The wait is finally over.
Abarth is launching an electric hot hatch.
The new Abarth 500e will be the Italian sporting brand’s first EV – and it’ll have 152bhp.
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Looks wise, Abarth models always stand out from the crowd and the new 500e is no different.
It features a wider, squared front end, lower side skirts and a subtle rear lip.
On the inside, it’s not too dissimilar to the Fiat.
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Standard kit includes a 7.0-inch digital dial display, rear-view camera and 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Opt for one of the top-of-the-range models and you get Alcantara sports seats, as well as a JBL speaker system.
At the very top of the pile will be the New Abarth 500e Scorpionissima – a fully-equipped launch edition of which there will only be 1,949 units produced.
Abarth 500e power
The Abarth 500e is a performance variant of the Fiat 500 Electric.
What makes it different though is the host of technical upgrades it’s received.
It includes a more responsive motor which sends 152bhp and 173lb ft of torque to the front wheels.
That’s an increase of 35bhp and 11lb ft over the Fiat.
That said, that extra kick only gives the 500e a 7.0 second 0-62mph time.
That’s 2.0 seconds faster than its sibling and only marginally slower than the petrol-powered Abarth 695 (6.7 seconds).
It might be slower than the 695 accelerating, but word on the street is that the 500e beat the 178bhp 695 by more than a second around the Misto Alfa test track at Balocco.
The 500e has a longer wheelbase (24mm) and wider track (60mm) than the Fiat.
Expect improved handling thanks to a lower center of gravity afforded by the under-floor battery.
Said battery (42kWh) is the same used in the top-spec Fiat, which can be charged from empty to 80 percent in 35 minutes thanks to the 85kW fast-charging system.
