Abarth 600e review

Fiat performance brand's first UK-bound SUV is also its most powerful car ever – but is it a true performance EV?

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The new Abarth 600e proves that even a brand you would associate with small, feisty Fiat 500-based runabouts isn't immune to electric crossovers.

But this entry into one very saturated market has allowed Abarth to explore new heights of performance and attempt to prove that cars like this can still be fun performance machines.

To help it with this, the 600e has been given a brand new platform, a motorsport-developed electric motor, bespoke Michelin tyres, a mechanical limited-slip differential and the most powerful drivetrain ever fitted to an Abarth road car.

It’s certainly going to need all of those to stand a chance against the establishment. Electric competitors like the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, MG 4 XPower and Volkswagen ID 3 GTX and the petrol-engined Ford Puma ST each have their own unique selling point, whether that be a surprisingly comprehensive dynamic flourish, big performance for a low price or everyday usability. 

Where does the 600e fit in, then? Is it every bit the duplicitous track-slaying performer its maker says it is, or is it a bright-green mush of ill-fitting components from the Stellantis parts bin? Let's find out.

The Abarth 600e range at a glance

You can have the 600e in one of two specifications: Turismo or Scorpionissima.

The Turismo makes use of a 237bhp, front-mounted, separately excited electric motor developed in-house, with a 54kWh battery pack good for a range of 207 miles. 

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The Scorpionissima is a special edition, of which 1949 examples will be made to recognise Abarth's founding year. It gets the 276bhp motor from the Junior Veloce, cutting the 0-62mph time from 6.2sec to 5.9sec.

It also comes with the sound generator (designed to mimic the noise of a combustion engine) introduced on the Abarth 500e hot hatch.

As it will be the best seller, the Turismo will be the focus of this review.

On the outside, every car comes with 20in alloys and a more aggressive bodykit, while inside you get a 10.25in infotainment system, a 7.0in digital instrumentation display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a voice assistant with ChatGPT.

Abarth’s own sat-nav system is standard on the Scorpionissima but optional on the Turismo.

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DESIGN & STYLING

Abarth 600e side

Segment-straddlers are commonplace in the car industry now, and given that the Abarth 600e is based on the Fiat 600e, you can consider this as yet another one to add to the list.

At 4171mm in length, 1981mm in width and 1523mm in height, it's similar in size to the MG 4 XPower and Ford Puma but around 200mm wider than the closely related Alfa Romeo Junior.

One of the 600e's most notable characteristics is the new Perfo e-CMP platform on which it sits. Essentially a high-performance derivative of Stellantis's e-CMP platform, it has brought about a 30mm-wider front track and 25mm-wider rear track over the Fiat 600e, as well as a performance-enhancing battery cooling system and a Torsen limited-slip differential designed and developed by Japanese specialist JTEKT.

It uses the same sort of suspension as the Junior, with struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. Abarth says it has stiffened the front and rear anti-roll bars by 140%, however, and the suspension itself has been lowered by 25mm over the Fiat 600e.

Braking performance is also enhanced over its Stellantis relations by way of 380mm discs and quad-piston callipers, both of which have supposedly been developed to resist fade on a track.

To complement its chassis enhancements, the Abarth visually differentiates itself from its Fiat sibling with a deep chin spoiler and squared-off front and rear bumpers said to be reminiscent of the Abarth 850 TC from 1960.

It also gets tinted lights, a striking set of 20in alloy wheels, the option of lurid paintwork and strategically placed scorpion badges inside and out. 

The overall design makes a good stab of evoking that slightly cartoonish but subtly garish semblance associated with Abarth. Far from being vulgar or overdone, it's striking but not antisocial, and to the untrained eye it undeniably looks like a Fiat breathed on by some kind of tuning specialist. We will let you make your own minds up on how successful its designers have been, though.

INTERIOR

Abarth 600e dashboard full

Climbing into the 600e, you’re immediately aware of the performance-based trinketries that Abarth has given it. As you would expect, it's an environment of black suede, sports seats and aluminium pedals, and there are a few scorpion badges in luminous green - all changes we have come to expect from a car that is the steroidal equivalent of a more everyday derivative.

The limited-run Scorpionissima additionally gets its own heated, body-hugging sports seats with a bespoke scorpion pattern as standard. 

Aside from this, though, the Abarth's interior is almost identical to that of its Fiat sibling.

That the battery pack is mounted under the floor means the driving position is slightly higher than we would like in something with sporting intentions, but the front seats themselves have a good amount of adjustability as well as lateral and under-thigh support.

It’s a pity that no amount of ergonomic tinkering can be done to relieve the skeletal pressure of a cramped footwell and neither the seat cushions nor the side bolsters can be extended or adjusted.

In front of you sits a cowled, 7.0in instrument binnacle with smart-looking Abarth-style graphics, a large central speedometer and a display showing your level of regenerative braking.

All cars come with the same 10.3in infotainment touchscreen shared with most other models in the Stellantis stable.

Parts-sharing extends to other key areas such as the ventilation controls, indicator stalks and steering wheel buttons, but this isn’t likely to be noticed by customers.

It's still a shame that Abarth hasn’t done more to differentiate the 600e from its less expensive brethren beyond superficial elements such as materials and badges, especially given that it costs up to £9000 more.

Beneath the touchscreen, there's a row of physical controls for the heating and ventilation, as well as an on/off button for the stereo, which means you needn't take your eyes off the road for too long to perform such basic functions. 

Boot space with the rear seats in their normal position is almost competitive for the class, at 360 litres. This compares with 363 litres for the MG 4 XPower, 385 litres for the Volkswagen ID 3 GTX and 456 litres for the Ford Puma ST.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Abarth 600e front low

Before setting off in the 600e, you can choose between three driving modes that will be familiar to 500e drivers: Scorpion Track, Scorpion Street and Turismo. In the 600e, however, Turismo limits the top speed to 93mph and output to 187bhp in order to conserve range. Scorpion Street and Track modes unlock the full 237bhp and 120mph top speed while adding some weight to the steering.

For twisting roads, Scorpion Track mode provides the nicest balance between effective power delivery, sharp but progressive steering and a firm but not shaky ride. In town, the gentler throttle and light steering offered by Turismo means it's best left in that mode.

The way in which the car’s power delivery has been calibrated is quite different to the 500e, in that it progressively builds pace instead of delivering a rush of torque that kicks you in the back of the head. Overall, it provides a generous and authoritative turn of pace to make it feel fast enough for most environments but does it without intimidating the driver. 

Scorpionissima cars provide tangible performance gains with an additional 39bhp and a slightly faster 0-62mph time. These can be felt mostly when you're going quickly on a track or fast B-road, but because both this and the standard car have the same torque figure, you aren't likely to notice much of a difference day-to-day. 

The brakes, which have been developed by British specialist Alcon, are more than a match for either powertrain. They are fitted with quad-piston front callipers and front discs 380mm in diameter, while the rears are 276mm.

In normal driving and using up to 40% of pedal travel, they feel well-weighted and quite progressive - especially when braking from higher speeds. The fact that you can really lean on them means they really inspire confidence. 

However, in high-demand situations, such as on a track or continually braking from high speed, the pedal feels quite vague and you find yourself guessing how much pedal travel you actually need.

The regen is nothing like as sharp or instantaneous as it is in the 500e, which means it's more natural and likely to provide a familiar pathway for petrol hot hatch owners to transfer into electric car ownership.

Despite the fact that one-pedal driving isn't available, the progressive reduction in speed means it's easy to drive in town or on tight, technical, twisting roads.

RIDE & HANDLING

Abarth 600e cornering

It's on such roads, however, that the 600e performs best, thanks to that Torsen limited-slip mechanical differential mounted on the front axle.

If you plant your right foot mid-corner, you can feel the differential apportioning power to the innermost wheel, dragging you closer to the apex. 

This gives the impression of unflappable grip levels, but if you’re too keen with your inputs, you will find that its Michelin tyres aren’t completely immune to understeer.

It also lacks some mid-corner adjustability to the point that the driving experience feels very linear and one-dimensional; you feel less a part of the car and more a host for it to do everything for you.

At times, you get the impression that the differential adds a layer of dynamic flourish, but the overall sense of involvement is lacking somewhat.

That doesn’t mean to say that the 600e isn’t an effective tool for having fun. It turns in, grips well and allows you to put power down with vim - and the chassis feels more than capable enough to handle its levels of power and torque. It might not be as playful or manipulatable as it could be, but it certainly allows you to get the best from it.

Around town and at lower speeds, its ride is well-judged, quite compliant and refrains from being overly firm. Despite this, its damping could be a bit more sophisticated: when you're travelling over sleeping policemen or potholes, it sends a shudder up to the seat base that's much more jarring than you expect it to be, especially given how well it rides in normal circumstances.

Much like the ride, its steering is judged nicely for sportiness, with a direct and positive response if one that can be quite light. Immediately off-centre, it feels quite nervous, but as you explore more of the lock, it becomes progressive and confidence-inspiring. 

Noise isolation could be better: above 40mph, there's quite noticeable road and tyre noise from the 20in wheels. Wind noise is pretty well subdued, though.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Abarth 600e front three quarter lead

Prices start at around £37,000, making the 600e competitive with the MG 4 XPower and slightly more expensive than the equivalent Alfa Romeo Junior or Ford Puma ST.

The Scorpionissima, meanwhile, comes in at a shade under £42,000, which marginally undercuts its Alfa Romeo sibling, spec for spec. 

During real-world testing on a mixture of country roads and motorways, we averaged 3.2mpkWh, equating to a range of around 163 miles.

Charging rate is maximised at 100kW, which is 50kW down on the MG and 85kW down on the Volkswagen ID 3 GTX but competitive with the Mini Aceman.

VERDICT

Abarth 600e static

To return to our original question, the 600e is not a mish-mash of Stellantis components but a car that's almost exactly what its maker intended it to be: an EV with true performance credentials. 

A generous and unintimidating turn of pace combines with a compliant but firm ride that stops short of being crashy and a hugely capable, well-integrated differential that adds real dynamic value to the driving experience.

In certain situations, however, it feels very linear and lacks adjustability, which detracts somewhat from your driving enjoyment. You also can’t escape the fact that inside, not much has changed from the standard Fiat 600e, save for a new steering wheel, front seats, aluminium pedals and badging. 

That being said, the 600e’s ability to put you in awe of its dynamic capabilities can't be denied, and its intuitive powertrain should ease the transition from combustion to electric power for petrolheads looking to make that change.

All told, this is not only the most powerful Abarth ever made but the most capable, too.

Jonathan Bryce

Jonathan Bryce
Title: Editorial Assistant

Jonathan is an editorial assistant working with Autocar. He has held this position since March 2024, having previously studied at the University of Glasgow before moving to London to become an editorial apprentice and pursue a career in motoring journalism. 

His role at work involves running Autocar's sister title Move Electric, which is most notably concerned with electric cars. His other roles include writing new and updating existing new car reviews, and appearing on Autocar's social media channels including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.