New Abarth 500e Is The Electric Hot Hatch We've Been Waiting For
The old Fiat 500 was always marketed as a fun and capable commuter car that's the polar opposite of humdrum and beige. That's even more evident with the spicier Fiat 500 Abarth, the hot hatch variant of the adorable 500. The previous Abarth, which sadly left America's shores in 2019, was powered by a tiny 1.4-liter four-cylinder that put out 160 horsepower. That gasoline-powered past is firmly behind Fiat as the brand announced earlier this month that an electrified version of the 500 is coming to the United States in 2024. The upcoming Fiat 500e will be EV-only for the States and will come with all the designer-inspired charm that made the original such an icon.
For Europe, Fiat's performance branch Abarth just announced the newest variant of the venerable hot hatch. The newest model promises to have more than a few tricks up its sleeve and claims to be one of the most fun Fiats yet.
An EV scorpion
Abarth is commemorating the launch of the new Abarth 500e with a special limited-run model dubbed the "Scorpionissima." The new model claims to be just as exciting as its venomous arthropod namesake. Just 1,949 models will be produced, a number that calls back to the year Abarth itself was founded. According to the model's flashy new website: "The new Scorpion turns energy into emotions, high technology into adrenaline. And sustainability into performance."
The new Abarth 500e is anything but subtle as it sports a neon green paint scheme and more scorpion graphics than previously thought possible on a car. For acceleration, the car will go from stationary to 62 miles per hour in seven seconds, and the brand claims it's "the most responsive and exciting Abarth 500 ever in city driving." The car sports one permanent magnet motor that generates about 155 horsepower.
Along with its tennis-ball coloration, the new, hotter 500e will come equipped with what the brand is calling a Sound Generator, meaning that drivers will be able to treat themselves to a soundtrack of pops of gurgles recorded from Abarths of the past instead of the quiet whirring of an electric motor.
As of now, neither Abarth nor Stellantis has announced any plans to bring the new Abarth 500e or its scorpion-stung variant to the States, but European drivers will be able to get their hands on one in February of next year.