Styling
With just a few carefully considered changes to the exterior, Abarth has managed to transform the 600e from the inoffensive, cutesy thing it is as a Fiat into a vehicle with a real sense of aesthetic menace. Yet there's not a huge amount altered for the physical bodywork - both cars have identical 'hooded' circular headlights, a ridged centreline to their bonnets and identical proportions - so, with a few exceptions to this rule, it's mainly what Abarth has done to the lower sections of the 600e which have enhanced it.
With tracks 30mm wider at the front and 20mm broader at the rear, the Abarth 600e is off to a good start that the company then bolsters with the fitment of some whopping, and very attractive, 20-inch alloys that bear all the hallmarks of centre-locks. Although we're not sure about this, because we were shown a diagram that suggests there are four-stud patterns behind the removable central plate, but let's skip over this confusing detail. There are then meatier bumpers fore and aft, with squared-off designs of trim for a meaner appearance, while all the badging is either the classic Scorpion shield, huge 'Abarth' lettering legends, or even the new Abarth logo of a scorpion bisected by a bolt of lightning, to show this is a product of the electric era.
Then, one of the few alterations up top is a sizeable rooftop spoiler on the boot, which is flat-topped (and emblazoned with a scorpion on its upper surface, just for good measure), quad-vented and designed to look a bit like that classic old Abarth 595SS that had its bonnet (at the rear, remember) permanently propped open. On the flagship Scorpionissima model (more on this soon), there are also two specific colours including the luscious Hypnotic Purple paint, the brake callipers are painted yellow, and along the bottom of the doors is a huge 'Abarth+' graphic that's oh-so-'80s-performance-car in its appearance. All in all, the Abarth 600e looks great, where the Fiat 600e it is related to is merely 'meh'. Strong opening gambit from the Abarth, then.
Interior
Again, the Scorpionissima gets some interior items that the regular Abarth 600e, which is called the 'Turismo' in some markets but not here in the UK, does not, which serves to elevate it above the norm. Chief weapon in the armoury of the top-dog Abarth 600e is a pair of glorious Sabelt bucket seats in the front, which do a huge amount to lift the ambience of the Abarth's cabin above that of the Fiat's. They're apparently not an option on the regular 600e, which is a shame.
The Scorpionissima also gets two 'Mind The Scorpion' emblems, one on the foldy-fabric thing that covers the centre compartment and another on the passenger-side dash trim fillet, while that latter item also has 'Abarth' written on it, but beyond these touches the higher-spec 600e is the same as the regular car. That means a part-microfibre sports steering wheel with yellow stitching and a 12 o'clock marker, plus additional Abarth-specific screens and displays for both the seven-inch digital driver's instrument cluster and the 10.25-inch infotainment screen. The regular Abarth 600e also gets sporty seats, but they're not true buckets and are trimmed in a fabric upholstery with yellow stripes on it.
What changes Abarth has made in here do manage to make the 600e's cabin feel special, just about, when compared to the Fiat's interior, but there's no doubt the Sabelts in the Scorpionissima properly step it apart from the plain 156hp 600e. Because, otherwise, what you have in the Abarth is the same sort of material finishing you get in the Fiat version or the
Jeep Avenger. Which means workaday plastics on the upper dash and flimsier, cheaper stuff lower down, most of which is rendered in black or very, very, very dark charcoal grey. So on the one hand you could say the interior of the Abarth 600e isn't upmarket enough, if it lacks for the Sabelts, but you could also say the company has scraped over the bar in terms of making the cabin feel different for buyers of the performance models; depends how you're feeling, really.
Practicality
The same limitations of the Fiat 600e are found in the Abarth variant, which means rear-seat space is at a premium for passengers, while a 360-litre boot is not bad, but it's also not brilliant for this class of vehicle. There are some useful storage solutions dotted about the place though, not least that central bin in the console which has the Apple iPad-type four-fold flap sitting on top of it, but if you're picking the Abarth 600e as your primary form of family transport, best to do so only if the kids you are putting in the back of it on a regular basis are a) young enough to not have their knees crammed into the backrests of the front seats, and b) not so young that they need prams and pushchairs and other clobber which will quickly stuff up the boot.
Performance
Here we go, then; let's get onto the
really good stuff of the Abarth 600e. As we've already mentioned a few times, there are two models from launch - a 238hp regular version, with enough punch to get from 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, and then a 281hp Scorpionissima limited-edition variant that trims the benchmark sprint down to 5.85 seconds. Either one of these has 345Nm of peak torque, while they both have the same 54kWh gross, 51kWh net battery pack as the Fiat 600e and a whole host of other Stellantis electrics besides... which results in a less-than-impressive quoted maximum WLTP range of 207 miles.
It's the Scorpionissima which lays claim to being the most powerful production car Abarth has ever put on the roads, although because it weighs 1,640kg (not bad for an EV, not great for a hot hatch) it's only about as fast for acceleration as the old 190hp/250Nm, 997kg
695 Biposto Record. And slower flat out, too, as both Abarth 600e models are limited to a 124mph ceiling.
That said, the calibration of the throttle pedal and the delivery of the Abarths' power is lovely and linear, and feels strong enough to merit talking about the 600e as a performance car. Even the 238hp version is swift, with good roll-on acceleration to play with, but the 281hp Scorpionissima is the one you want. Although, as Abarths always used to be about the exhaust and engine playing all the right tunes, we then come onto the thorny subject of the Engine Sound Generator (ESG). It's only fitted to the Scorpionissima and it's that external speaker which tries to replicate the noise of a 1.4 T-Jet turbo blowing through a Monza Record or Akrapvoic exhaust (or similar). It's definitely better on this car than it is on the Abarth 500e and it brings some much-needed drama to the Scorpionissima's performance on track, yet there's little doubt in our minds that some folk will detest the ESG and either switch it straight off using the 10.25-inch touchscreen, never to enable it again, or even buy the 238hp car because it doesn't come with the ESG at all.
Finally, on the matter of speed, two more points. One, a set of Alcon 380mm brakes give the Abarth 600e mega stopping power and natural brake pedal feel, so there's no problem seamlessly blending from regenerative braking - the car has just about enough retardation in 'B' on the drive selector than you can one-pedal drive it - to actual friction power. This is most pleasing.
And two, like any Stellantis EV, both Abarth 600es have differing power depending on which of the three drive modes you're in, which are Turismo (Eco), Scorpion Street (Normal) and Scorpion Track (Sport). In Turismo, the entry model makes 110kW (150hp), then 150kW (204hp) in Scorpion Street and lastly the full 175kW (238hp) in Scorpion Track, while the equivalents in the Scorpionissima are 140kW (190hp), 170kW (231hp) and 207kW (280hp), meaning even a 238hp Abarth 600e in its most benign Turismo setting is almost as powerful as the Fiat 600e is in Sport (156hp). For reference, either Abarth model makes 300Nm in Turismo, before delivering its full 345Nm in both the Scorpion modes.
Charging times are analogous to the Fiat 600e, incidentally, with that same 51kWh battery able to be topped up at either 11kW on an AC connection or 100kW for a DC rapid charger. You'll therefore be looking at less than 30 minutes for 10-80 per cent battery power at its fastest or around seven hours for a full 0-100 per cent replenishment on a typical 7.4kW domestic wallbox, which are reasonable times given the official range is 207 miles. Honestly, we're not going to talk about the electrical efficiency we saw during our test, because we were mercilessly thrashing the Scorpionissima on track and only gently pootling in the 238hp model on the roads, so we haven't got a representative real-world figure for you, but the reality is 150 miles to a charge looks about the level you'd get in cold conditions with lots of electrical drains switched on in the cabin. Better than the Abarth 500e, obviously, but not brilliant in the wider EV scheme of things.
Ride & Handling
The Abarth 600e is wading into a market which already has sporty versions of things like the
Cupra Born on offer, while the
MG 4 XPower provides incredible 435hp bang for your buck. There's also a John Cooper Works version of the recently launched
MINI Aceman on the way, so the Abarth has its dynamic work cut out for it. All of which makes its humdrum Fiat 600e underpinnings look like a bad place to start from.
But, in truth, the platform the Abarth sits on is far more closely related to the well-received
Alfa Romeo Junior EV rather than the Fiat. So alongside those uprated brakes, Abarth has fitted the 600e with completely revised suspension and steering, the former of these incorporating an additional rear anti-roll bar, while on the leading axle is a JTEKT torque-sensing mechanical limited-slip diff. And don't forget those 20-inch wheels are shod in grippy Michelin Pilot Sport EV-optimised tyres.
The sum total of all this adds up to an excellent performance electric, one that provides a real sense of fun and adjustability to proceedings to put a big grin on the driver's face. No, it's not the greatest hot hatch (or crossover) you'll ever drive, true, and there's going to be some discord over whether the ESG is a boon or a bane, but on track we found the chassis of the Abarth 600e Scorpionissima to be agile and involving, with a keen driver able to move the respective ends of the car around using the sharp-responding throttle alone. The diff makes itself fully known if you get on the power early out of corners, dragging the 600e's nose in and tightening the line, and if you're committed enough with a well-timed lift of the accelerator then the Abarth will even drift into mild, easily collectable oversteer for you. Minimal body roll, pitch or dive, excellent damping and really enjoyable steering all help with making the 600e a hoot on track.
Of course, you might not be able to push the Abarth to the very limits of its kinematic ability on the public highways, at which point it might feel less enthralling than it does on a circuit - but that's an accusation you could level at any performance EV, the absolutely majestic
Hyundai Ioniq 5N included (and that, for us, is the ultimate EV dynamic benchmark right now). Therefore, we're more than inclined to say that Abarth's chassis upgrades are a success, because wonderfully not only do they massively improve the way a Fiat 600e corners and handles, but they also make it far more preferable to travel in for day-to-day use. The Abarth 600e is undeniably more composed in the ride comfort and refinement departments than the Fiat model, as its damping is more sophisticated even at low speeds and on craggy surfaces, and the wider Michelins don't seem to generate any excessive tyre roar, nor is there elevated wind noise to report. Basically, the Abarth 600e is just better to drive, everywhere and in every discipline, than the Fiat 600e. Which is as it should be, according to the increased purchase price...
Value
With the Fiat 600e starting from £32,995, the Abarth 600e starts from £3,980 more at just shy of 37 grand. That's for the 238hp model, which doesn't come with the Sabelt seats, the additional interior and exterior graphics, the yellow-painted brake callipers, the Engine Sound Generator tech, navigation on the 10.25-inch infotainment system, the choice of the Acid Green or Hypnotic Purple paints, and of course the additional 32kW (43hp) of the Scorpionissima. But that version kicks off at £41,975, which is a lot of money for a car which only just scrapes beyond the 200-mile barrier for official electric range. If you want the Scorpionissima, though, you'd better move fast, as Abarth will only be making 1,949 of them in honour of the year the company was founded. At least the standard equipment is generous enough on both cars, with Abarth claiming there's enough advanced driver assist safety technology on the 600e to make it capable of Level 2 autonomous driving.
Verdict
The Abarth 600e, Scorpionissima or otherwise, is by no means flawless. Some of the interior plastics leave a lot to be desired, rear passenger space is cramped in the extreme, the range of the vehicle is going to be limited (especially if you enjoy the power delivery/chassis on a frequent basis) and the artificial Engine Sound Generator is going to get on the goat of a lot of people. But if Abarth is trying to become an electric company with genuine driver reward mixed in, then we think the 600e is a success. It's a much more cohesive and enjoyable product than the smaller 500e, with a surprisingly adept chassis and good levels of enjoyment to be had at its wheel. If you can make its limitations work for you, there are not many EVs out there that drive appreciably better than the Abarth 600e; mission accomplished, Scorpion.
