Abarth 500e has a load of sex appeal. We drove the equally charismatic Fiat 500e last year, and loved it. The cheeky little Italian lives up to an expectation of being fun yet functional, but the Abarth version is expected to fan that ember into a warming fire. In regular Abarth 500s, the burble from its inner sanctum helps the visceral juices flow. The electric Abarth lacks such aural inducements

The Fiat 500e in its standard form is only 2 seconds slower to 100kph so why bother paying an extra for the Abarth?

Around 58 grand grand gets you an Abarth with a 0 to 100 of 7 seconds, and classy looks that still grabs passers-by by the short-and-curlys, even if the sound doesn’t.

The electric version of the Abarth has a Scorpion with a lightening bolt piercing its centre as its mascot. That’s the sort of image we’re on board with. But consider this: Fiat 500e has a fairly meek 87kw drive unit, so the Abarth’s 114kw power plant is meant to get your heart pumping? 300kw’s gets your blood gushing, but 114kw induces a gentle flow at best.

So, what’s Abarth 500e good for then if not about brute force? It’s is pure fun that’s what.

There isn’t the raucous carry-on from around the back to assault the senses, nor is there the whack in the head at take-off. The fun doesn’t really come until the first bend even if “Scorpionissima Track” has been dialled into the drive mode console. It gets the front wheels spinning at the lights but the paws can’t get a code brown-inducing grip on the road. Left to their own devices, they’ll just work themselves into smoke-veiled, yobbo-esque frenzy.

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2024 Abarth 500e Review 0 to 100 in WHO CARES

The Cabin

The modern interior is cosily curated interpretation of classic Italian style.

Though dark tones set a brooding mood so that nothing distracts from the excitement of driving, it is calming enough as a daily driver. The ambience is brightened by a fixed glass roof overhead, and the internal blind can be pulled across if a spot of muting is needed. It rather feels like a 500 of old.

The gadgets accent the good taste even further. A 10.25” Uconnect-5 screen augments the 7” driver display, giving travellers wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. The Qi charging pad has a cityscape imprinted on it, further cementing the ties to big city life. The “gear” selector is a series of 4 simple buttons on the charging shelf’s outer edge. It is a beautiful piece of design that is both simple and effective.

Don’t get any high-falutin notions about carting a bunch of blokes on the back bench unless your mates are Ken dolls. Peeps in the pews up front are far better catered for. The deeply dished Alcantara sports seats are like warm hugs, even in tight turns. They’re heated for those chilly evening joyrides too, and you get a single zone of extremely good air conditioning. Remember, heating in electric cars can’t use hot water from the radiator because the is no engine, so they use heating coils or a heat pump. Either way it is a drain on the battery. Luckily for us, direct contact heating and cooling is the most efficient way of keeping humans happy.

Volume and channel change buttons are on the back of the steering wheel, a pre-Stellantis hang-over from the days of Fiat-Chrysler. It takes a moment to find them if you haven’t driven the brand in a while. The doors have electric buttons to unlock them, with a manual release lever just in case things go wrong

The cabin is a delightful place to spend time.

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The Drive:

114kw makes take-offs frisky with changes of direction that feel well planted. In tighter corners, the bulk of the battery can be felt down in the nethers. I had hoped that Abarth might have upgraded to torsion bar rear suspension, but alas. We didn’t push the Abarth too hard, preferring a calmer carriage instead.

Ride feels firm, especially on some of Sydney’s lesser lanes. They haven’t seen a lick of maintenance since the Whitlam era and have potholes you could hide a bus in. Only then does the cabin noise rise above the faint whisper of cooled air coming from the vents.

With the absence of gears, everything feels like a gentle canter punctuated by a quiet series of Zen-like moments at red lights. That’s the thing about electric cars, from the moment you pass the portals, it is like a weekend at a spa retreat.

Don’t expect to feel exactly like you did in your clunky old dinosaur-burning mini skip on wheels.

EVs are a different experience. On top of the all the time you save schlepping down to the service centre, you’ll never have oily patches on the garage floor. Not only that but with one pedal driving, your brake pads and discs will probably outlast time itself.

We feared the Abarth electric might be a bit underwhelming, but not a bit of it. Don’t go expecting to corner at warp ten, to then arrive at your destination half an hour before you left home. It is frisky, not fast. If you want fast, spend more.

Charging and Range.

“Fast” charging is limited to 85kw which takes around 30 minutes to get from 10% to 80%. Our range was a little short of the 254km promised, at 230km. If you’re off for a naughty weekend away, plan carefully. Long trips can still be done, but they’ll feel like an eternity.

Charge at home for best results, and keep it to 80%.

Check out the BROCHURE for full specifications: abarth-500e-buyersguide-may-2024

Conclusion:

Abarth may have cut its teeth on the track, but the pretty Abarth 500e is a cracking city car. I doubt many will see the inside of a circuit, leaving the Abarth as a thoroughly adorably daily driver with bags of personality and charm. Littluns will be fine in the back seat, but adults are banned, unless you really dislike them. Best of all, Abarth is still made in Turin just as a fiat should be, Abarth or not.

Abarth 500e