the Armani signature below the rear side window being almost invisible, and no Armani badging on the boot at all. I mean, I’d be spending £30,000 and I’d at least want the world to know all about that. It also has some formidable competition with the arrivals of the new Renault 5 E-Tech, while the BYD Dolphin Surf is just a better product, looks aside. I’ll wait for the second-hand ones, and then pounce, like finding an Armani tie in a charity shop.