New Abarth 500e amps up the fun

Stellantis this week revealed its feisty new Abarth 500e. A performance derivative of the Fiat 500e unveiled back in 2020, this electric hot-hatch sports a potent e-motor mounted on the front axle powered by a 42kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Total system output is a claimed 113kW and 235Nm worth of torque, figures that translate to a rather brisk 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.0 seconds.

While Abarth hasn’t made mention of the car’s maximum speed, it did say this fiery newcomer beat the petrol-powered Abarth 695's lap time around Balocco’s challenging Misto Alfa Handling Track by more than a second. 

The Abarth 500e comes standard with three drive modes: Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track. While Turismo reduces power in favour of range and smoother operation, the two Scorpion modes are focused on extracting maximum performance. One-pedal driving is also available in Turismo and Scorpion Street Mode, with the car decelerating when you lift your foot off the throttle to recover kinetic energy that gets fed back into the battery. Abarth hasn’t made mention of driving range but we expect it to be a bit less that what the normal 500e offers – 320km on the European WLTP Combined test cycle. 

In terms of styling, the Abarth 500e differentiates itself from its tamer sibling with a set of exclusive 18-inch diamond-cut titanium grey alloy wheels, more aggressive front and rear bumpers plus a generous smattering of new “electric scorpion” badges. The special launch edition model – the Scorpionissima – further benefits from features such as unique side decals and a choice of either Acid Green or Poison Blue exterior paint hues.

Interior highlights include a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, inductive charging pad, small-diameter three-spoke steering wheel and a pair of sports seats. The latter, as well as the dashboard, are wrapped in Alcantara. There’s also a nifty – or gimmicky, depending on which side of the fence you sit – sound generator that apparently reproduces the legendary timbre of the Abarth petrol engine.