Are Small EVs About to Be Big?
Small vehicles have never been big in this part of the world. At least compared to any other continent, especially Europe or in Asia. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say this is the only part of the world in which traditionally, bigger is better – whether you’re talking cars, elevators, pickups, food portions, electric vehicles, drive-through lanes or EV range.
Everything’s bigger in North America. Including, on average, North Americans.
And with the Fiat 500e, the Volvo EX30, and the Mini Countryman SE all-new to the North American market for 2025, having the three of them available for back-to-back testing seemed like an enlightening sampler of small but tasty European all-electric stylishness.
Will any of these three hatchbacks (or small crossovers, for the latter two) offer enough charm in other areas to make up for the space deficit they may face over its market rivals? And compared with each other, which of these offer the most fun and value?
Ranking the Latest Models for 2025
The reason over 40 new cars and SUVs were gathered in one spot was for the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada’s annual Car and Truck/Utility of the Year testing. The event typically runs over three days near the end of October, with a detailed voting process that runs most of the fall to December, with the finalists announced in January and the winners in February.
Every vehicle on the market is eligible to win these awards, but there is a rule that you must have driven a vehicle in the past 12 months to vote for it. This provides a healthy incentive for all companies to bring their latest and greatest out – as Lucid did for the second year in a row with the Air – as the event gathers most voting members from across the country all in one place.
In terms of our cadre of small BEVs, what all this detailed voting means is that not only did I have a chance to drive them back-to-back, but I also scored them in 14 different areas, each out of 10 (10 being best). Here then, in order of my own personal score card then, is how they rated.
2025 Fiat 500e: Total Score 105.5 out of 140
This Fiat 500e’s charm depends greatly on its looks, both inside and out, with both my wife and other colleagues admitting they were smitten with how this little three-door hatchback imparts a sense of small-but-stylish European flair. It’s currently battling with the Nissan Leaf for the title of the lowest-priced EV on the market, at a starting MSRP of $32,500.
The larger and more practical five-door Leaf hatchback has a bare-bones model starting just under $30,000 MSRP for 2025, and is eligible for $3,750 in rebates for actual buyers. (None of these small EVs are eligible for the full $7,500 tax rebate if you’d like to finance or pay cash, but all three can be leased with a $7,500 federal EV tax rebate – however long that lasts for consumers into 2025.)
As has happened in other markets with an EV rebate that may be on its way out, expect many potential EV buyers to purchase or lease before January 20, 2025, just in case those rebates disappear soon after President-elect Donald Trump officially takes office.
The Fiat 500e makes much more sense as a $25,000 vehicle than a $35,000 one. It’s by far the most European of this trio – its three doors, front-wheel drive layout and urban runabout style eschewing any pretense of crossover-ness.
The 500e is more cool hatch than hot hatch, with only 117 horsepower, but a more urban-thrust-ready 162 lb-ft of torque, resulting in a stated zero to 60 mph time of 8.5 seconds. That’s quicker than a Leaf, but slower than most other EVs on the market.
From behind the wheel, it felt very smooth on the road, with quick steering that made it more responsive than expected in a tight slalom course on hand to test dynamics – though body roll and brake pitching were evident throughout. There was also a slight delay when you floored it that was unusual for an EV, almost like Stellantis doesn’t quite have the programming dialed in totally quite yet.
Inside, the 500e offers a fairly unique ambiance, with this particular Red version offering hard lacquer and seat piping accents in its namesake color. There’s also a strange mix of high-end features like the button-operated electric doors and transmission functions on the dash, but no sunroof, and only one flimsy console-mounted cupholder feeling almost like an afterthought.
The Fiat 500e won’t be ferrying many passengers in its tiny two rear seats, but its limited 7.5 cubic foot cargo area is at least nicely deep and wide, with very little rear suspension intrusion and a low floor that means groceries won’t roll out the rear if you open the hatch on a slope.
Unfortunately, the 500e’s overall range is also limited, at “up to 149 miles,” which somehow sounds just as limited at 240 kilometres in Canada (and less in the winter). That’s 63 miles less than the longest-range Mini Countryman SE, which comes standard with ALL4 all-wheel drive, and the even longer 253-mile range of the Volvo EX30 Twin Motor, which is only four miles less than the lighter rear-drive Single Motor EX30.
The 500e’s small 42 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery can charge at up to 85 kW, taking roughly 35 minutes to charge from zero to 80 percent.
2025 Mini Countryman SE: Total Score 113.5 out of 140
If you’ve heard recently that the electric Mini is not making it to North America for 2025, that is correct for the China-built Mini Cooper three-door and Mini Aceman five-door. But the all-new, all-electric Countryman SE began landing in dealer lots this September, with a starting MSRP of $45,200. Both this electric version, as well as very similarly-named Countryman S gas-powered version, are built in BMW’s Leipzig plant in Germany.
That E in the name is key, as it denotes a much more powerful 308 hp – which is just under the hot gasoline JCW version’s 312 ponies – and an even more impressive 364 lb-ft of torque (versus the JCW’s 295). There is a single-speed transmission and a 66.5 kWh battery (64.7 kWh usable). The official 0-60 mph time is 5.4 seconds, a full three seconds quicker than the smaller Fiat, and just a few tenths slower than the base Volvo, the unquestioned athlete of this group.
The Mini’s relatively small battery for a compact electric SUV matches the Countryman SE’s relatively small size. A total EPA estimated range of 212 miles is the result, a figure helped by its 130 kW maximum charging speed. That range is near the bottom of the class, but the charging speed is competitive, at roughly 29 minutes to charge its battery from 10 to 80 percent.
The Mini’s as-tested MSRP of $49,395 put it well above the lightly-optioned Fiat in the mid-$30s. The first all-wheel drive Volvo EX30 Twin Motor models that will arrive to the U.S. will have a starting MSRP of just under $45,000 before options and freight.
Where the Mini shone was in its artfully modern yet quirky interior. It retains the giant massive circular screen shape from prior Mini generations, but digitizes it more than ever. Power commences with the twist of a physical switch resembling a key under that large OLED screen, and there’s a dash-mounted toggle switch that is actually the industry’s smallest shifter.
The Countryman SE’s interior design scored top marks of the three cars we tested in this group, and we also gave it high scores for Mini-worthy steering and handling.
Perhaps coincidentally, the Mini was the only one of this trio in which my ball cap got knocked around while entering, a testament to it being a relatively small SUV compared with pretty much any other BEV in its class. Sitting in the back seat offered more room than in the super-tight Volvo; however, more room didn’t mean lots of room, when sitting behind a front seat positioned for my almost six-foot height.
Getting out of the rear meant some foot-twisting to clear the base of the B-pillar, again highlighting that this is not the ideal people-mover if you’re transporting older or less mobile folk regularly. Cargo space was mid-pack in this bunch, at 24.8 cubic feet of space, or 56.2 cu-ft with the rear seats folded.
In all, the Mini Countryman SE is a very refined little BEV, with the panoramic glass roof and head-up display adding to its upscale appeal. But it’s also priced perilously close to near-luxury rivals, some of which bring just a little more to the party – like the EX30.
2025 Volvo EX30 Twin Motor: Total Score 118 out of 140
After a quick re-alignment of U.S. production from China to its Belgium plant, the EX30 that was set to arrive in late summer, then delayed for a year, is now set to start arriving before the end of 2024. Deliveries are now planned to start to in December for customers who pre-ordered the more powerful Twin Motor model, which Volvo says was the most popular choice.
Which is not surprising, when you look at the specs: a $46,195 starting MSRP for a compact luxury SUV with all-wheel drive, 422 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque that can catapult this little pocket rocket from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds – all while offering 253 miles of range. If achieved, this max range gives up only four miles compared to the base single-motor version still planned for mid-2025.
Granted, that’s still quite a bit more than the $35,000 base price originally announced for the China-built EX30, so will be interesting to see where the single-motor version comes in at when it arrives next year.
I suspect that a few base EX30s near that $35,000 mark may find their way onto the market, but the majority will be priced well above this, as happened with the Tesla Model 3 promised at the same price.
Not surprisingly, this Volvo achieved its highest score for the super-impressive powertrain, following by high marks for safety features, braking, and its refined yet classy design: a rarity amongst subcompact vehicles on this side of the world.
In contrast, we marked it lowest for its almost-painful rear seat legroom and interior ergonomics, which featured no window or mirror switches on the door panels, as well as a rather stark lack of buttons and controls throughout –like Tesla, if to less of an extreme. Volvo says this makes wiring much simpler and more cost-effective.
There’s no on/off button to start this Volvo, or speakers in any door, replaced by an interior-wide sound bar integrated into the dash. There’s a funky spotted trim pattern that seems both avant-garde, and evidence of cost-cutting, at the same time.
Luggage space is the largest in this group, at 31.9 cubic feet. And the EX30’s powered seats, panoramic sunroof and plethora of safety features here add up to a much more sophisticated EV overall, with a 153-kW max charging speed that would also make the EX30 a worthy road-trip vehicle, at least for two people.
Granted, the Volvo’s higher pricing than planned may hurt the flood of buyers who saw massive value in this EV at roughly $35,000. But there’s still lots of value in this car, even at $10,000 more than that original estimate.
*All mileage statements are EPA estimated.
