Did you think Lancia is Stellantis' only Italian brand that's being rejuvenated? Well, it is not, as the automotive giant is also pumping new blood into Fiat and its performance division, Abarth.
Case in point, meet the first-ever Abarth 600e, an upgraded version of the Fiat 600e that premiered last year and comes to life at the Tychy factory in Poland. The sporty model is the company's punchiest vehicle ever, and not much is known about it thus far.
As a result, we cannot tell you yet how much power it has, if it sticks to the front-wheel drive recipe of the lesser model, how quick it is, and how far it can travel with its battery fully juiced up. Nevertheless, it has been reported that it has 240 horsepower, which is likely metric, translating to 237 brake horsepower and 177 kilowatts.
That is significantly more than the Fiat 600e, whose motor that drives the front wheels generates 154 hp (156 ps/115 kW). This model needs nine seconds to sixty-two mph (100 kph), and if the output mentioned above is correct, then the Abarth 600e should be roughly two to three seconds faster. The Fiat does 250 miles (400 km) on a full charge, and assuming the Abarth will retain the 54 kWh battery, it will certainly have a lower range.
Photo: Baldauf
You see, the Italian company dropped a few hints about it, stating that it features a set of very special tires that are less noisy and offer superior grip. The additional resistance combined with the extra oomph is certain to take its toll on the crossover's range. In fact, it will probably do close to 200 miles (~320 km) in perfect conditions, though our bet would be on a lower number.
Besides the improved performance, the Abarth 600e is bound to get an uprated braking system with larger discs and superior calipers to keep the power in check. The auto marque also spoke of a special limited-slip differential that would improve its cornering ability. Wrapping things up will be the sportier design with reworked bumpers and a few other bits and bobs sprinkled with the Scorpion brand's logos inside and out.
It will be interesting to see how things unravel for the Abarth 600e as the testing advances. For now, we have to settle for a few teaser images, joined by the latest scoops of a parked prototype next to what appears to be the regular Fiat taken by our man with the cam recently. If everything goes as planned, then the official unveiling of the Abarth 600e will probably take place in a few months, with the first copies of the sporty car perhaps launching for the 2025 model year.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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