Fiat 600e 156 vs Audi A5 Sedan: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the 600e 156 hits 100 km/h in 8.92 s versus 9.98 s for the A5 Sedan. The instant torque of 260 Nm from the electric motor makes the difference. At this point, the 600e 156 leads by 1.06 s and sits roughly 3 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the 600e 156 is doing 115 km/h against 108 km/h for the A5 Sedan. The gap is 0.25 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the 600e 156 crosses the line in 16.73 s versus 17.30 s. The 0.57 s gap represents roughly 21 m of track - two to three car lengths.

Past 400 metres, the gap narrows. The 600e 156 maxes out at 150 km/h while the A5 Sedan keeps accelerating towards 216 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap is down to 0.73 s from 0.57 s at 400 metres.

At 1,000 metres, the 600e 156 finishes in 31.23 s versus 31.28 s, with just 0.05 s to spare. The A5 Sedan fails to fully close the launch gap.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the 600e 156 is capped at 150 km/h, the A5 Sedan at 216 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

Instant electric torque gives an advantage off the line. The higher top speed of the combustion engine gives an advantage over longer distances. The distance at which one catches the other depends on the top speed differential.

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 16.30 seconds. The 1.06 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.