The Abarth 500e is a hot interpretation of the award-winning Fiat 500, with more power, unique styling and a novel ‘sound generator’ designed to mimic a petrol-powered city car. increase. Prices for the launch model start at £38,695, with cheaper versions coming later.
Abarth’s powered-up version of the Fiat 500 city car has been part of hot hatch lore since the 1960s.
In its traditional style, the Abarth 500e is front-wheel drive only, but the single electric motor produces 153bhp and 235Nm of torque, compared to 116bhp in the regular Fiat 500. As a result, the 0-100km/h time is 7 seconds less than his 9 seconds for the Fiat.
In terms of styling, there are many details designed to separate the Abarth from its Fiat siblings, including Abarth lettering on the front and rear, wider bumpers and a honeycomb lower grille. Featuring gray mirror caps and his 18-inch wheels, his limited-run Scorpionissima launch model has unique graphics on the doors.
The interior features a new three-spoke steering wheel, sports seats and leather upholstery with Alcantara trim. It uses the same 7-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.25-inch touchscreen as the electric Fiat 500, but Abarth has added a ‘performance page’ that displays more detailed driving data.
There are new sets of drive modes for Abarth called Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track. The first equates to Eco mode, which limits the electric motor’s performance to 132bhp and 230Nm, for use when the Scorpion truck wants full power and less regenerative braking. One-pedal driving is still available on the Abarth 500e, but only in Turismo and Scorpion Street modes.
The sound of Abarth’s hot hatches is part of its identity, so in the absence of an exhaust note, the Abarth 500e has a “sound generator” that the manufacturer says can “faithfully reproduce the sound of Abarth’s petrol engines.” is installed. Owners can turn off the synthesized “roar” when stationary and replace it with a guitar strum that is played when the car is switched on or off.
The manufacturer says the electric 500’s bespoke platform (so far not used by any other EV) gives the model a wider tread, longer wheelbase and better weight distribution than the older petrol-powered Abarth 695. claims. The 500e also puts him a second faster on the brand’s Barocco test track than its predecessor with an internal combustion engine, thanks to those chassis gains and punchy acceleration.
Abarth 500e price and specs
So far, Abarth has only revealed details of the limited-run 500e Scorpionissima. Prices for this version start at his £38,695, with the convertible costing him a £3,000 premium. An Abarth insider has suggested that a cheaper model will be available at a later date.
Scorpionissima means scorpion “plus” or scorpion “extra”. The suffix “issima” is superlative, effectively meaning that this version is the best. Limited to just 1,949 units worldwide, around 350 cars are believed to be available in the UK thanks to initial strong interest and a loyal customer base.
Buyers of Launch Edition models can choose between Acid Green or Poison Blue paint, along with exclusive 18-inch wheels and unique side graphics. The interior has a large 10.25-inch infotainment screen and Alcantara sports seats. All models feature LED lights and a revised version of the brand’s iconic ‘scorpion’ logo, now pierced by a lightning bolt. The convertible version also has an integrated roof spoiler.
Range and charging
The Abarth 500e uses the same 42kWh battery as the Fiat 500, but the electric hot hatch can only go 155 miles on a single charge, while the Fiat offers up to 199 miles of range.
The Abarth’s 85kW maximum charge rate adds about 30 miles of range in five minutes, and is sufficient to charge 10-80% in 35 minutes from a moderately fast charger. Alternatively, using a typical 7.4kW wallbox at home, it takes him about 6 hours to fully charge the 42kWh battery.
It looks like 2023 is already shaping up to be the year of the electric hot hatch. In addition to the Abarth 500e, the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX is expected to arrive within the next 12 months. So does the spicier version of Cupra his Bourne, which was tested last September. MG has also confirmed that it will introduce his 443bhp dual-motor MG4 for 2023.
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