Abarth & C. S.p.A., which has been wholly owned by Fiat since 1971, made a name for itself on the track and the rally stage with lightweight racing cars. The marque's road-going cars are usually small and – if you believe the naysayers – underpowered.
Considering that Abarth squeezed out 178 horsepower from the 1.4-liter turbo inline-four engine of the Fiat 500-based 695, the critics likely don't understand that small vehicles don't need too much power to be fun. With the Stellantis group pivoting to all-electric vehicles due to fuel economy and emission regulations, it should come as no surprise that Abarth was forced to adapt as well.
Revealed in the latter half of 2022 for the 2023 model year, the Abarth 500e builds on its combustion-engined sibling with a front-mounted drive unit that belts out 152 ponies and 173 pound-feet (make that 235 Nm) at full chatter. Zero to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) takes 7.0 seconds flat, and being an EV, top speed isn't exactly impressive at 96 mph (155 kilometers per hour).
The market for a small electric performance hatchback is relatively limited, which is why Abarth was allowed to develop a go-faster version of its newest crossover. Enter the Fiat 600e-based Abarth 600e, a subcompact crossover that will be made in Poland at the plant where Stellantis also produces the Jeep Avenger. Not long now, the Fiat and Jeep will be joined by the Alfa Romeo Milano.
What makes the Abarth 600e stand out from its more pedestrian brother? According to the company resulted from the merger between FCA and PSA, this fellow rides on the Perfo-eCMP electric vehicle platform. Building on Groupe PSA's well-known eCMP, this architecture wouldn't have been possible without know-how from Stellantis Motorsport.
Photo: Abarth
Pictured with camouflage on every square inch of the bodyshell, the Abarth 600e features performance tires "developed from experience in Formula E competitions." The rubber in question promises handling dynamics while also ensuring acoustic insulation thanks to a polyurethane insert. An electric vehicle-specific front limited-slip differential also needs to be mentioned, along with large brake rotors and calipers.
Abarth further waxes lyrical about a dedicated setup for the suspension, comfy seats with racing ergonomics, and 237 ponies for the front-mounted electric motor. That's 240 ps if you prefer the metric system, which is more than any other Abarth before it. Road-going Abarth, that is. Lest we forget, the Abarth 3000 SP rocks in the ballpark of 350 ponies from a 3.0-liter V8. The stillborn T-140 engine also deserves to be remembered, a 6.0-liter V12 intended for FIA Group 6 prototype sports car racing.
Equipped with 225/40 R20 tires from the folks at Michelin, the Abarth 600e will debut later this year with a relatively exorbitant price tag. Considering the retail prices of the Fiat 600e and Abarth 500e, it's highly possible that Abarth will advertise this zero-emission crossover at 40,000-odd euros or a staggering $43,910 at current exchange rates.
Abarth's take in the 600e draws power from the very same high-voltage battery as the Fiat version. From 54 kilowatt hours, of which 51 are usable, the Fiat 600e is good for up to 249 miles (400 kilometers) of range in the WLTP. Otherwise said, look forward to approximately 200 miles (322 kilometers) for the more powerful and grippier Abarth 600e.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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