2023 Fiat 500e Abarth First Look: The Scorpion King Is Back as an EV
Abarth's new all-electric 500 performance hatch might be coming to the U.S. thanks to Fiat's global expansion dreams.
Just a week after the Fiat 500e was introduced to the U.S. during the 2022 LA Auto Show, Abarth has announced that they are making a new hot hatch, at least in Europe. If some of you were hoping that they are re-releasing the Abarth 500 built from 2008 to 2019, we're here to disappoint you, at least for now. What's not disappointing is the fact that this all-new Abarth all-electric hatch gets a true bump in power to go along with that wild looking paint job, and it might also get a U.S. release in the near future given Fiat's new business plans.
Stable Platform
From the looks of the specifications of the upcoming Fiat 500e, it's actually going to be one very fun little hatchback for zipping around town, yet one very expensive one. The chassis itself is longer and wider than the old 500 and that battery pack being a part of the floor means that all of its weight is down very low. That means, despite its heavier weight, this standard 500e is going to be much quicker because of how stable it is, providing better corner entry and exit speeds and a much more responsive chassis than its ICE counterpart.
Now, that's all before Abarth gets their hands on it and truly transforms it into the hot hatch the brand is best known for. First, both it and the regular 500e get the same 42 kWh battery pack, but the Abarth 500e bumps its power output from the 500e's roughly 117 hp to around 152 hp. That bump results in a much faster time from zero to 62 mph from 9.0 seconds down to 7.0 seconds. That also means the Abarth 500e is faster than its ICE version by nearly one second.
The Sound of Abarth, If You Want It
The good news is that, if you're not wanting to drive like a mad person all the time, the Abarth has a true pedestrian mode called Turismo. This reduces the power to just 134 hp (still more than the regular 500e) and provides smooth acceleration and efficient driving. The next mode up is Scorpion Street, which gives you more motor performance and maximizes the regenerative braking, but both modes do allow for one-pedal driving and that same feeling of deceleration you get when driving a manual transmission car, just without the clutch and downshifting. The full-bore, all out Scorpion track mode is where the Abarth 500e performs at its best, though.
The other good news for people who like noise is that the Abarth 500e will generate noise you're familiar and unfamiliar with when it comes to your driving experience. The idea, though, is in line with the tradition of making its tuned vehicles sound different than the standard Fiats they are based from.
The first sound trick they did involves the Key On-Off system. It produces a guitar sound inside the cabin every time you turn the Abarth 500e on or off. Outside, there is a "jingle," as Abarth calls it, played by the Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) that is unique to the Abarth 500e and any other EV on the road. Back inside, you'll hear a strumming guitar when you first exceed 12 mph. We immediately wonder if you can turn any of this off.
Taking a page from its big American cousin, the Abarth 500e is equipped with a Sound Generator. This reproduces the iconic sound of the Abarth 500's ICE engine as you drive around in the Abarth 500e. It's offered as an alternative to the standard sound of the 500e, including the sound it makes for the AVAS. If you're wanting a silent EV experience, the Sound Generator can in fact be turned off (or back on when you want it) when you're at a stop. This also sounds very similar to the Borla Active Sound system we saw at the 2022 SEMA Show, but it looks like Abarth's version won't try and vibrate the car with the sound at the same time.
Of course, being an Abarth, this hotter 500e can't just look like every other 500e on the road. The front bumper is much more sporty looking and the front dam on the valence is painted white to match the treatment done to the rear diffuser inserts. Titanium Gray mirror caps are used over the body color versions of the standard 500e and it gets a set of unique wheels made just for the Abarth 500e along with a new "electrified" Abarth scorpion logo. Finally, if you get the hardtop hatchback, you get a rear privacy glass but the cabriolet gets a sportier spoiler and uses a black fabric to cover your head when you need it. Inside, you get all of the Abarth details you come to expect, but the key difference is the use of Poison Blue for the front folding seat straps.
Owners will sit in sportier versions of the 500e's seats, now wrapped in Alcantara with the Abarth scorpion logo embossed on the integrated headrests using Acid Green stitching, and the seats also feature heating. Additionally, the driver's seat is height adjustable, while the rear seats are a 50/50 split bench.
