Toyota Prius vs Fiat 500E
What's the difference?

Toyota Prius

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2021 price

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Fiat 500E

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2024 price

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Summary

2021 Toyota Prius

2024 Fiat 500E

By Tom White

By Andrew Chesterton

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Inline 4, 1.8L

Electric motor type

Permanent Magnet

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol/Electric

Vehicle type

Battery Electric

Fuel Efficiency

3.4L/100km (combined)

Electric range

320 km

Energy consumption

14.4 kWh/100km

Battery capacity

42.00 kWh

Seating

Likes

Seamless hybrid drive
Incredible fuel efficiency
Comfortable and spacious

Stylish, classic looks
Thoroughly modern cabin
Electric motor improves drive experience

Dislikes

Polarising exterior
Dorky central instrument cluster
Not so engaging to drive

Limited range on offer
Expensive for a small EV
Warranty massively underwhelming

2021 Toyota Prius Summary

What to say about the Toyota Prius in 2021? A car that was once a technology trailblazer seems now to have become properly retro, even while it’s still being built and sold.

The awkward-looking wedge, an eco-punk icon, not only brought Toyota’s hybrid synergy drive to the masses, it also debuted the brand’s excellent TNGA architecture and set the scene for the company's absurd hybrid success, which now sees the RAV4 version topping the sales charts.

So, after all these years (25 to be precise), is the Prius’s time finally over? Or does this quaint hybrid hero still have more to offer? I took a top-spec I-Tech for a week to find out.

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2024 Fiat 500E Summary

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.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Toyota Prius 2024 Fiat 500E

Verdict

The Prius can rest its weary head. The Age of the Hybrid has begun. Even though this iconic eco car might have lost its ultimate purpose to more mainstream models in the last few years, it’s still the best execution of Toyota’s hybrid tech on the market and if you can look past its divisive-as-ever looks, it’s comfortable and practical, too.

The brand’s Australian division promises the Prius will stick around in one form or another, so we’re keen to see what its next iteration will look like. Plug-in? Fully electric? Time will tell.

Verdict

A fun, funky EV which will no doubt appeal to lovers of Italian style, but also one which struggles a little on the range and price front.

Still, there’s no doubt that electrification has improved the Fiat 500 formula.

Toyota Prius vs Fiat 500E What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Toyota Prius vs Fiat 500E
What's the difference?