Nissan Ariya vs Fiat 500E

What's the difference?

Nissan was one of the first to launch a mainstream electric vehicle (EV) in Australia with the cute Leaf hatchback back in 2010.

While two generations of the Leaf have come and gone, Nissan still hasn’t launched another EV offering in Australia. That’s now finally changed.

The Japanese carmaker has just launched the Ariya mid-size electric SUV in Australia roughly five years after it was first revealed. It’s been available in other markets since 2022.

The EV market has gained momentum in Australia and there are a growing number of heavy-hitting rivals out there now for the Ariya to go up against.

Is it too little, too late for Nissan? Read along to find out.

You wouldn’t know it to look at it, but this is a brand-new — as in really and truly all-new — Fiat 500.

That has got to be a big deal for fans of Fiat’s pint-sized city car, with a genuinely all-new 500 about rare as spotting Halley’s Comet soaring over Turin. The last time was way back in 2007, by the way, and that car will remain on sale alongside this new one for the foreseeable.

But that’s not the only surprise. This 500 is also entirely electric, properly modern inside, and it has actual technology in its cabin and on its safety list.

Fiat reckons this is a big reset for the 500. And that there will never be another all-new petrol model again.

So, how does this new 500e stack up against the recent flood of small EVs, predominantly from China?

Let’s go find out.