Fiat 600e 156 vs BMW 318d Steptronic F30: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the 600e 156 hits 100 km/h in 8.92 s versus 9.32 s for the 318d Steptronic. The instant torque of 260 Nm from the electric motor makes the difference. Despite the faster sprint time, the 318d Steptronic is 1 m further along the track at this moment: stronger low-speed acceleration offsets a slower run beyond 100 km/h.

At 200 metres, the 600e 156 is doing 115 km/h against 111 km/h for the 318d Steptronic. The gap is 0.02 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the 600e 156 crosses the line in 16.73 s versus 16.91 s. The 0.18 s gap represents roughly 7 m of track - barely a car length.

Past 400 metres, the situation changes. The 600e 156 maxes out at 150 km/h while the 318d Steptronic keeps accelerating towards 211 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap has dropped to 0.23 s.

Around 774 metres, both vehicles are level. This is the inversion point: the 318d Steptronic overcomes its launch deficit thanks to a 61 km/h higher top speed.

At 1,000 metres, the 318d Steptronic finishes in 30.62 s versus 31.23 s. The 0.61 s delta in favour of the 318d Steptronic shows that top speed makes a clear difference.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the 600e 156 is capped at 150 km/h, the 318d Steptronic at 212 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 15.08 seconds. The 0.40 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.