New Fiat 600 Hybrid Sport review: more style than substance

Instead, bespoke features include 18-inch alloy wheels in black and further black accents to the window trim, black 600 badging, a black lower grille, black door handles, black wheelarches, an all-black rear bumper and a bootlid handle painted in – yep, you guessed it – black.

If that all sounds a bit monochromatic, there’s good news in the shape of the new Acid Green colour taken from the Abarth 600e. This is offered as a metallic body colour or as a two-tone with a black roof, but both cost an extra £950. 

The interior isn’t as focused as the Abarth 600e’s, either, which isn’t too surprising when you factor in that the Abarth has almost twice the power. You don’t get the swish Sabelt bucket seats, but instead there are some Sport seats with faux leather and slightly rough fabric inserts that you can’t get elsewhere in the 600 line-up. 

On the dash, unlike the jazzier La Prima and Pop, there’s a new trim design to suit the black and grey cabin decor, along with a subtle Sport badge. 

According to Fiat this apparently equates to a “refined yet spirited ambience”, while the exterior design is intended to “convey vigour and dynamism”. To our eyes, though, it’s just a little more serious and hints at a more performance-focused offering compared to the standard car. However, with no technical tweaks under the skin, it’s more show than go, we’re afraid. 

Not that the 600 Hybrid Sport drives poorly. With its sporting aspirations, it only makes sense to go for this Hybrid 145 version, with a powertrain utilised broadly across the Stellantis brands – no surprise really, given that it’s among the better ones the automotive giant makes. The power is delivered smoothly thanks to the six-speed automatic transmission, but it doesn’t exactly launch you down the road, nor does it sound particularly enticing.