The very cute Fiat 500e has been given some more potent venom by the performance arm of Fiat, Abarth. The Abarth 500e is the first full-electric model in Abarth history and delivers electric performance with stinging style.
As a quick comparison, I drove the Abarth 695 back-to-back with the Abarth 500e Turismo and found that the electric Abarth has a more refined ride compared to the 695, this could be due to the 695 running on 17-inch rims while the Abarth 500e has 18-inch wheels? There was also some loss of traction from the front tyres in the 500e under hard acceleration, but not so in the 695. The electric architecture has an improved weight distribution, better torque and a wider wheelbase.
Drive in the Abarth 500e comes from a Permanent Magnet e-motor through a Single Speed Reduction Gear transmission with 113kW of maximum power and 235Nm. maximum torque. The 42kWh Lithium-Ion has a claimed combined cycle consumption of 181Wh/km and a WLTP driving range of 253km. The 1,335kg Abarth 500e can accelerate from 0-100km/h is 7 seconds and has a maximum speed of 150km/h.
Gear selection is made by pressing buttons on the dash and the e-Mode selector has three drive modes available, Scorpion Track, Scorpion Street, and Turismo, and the latter adds about 10km on the Abarth’s projected range, which was usually around 220km on the trip computer. My calculations showed this predicted figure was very close to my actual range and for my week of mostly light-footed driving and just and occasional provocation of the scorpion I used 19.0kWh/100km.
The claimed charging time using a 11kW AC charger from 0-100% is 4 hours 15 minutes or using a 85kW DC charger this is reduced to 35 minutes for a 0-80% charge. The CCS Combo Type 2 charging port is located on the driver’s side at the rear of the vehicle and a light next to plug flashes green when charging is in progress and the estimated charge time displays on the 7.0-inch instrument cluster display.
The Abarth 500e only comes standard with a Mode 3 Charging Cable and public charging stations can be displayed on the inbuilt sat nav map or on your selected drive route including NRMA, Charge Fox, Tesla, but not all companies are displayed. When you tap on the charger location it indicates the charger type, but not how many or if they are available.
On the interior I really liked the premium Alcantara interior, a racing material that provides a dark sporty look and fine touch feeling, wrapped on the dashboard and the sporty seats that are grippy and look great. The unique sport seats with integrated headrest bring the Acid-Green Scorpion – lasered on the Alcantara – inside the cabin and the Acid Green & Poison Blue double stitching provide visual continuity from the seats to the door panels.
Both front seats are heated and have manual adjustment for recline and forward back and the driver’s seat also gets manual seat height adjustment as well. The sporty look is finished off by the leather and Alcantara steering wheel and scorpions imprinted on the accelerator and brake pedal.
The cabin of the Abarth 500e is very similar to the Fiat 500e including the mesh cover over the sunroof that I would prefer to be opaquer. There’s a deep narrow cubby under the arm rest and in the deep centre console cubby there is a moulding to hold a cup or drink bottle with one USB-B, one USB-C port and one 12V socket located here. There is another fold out cup holder at the front of the centre console and the drink bottle cubby in the doors is only suitable for small water bottles.
The Easter eggs have also been retained including the Turin city skyline moulded into the plastic wireless charge pad located in dash with one USB-A port also here. As well as, the ‘Made in Torino’ graphic near the push button used to open the doors.
The 10.25-inch touchscreen/infotainment system supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but as with other Stellantis vehicles I have driven the wireless Android Auto dropped out on multiple occasions. The voice control is activated by pressing the button with a masculine silhouette on it and the function worked well for me to change the radio station, make calls, and set a destination on the sat nav.
There is very little room in the rear seats and I call cars this size a three-seater because you have to put the passenger seat forward so that one person can sit behind it, as the driver’s seat needs to be too far back. There are two ISOfix/two rear tether child seat restraint points, but you would have to be dedicated to use them and there are no rear air vents, USB ports or cup holders.
The boot lid is power assisted with a button on the key fob and under the boot lid and it has a manual close using a strap to pull on. It’s not surprising also that the Abarth 500e has a small boot and if more room is required, for example for the weekly shop, the rear seats have a 50:50 split fold with a seat release on the seat shoulder, but they do not lay flat. There’s a tyre repair kit, should you be unfortunate enough to get a puncture.
Passive safety on the Abarth 500e includes six air bags, but it does not have an ANCAP safety rating. Safety systems include standard cruise control, blind spot assist, lane keep assist, lane centering, and autonomous emergency braking. It also has a standard reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors, auto lights, auto high beam and auto wipers.
The Abarth 500e has a three year or 150,000km (whichever comes first) factory warranty and three year’s roadside assistance. In addition, the Abarth 500e has an 8 year/160,000km warranty on the high voltage battery. The service schedule is every 12 months/15,000kms, whichever comes first, with the first eight services capped at $250 per service.
The Abarth 500e Turismo delivers the performance that you would expect from such an aggressive looking electric hot hatch. Customers can choose among five thrilling colours: Antidote White, Venom Black, Adrenaline Red, plus the brand-new Acid Green and Poison Blue, which make the Abarth 500e stand out from the crowd.
The price for the Abarth 500e starts at $59,890 excluding on-road costs and as tested with Venom Black premium paint ($990) this Abarth 500e was $60,880 excluding on-roads. You can price your Abarth 500e online or visit your preferred Fiat dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| The sporty interior | The mesh cover for the sunroof |
| Voice control worked well | Wireless Android Auto dropped out |
| Public charging stations displayed on sat nav | Only comes standard with a Mode 3 Charging Cable |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.