Compare the2024 Kia Niro EVVS 2024 Fiat 500e

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Niro EV are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Fiat 500e doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Niro EV are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 500e doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Niro EV Wave has standard Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The 500e doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Niro EV and the 500e have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available front parking sensors.

The Kia Niro EV weighs 769 pounds more than the Fiat 500e. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

The Niro EV comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The 500e’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro EV 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Fiat covers the 500e. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 500e ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are Fiat dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Niro EV’s warranty.

The Niro EV’s electric motor produces 83 more horsepower (201 vs. 118) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (188 vs. 162) than the 500e’s electric motor.

The Niro EV can travel longer on a full charge than the 500e (253 miles vs. 149 miles).

For better stopping power the Niro EV’s brake rotors are larger than those on the 500e:

	Niro EV	500e
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.06 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	7.99” drums

The Kia Niro EV has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the 500e. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

For better traction, the Niro EV has larger tires than the 500e (215/55R17 vs. 205/45R17).

For superior ride and handling, the Kia Niro EV has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Fiat 500e has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro EV’s wheelbase is 15.7 inches longer than on the 500e (107.1 inches vs. 91.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Niro EV is 4 inches wider in the front and 4.5 inches wider in the rear than on the 500e.

The front grille of the Niro EV uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The 500e doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Niro EV has standard seating for 5 passengers; the 500e can only carry 4.

The Niro EV has 6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 500e (99.7 vs. 93.7).

The Niro EV has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 3.5 inches more front hip room, 5.2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.7 inches more rear headroom, 7.4 inches more rear legroom, 7.5 inches more rear hip room and 7.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the 500e.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Niro EV’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The 500e doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

When two different drivers share the Niro EV Wave, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The 500e doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Niro EV Wave’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 500e doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Niro EV offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The 500e doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Niro EV’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. Fiat does not offer a locking feature on the 500e’s standard power windows.

The Niro EV’s standard driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The 500e’s power windows’ switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully. The Niro EV Wave’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches.

The Niro EV has standard heated front and optional heated rear seats extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the 500e.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro EV Wave keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 500e doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Niro EV’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The 500e doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Niro EV has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 500e doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Niro EV has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500e doesn’t offer rear vents.

The Niro EV Wave’s Smart Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The 500e doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Niro EV, based on reliability, safety and performance.