Here’s a detailed look at the paint palette available on the FIAT 500 4-seater electric car, which we hope will help you choose your perfect new car colour. You can also read our in-depth FIAT 500 review for more details about FIAT's popular city car.
There are 8 main paint options for the 500 range, comprising 3 solid (pastel) paints, 4 metallic paints and 1 tri-coat metallic paint. Besides the exterior hues available for this Italian EV, we also outline the various interior upholsteries that go with these body colours.
Also, although this guide shows the 500 Electric Hatchback model, all the details below also count for the 500C Convertible. The only difference is that the 500C is not available in basic Action spec at all, and on the Icon grade of 500C then buyers can also choose between a grey, blue or black fabric roof. The 500C Red has a black roof only, while the 500C La Prima has a monogrammed hood motif.
Paint Types
Solid = a simple body colour with no additives in the paint. Usually comprises 3 coats, these being a primer, then the paint, then a clear, protective lacquer. Solid paints aren’t particularly shiny and are normally the only standard/no-cost colours offered by manufacturers.
Metallic = same application process as above but the paint now has powdered metal mixed into it, which reflects more light to give the car a shinier appearance. Metallic finishes usually cost more than solid paints.
Pearlescent/Mica = as above, only instead of metal, ceramic crystals (known as ‘mica’) are added to the paint. These not only reflect light but refract it too, giving one colour different appearances in different levels of light. They’re normally as expensive as or pricier than metallic paints.
Matte = uses special ‘flattening’ agents in the paint/layering make-up to give the car a non-reflective appearance, and sometimes an unusual texture too. These are normally the most expensive and rarest of paint options, and are not offered on many new car models.
Exterior
Ice White
Type: Solid (pastel)
Cost: No cost (standard on Action and Icon), £450 (Red)
Available On: All models except La Prima
Kicking off the new Fiat 500 range, and kind of fitting for a pure EV that’s kind on the planet and therefore somewhat saintly, Ice White is one of the Italian company’s pastel ranges. Oddly enough, although it’s the ‘standard’ colour for most of the range, it’s a £450 option on the Red model, which would otherwise come with Mineral Grey metallic paint, and it’s not available at all on the flagship La Prima. Ice White is as every other white paint for cars – looks smashing when it’s clean, but it’ll take a lot of work throughout the year to keep it looking that way because it will show up dirt almost the instant you cease washing it.
Onyx Black
Type: Solid (pastel)
Cost: £450
Available On: All models
This is 1 of only 2 colours available on every model in the range and it’s the most widely available pastel paint. Onyx Black is a bit like white, in that when it’s spotless it really pings, but it shows up a surprising amount of winter road grime as salt encrusted up its sides stands out more on black than on other colours. It also reduces the contrast effect of the 500C cars with black roofs, if that matters to you.
Red By RED
Type: Solid (pastel)
Cost: £450
Available On: Exclusive to Red
The Red model is a special line that teams Fiat to the charity Red, co-founded by U2’s lead singer Bono and designed to fight both Covid-19 and AIDS. Red models are denoted by red flashes on the bodywork on the other 3 colours available (Ice White, Onyx Black and Mineral Grey), but you can paint the whole 500 in the colour if you so wish. It’s a very bold, bright red and looks grand on the Fiat’s stylish lines, although it won’t be to all tastes.
Mineral Grey
Type: Metallic
Cost: No cost (standard on Red and La Prima), £600 (Action and Icon)
Available On: All models
The 1st metallic paint, and actually used as the standard colour on both Red limited editions (shown here, denoted by the red door mirrors) and the range-topping La Prima models. Everywhere else, Mineral Grey is a meaty £600 option, making this the only colour besides Onyx Black that’s available on every Fiat 500 Electric, and it’s one we expect many 500 owners to adopt as it’s a classic, deep metallic grey that’ll hide most of the ills of year-round road filth without too much washing.
Glacier Blue
Type: Metallic
Cost: £600
Available On: All models except Red
Glacier Blue is perhaps a cheaper way of having something like the 500’s signature tri-coat paint, which we’ll talk about below. As its name implies, this is a frosty-looking shade of blue and therefore will need minimal upkeep to look its best all year round. It is, however, one of the more expensive finishes available for the Fiat EV, at £600.
Ocean Green
Type: Metallic
Cost: £600
Available On: All models except Red
This one will confuse the colour-blind among you, because it certainly foxed us. As its name suggests, Ocean is classed as a green and not a blue, but we’re happy to say it’s more of a navy shade with hints of green mixed in; deep turquoise, if you like, and that sounds like a decent name for a Deep Purple tribute band. Anyway, Ocean Green is a very nice, very classy colour and one which should require little maintenance to look its best.
Rose Gold
Type: Metallic
Cost: £600
Available On: All models except Red
This is a daring yet signature colour for the new Fiat 500, almost certainly inspired by the clamour for the rose gold Apple iPhones in recent years. It is what it says on the tin – a pinkish-gold that’s both subtle and eye-catching at the same time. Not sure how it will fare showing up the muck of regular road usage, although as it’s a lighter shade it might not be looking quite as glamorous in the depths of winter as it does when sparkling clean in summer sunshine…
Celestial Blue
Type: Tri-coat metallic
Cost: £1700
Available On: All models except Red
Almost 3 times the cost of any other paint, presumably because Celestial Blue has 3 coats of the stuff instead of 1. An ethereal hue that’s similar to baby blue, Celestial has been used on a lot of dealer-demo 500s and in promotional materials, so Fiat is obviously proud of this colour. No reason not to be. It seems to do the EV 500’s lines plenty of favours in all types of light condition, so it might just be worth the considerable outlay for many customers.
Interior
Black Fabric Seats/Black Dashboard
Type: Cloth
Cost: No cost (standard interior)
Available On: Action
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
A very simple all-black interior is offered in the basic 500 Action Hatchback model, although the company has put some thought into the fabric on the seats, as the graphic ‘FIAT’ logo is repeated on the seat centres, there are ‘500’ logos up top on the seat backs, and the side bolsters have a snazzy diagonal-line pattern on them.
Black Fabric Seats/Red Dashboard
Type: Cloth
Cost: No cost (standard interior)
Available On: Red
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
In the Red special edition, the seats are again black and have the ‘FIAT’ logo plastered over them, but now they have red piping plus different (500)RED graphics on the seat backs. To further emphasise the tie-up between Fiat and the charity, the upper dashboard trim fillet is painted in bright red.
3+1 Fabric Seat (Black Front Passenger, Red Driver)/Red Dashboard
Type: Cloth
Cost: No cost (option)
Available On: Red
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
The 1st variation on the above theme is this unusual 3+1 option, for no-cost on the Red. It makes the driver’s seat alone all-red, switching its (500)RED graphic to black for contrast. But the front passenger seat and the rear bench remain finished in black fabric with red details where appropriate.
Red Fabric Seats/Red Dashboard
Type: Cloth
Cost: No cost (option)
Available On: Red
Available With All Body Colours?: No
If you don’t like the black-and-red combo interior, then this final option for the Red – again, at no extra cost – turns all of the seats in the car bright red. This is the only interior option in the 500 range not available with all possible body colours; while you can spec the red interior on the Mineral Grey, Ice White and Onyx Black 500 Red models, Fiat won’t let you do so if you’ve gone for the Red by RED exterior. Presumably, even the car company thinks that’s WAY TOO MUCH red on a small EV.
Light Grey And Blue Fabric Seats/Body-Coloured Dashboard
Type: Fabric 2-tone
Cost: No cost (standard interior)
Available On: Icon
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
Moving up to Icon level, there’s a smarter interior that retains the fabric upholstery, but provides it in a 2-tone colour scheme. The ‘FIAT’ graphics on the seat centres are gone, replaced with longitudinal/vertical lines and a light-grey finish. Meanwhile, the bolsters and seat backs outers are rendered in deep blue, with all of this contrasted by the dashboard being finished in whatever exterior colour you’ve chosen for your 500.
Dark Grey And Black Fabric Seats/Body-Coloured Dashboard
Type: Fabric 2-tone
Cost: No cost (option)
Available On: Icon
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
This interior is as above, but is a no-cost alternative that changes the seat centres to dark grey and the bolsters/outers to black.
Light Grey And Blue Fabric Seats/Wrapped Technowood Dashboard
Type: Fabric 2-tone
Cost: £900
Available On: Icon
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
Otherwise as per the light grey and blue interior, the change here pertains to the dashboard, which is no longer in body colour as standard but comes with the Technowood finish, with what looks like a wood grain for the fascia. This costs £900 as an upgrade from any of the body-coloured dash options in the Icon.
Dark Grey And Black Fabric Seats/ Wrapped Technowood Dashboard
Type: Fabric 2-tone
Cost: £900
Available On: Icon
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
As per the interior above, only with the seats switched for the dark grey and black combination. Again, this costs £900 as an option.
Beige Eco-Leather Seats/Grey Braided Dashboard
Type: Eco-leather (man-made)
Cost: No cost (standard interior)
Available On: La Prima
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
Finally, on the range-topping La Prima, we’ve got leather. Well, eco-leather – it’s a man-made hide, so the 500 Electric range is completely eco-friendly within. The seats return to the ‘FIAT’ logo repeated pattern on the centres and the ‘500’ emblem at the top of the seat backs, but now they’re in light beige eco-leather. This means the steering wheel’s rim also turns light beige, while the dash is a grey braided affair that’s both tactile and pleasing on the eye. Suitably, given the La Prima sits atop the 500 Electric pile, this is the most upmarket-feeling interior of them all.
Check out our latest FIAT 500 Electric leasing deals here.
