Abarth has been tuning little Fiats since forever and as the 500 enters the electric era, that hasn’t stopped them turning out a scorpion on volts.
Known as the Abarth 500e, it’s got a bit more of everything to make it worthy of the stinger badge, including noise.
The guitar twang it makes when you hit the starter is just plain weird, but the ‘exhaust rumble’ that issues forth from the rear reminds of the throaty idle of ICE-powered Abarths.
Blip the throttle and it ‘revs’ while there’s a decent rendition of a clutch engaging the drive as you take off. The sound they’ve created has a pinch of combustion about it, though it’s clearly digitised.
It’s loud too; if your ICE car was this noisy at idle, it would possibly fail a WOF. The other not so cool aspect is that it sounds like you’re in second gear at 50km/h; it needs to trail off on a constant throttle.
At motorway speeds, the noise can get tiring. You can turn it on and off but only when stationary. The kids thought it a laugh and it adds to the car’s character.
The noise generator occupies all the under floor storage area in the boot, meaning charge cables and the tyre repair kit are left to fill valuable space in the already tight hold.
A few electrical upgrades like a better inverter extract more juice from the 500’s motor, raising power and pull from 87kW and 220Nm to 113 and 235. It has a slightly lower ratio for its single speed reduction transmission too.
Abarth quotes a few whimsical acceleration feats, like ‘it is quicker in the urban pickup, which means 50 per cent faster acceleration from 20 to 40 km/h than its gasoline-powered counterpart.’
Our favourite is ‘it can reach 100km/h from 0 before you even realise it, in just seven seconds’. That makes it not quite as fast as the Abarth 695 in the traditional sense, which can hit 100 in 6.7sec.
The difference is the instant torque punch in everyday driving. Abarth reckons ‘from 40 to 60km/h it can reach the target speed in just 1.5 seconds’, which is apparently one second quicker than the 695.
It’s this pace at lower velocities that puts the sting in its tail; it’s a nippy quick commuter. It’s away like a whippet from the lights, the wider Potenza sports rubber allowing it to hook up well.
Just watch you don’t end up quickly on the wrong side of urban speed limits; it’s easy to find yourself doing 60 plus. In the Turismo drive mode, it’s more relaxed, power and torque are pegged back.
It’s a one-pedal mode too, the motor regen strong but smooth as it brings you to a complete stop. But we reckon you’ll like the Scorpion Street setting better, with its full amperage.
It’s also a max regen/one-pedal mode, while in Scorpion Track, this is dialled back to a more minimal effect.
This has the same 42kWh battery (37 usable) as the regular 500e. But whereas that model has a stated WLTP range figure of 320km, the Abarth’s is just 253km on account of the more powerful motor, lower gearing and wider tyres.
That makes it one for the urban hipsters; it’s not the car to travel the length of the country in. Auckland to Hamilton (110km) it’d handle, but you’d likely need a quick charge to get back to curb any anxiety.
It’ll handle up to 85kW of DC, so 15min would likely get you back home. You’ll be plugging in every night to keep it around the 80 per cent mark, so off-street parking and an accessible socket are musts.
On a portable plug-in charger, 13 hours added 26kWh, the DTE topped up from 80 to 200km.
Outside of the city limits, it is one of the more interesting electric vehicles to pedal. In typical Italian fashion, it doesn’t really like cruising at 80km/h on highways; it’s noisy on the coarse chip and the sound generator can drone on.
The ride is just plain lumpy as well. Find yourself on an interesting road and it all comes right. The suspenders work better with a bit more speed aboard, if still a little bumpy; blame that abbreviated wheelbase.
But that also makes it quick on the turn. While it’s not the most accomplished ‘hot hatch’ you’ll ever drive, let’s say it’s one with a bit of character. It’s never dull.
Yes, it’ll follow the contours of the road and the steering will tug away through rough corners, but there’s good bite from the front tyres as you turn in and it’s planted at the rear.
While that battery pack adds mass, it’s evenly distributed for better balance. There’s some power-on understeer to manage when getting frisky in the tight bends but that’s part of the fun.
It’s not a powerhouse, which means you can use the full travel of the throttle more often too. Rounding out an amusing drive, the brakes feel okay, even when leaning into them, and there’s not much in the way of dive.
Its petite dimensions make it a primo city car. It breezes into parks, turnarounds are done ‘before you even realise it’ and with its quick turn of pace, it can nab small gaps in the traffic effortlessly.
The ride is of the Italian sport variety; firm and jiggly. Speed humps need a cautious approach and with its ride height and low hanging bumper, so do testy driveways.
The seats look Abarth appropriate and are easy to slide into, heated even. There’s a limited range of adjustment, and none in the lumbar zone however. After a couple of hours or so, the lower back is feeling it.
It’ll be time to recharge by then anyway, making it an ideal opportunity to stretch. Like the seats, part of the dash is Alcantara clad, as is the wheel rim.
Pity there’s not more of it to soften up all the hard plastic bits. There’s good storage for a small car, though cup holders are tight.
The touchscreen is loaded with all the right things and operations are straightforward. Separate ventilation buttons are appreciated.
There’s enough safety tech here too, none of it bothersome enough for us to worry about switching it out. Active cruise is absent however.
The glass roof has a perforated (manual) blind, but the sunlight still streams in. You’ll need a hat during certain parts of the day to keep the glare at bay.
It’s not the most practical car, obviously. The rear seats are occasional use items, and even the kids found them to be a squeeze.
Probably better for toy dogs, which will probably be better behaved too. The boot is also tight. Seats fold down but not flat, not even close really.
If you thought the price of the Fiat 500e was a bit steep at $59,990 you’d better sit down for the sticker of the Abarth.
It goes for $74,990, except that this is a Scorpionissima limited model and so costs $76,990.
The $2k premium gets you the out-there acid green paint hue (poison blue being the other choice), the Abarth side decal and a ‘digital certificate of authenticity’.
At the price, it’s a niche vehicle with a small pool of prospective buyers.
It’s not a machine one could ever buy with the head, it’s one for ‘the characters’ out there.
| Model | Abarth 500e Scorpionissima |
| Price | $76,990 |
| Motor | 113kW, 235Nm |
| Battery | 42kWh net |
| Range | 253km |
| Drivetrain | Single-speed auto, RWD |
| Energy Use | 18.1kWh/100km |
| C02 Output | 0g/km |
| 0-100km/h | 7.0sec |
| Front Suspension | Mac strut / swaybar |
| Rear Suspension | Torsion beam |
| Stability systems | ABS, ESP |
| Safety | AEB, BSM, LDW, ALK |
| Luggage capacity | 185L |
| Tow rating | Not rated to tow |
| Wheelbase | 2322mm |
| Warranty | 3yrs, 150,000km |
| ANCAP rating | 4 Stars (2021) |
| Weight | 1335kg |
This story first appeared in the April 2024 issue of NZ Autocar magazine.
