I drove Fiat’s 600e EV – there’s are issue with brakes and steering but the battery has better range than other EVs

ITALIANS are all about passionate argument. They don’t sit on the fence. Same with their cars. The best lie at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Mid-sized, mid-priced Italian cars have always flopped.

But the extremes, oh yes.

There’s Ferrari, a Lamborghini or a Pagani. The Italians have got supercars covered.

They’re also brilliant at the bottom end.

For yonks, Fiat set the small-car agenda. Think Unos and Puntos, and generations of Pandas and 500s.

As its cheery smile and bug-eye headlamps tell you, this new Fiat 600e is a bigger brother to the 500.

 But it’s still pretty compact – just a couple of inches longer than a Skoda Fabia.

The first version will be this electric one, the 600e, from £33k. But there’s a petrol hybrid coming next year, at about £8k less.

The 600e makes do with a smallish 51kWh. But as the motor is efficient, that’ll still take you to 220 miles in the real world.

Which is probably a four-hour drive. You’ll be ready for a break yourself by then. Rapid chargers will have the 600e’s battery up and ready in half an hour.

Surprisingly, the 600e uses hardly any parts from the electric 500.

Beneath the skin it’s more closely related to the electric version of the Vauxhall Mokka.

But it feels like the 500e. The steering is very light. Too light for me, frankly.

At least it makes the handily small 600e feel like an agile terrier in tight city traffic. Acceleration is smooth and nippy in town too.

The suspension is cushty, so it doesn’t kick up a fuss on speed bumps or potholes. On motorways it stays quiet and relaxed too.

Performance is plenty for a bit of outside-lane action. The only issue is the brakes. They always stop you, but the pedal is too soft when you first touch it.

I want something more positive, just as I want weightier and more engaging steering.

Still, the 600e has cute cabin furniture with a logical touchscreen and nice upholstery – and there’s enough room for a family of four.

Who’ll be good at arguments too.