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By Jonathan Crouch

Fiat's 500e gets the Giorgio Armani treatment. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 28

Is this Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani the most desirable electric 500 ever made? It's certainly the priciest, with lots of little Armani touches intended to set it apart.

Backgroundword count: 101

Armani. A legendary name in fashion. To some extent, you could say the same about the Fiat 500. So a tie-up between these two famous Italian brands seems right. And has created this car, the Fiat 500 Giorgio Armani. This supposedly limited run model is actually called the 'Giorgio Armani Collectors Edition' and according to its maker is supposed to be 'the best expression of made in Italy on four wheels'. Back in the real world, it's a special edition Fiat 500e EV with a hefty price tag and no enabling government grant. But might you still want one? Let's see.

Driving Experienceword count: 358

As you'd expect, this top 500e comes only with the largest-available battery, 42kWh in size, mated to an 118hp motor. This is good for 186-199 miles and the car manages the 0-62mph time in 9 seconds. The 500e feels even quicker off the mark than that figure suggests (30mph can be reached from rest in just 3.1s), though Fiat has tried to make power delivery quite linear so that you don't use up all your battery charge at once. Maximum speed is restricted though - to just 93mph. Various types of automated driving technology are available, including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist and intelligent speed limit assist. There's lots here that owners of previous 500 models will recognise - the high-ish seating position and manoeuvrability for instance; there's a tight 9.6-metre turning circle. You also get the previous model's rather brittle low speed ride quality, though it copes with poorer pot holes and speed humps quite well and anyway, things smooth out quite a lot once you get out of town. When you might discover that this Fiat actually handles quite well, despite having to carry around 350kgs more weight around than the MK2 mild hybrid petrol model. All the weight of the mattress-shaped Samsung battery has been positioned well down, compensating for the extra bulk with a lower centre of gravity, hence the well-controlled body roll at speed through the corners, though the effect is somewhat masked by the rather anaesthetised electric steering. A series of drive modes are available that will enable you to maximise your driving range. There are three settings - 'Normal', 'Range' and the curiously named 'Sherpa', with the last of these being focused on getting the maximum from the battery, including a navigation program that will limit maximum speed to 50mph and restrict acceleration. The 'Range' mode maximises brake regeneration, meaning that you'll normally only have to drive with one pedal, so great will be the deceleration when you lift off the throttle. But most of the time, you'll be leaving in this car in its 'Normal' setting, in which form it won't require too much acclimatisation over a conventionally-engined supermini.

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