Abarth 500e | Test Drive | Auto Class Magazine

Abarth 500e | Test Drive

14 June 2024 Redazione News, Tested

Words Marco Mancino / Photos S. Lomax

Three quarters of a century ago, engineer Carlo Abarth gave birth to the brand with his own name with the precious collaboration of racing driver Guido Scagliarini. Initially devoted to the creation of exhaust systems for FIAT, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Autobianchi models, Abarth soon became known in the automotive scene for the production of revved-up versions that were immediately distinguishable for an uncompromising look and a roar recognizable from out of town. Today, after a long time, I am about to get behind the wheel of the latest evolution of this scorpion called 500e. If you are wondering, the “e” indicates that it is the first electric Abarth in history. Let’s start the engine – well, somehow.

At this point it will be understandable that, above all to all those fond of the brand and in particular to that enormous slice of enthusiasts that Abarth has managed to carve out for itself in recent times with the very entertaining 595 and 695, some doubts arise about the quality of what intends to remain a hot hatch that for the first time really has to accept some compromises. You may laugh at me for saying “let’s start the engine,” but reality is that’s exactly what I meant. Start and the 500e comes to life between a rock jingle and the artificial roar emitted by the sound generator positioned externally and therefore not a simple speaker for those into the cabin, but a real soundtrack which also draws from the sounds of the petrol variants and allows you to increase revs (at least virtually) as the speed increases. It’s too simplistic to stop here and focus our attention on this aspect, but well aware that Abarth has always had a recognizable tone among a thousand and that the traditional 695 customer represents the opposite of wishing a city car with zero emissions, it is good to start with the elephant in the room.

I put it in D and finally move the first few meters. The roar accompanies me and increases in decibels as I gain some speed, a situation which must represent one of the fundamental points of the driving experience with the 500e. As I wriggle through the chaos of the city, I begin to look around and immediately notice that the driving session is one of the best aspects of the transition from internal combustion to electric. Having a lower center of gravity, the 500e not only has a better weight distribution (57% front and 43% rear) and although I would have appreciated a couple of extra centimeters, I no longer feel like I’m sitting on top of the car. Visibility is good and the left pillar creates some small problems on the front three-quarters, but nothing critical. Obviously the car is based on its FIAT counterpart, the 500e which has modernized the lines both outside and inside, bringing better materials to the cockpit and ergonomics of a completely different level compared to before, an aspect that is maintained on the Abarth as well.

Four seats as you might expect, with those at the back sacrificing only a little space for their feet, a luggage compartment in line with the category and the electric engine positioned in place of the combustion engine, under the front hood, which is also quite low to optimize the sprung masses to the full advantage of the feedbacks transmitted to the steering wheel. Let’s talk about the engine now, the beating heart of a sports car, because that’s what this is, noise or silence. The choice is yours, as long as you decide with the car stationary and in this case a button to activate/deactivate the sound generator – on the move – would certainly have been better. We have a 42 kWh battery pack, of which 37.8 are usable. The Abarth 500e charges up to a power of 85 kW in DC, for a maximum range of approximately 230 kilometers. And I say circa, because it depends on how aggressive you are on the throttle. There are three driving modes: Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track, with the last of the three excluding one pedal driving, which is sometimes too invasive – especially when reversing and maneuvering – taking everything possible from the 155 horsepower delivered by the battery pack.

I grip the steering wheel covered in leather and Alcantara with the awareness that I am dealing with a car that is as controversial as it is bewitching. Maybe it’s because of its extreme look, with an incredibly massive front that makes the shield and the Abarth lettering underneath stand out even more, or maybe the Poison Blue color that highlights the muscles of a small sports car that makes everyone agree at least from an aesthetic point of view. Increasing the pace I begin to notice that the sound generator, an optional available for the Turismo version, somehow manages to make the driving experience more intense, however lacking in terms of linearity. The sound itself is beautiful and also faithful to what we usually love on petrol powered Abarths, but the 6,000 hours of study have not led to a perfect variation in tone that seems to beg you to change gear once you reach 70 per hour. The thing is, there’s no gearbox to tinker with. Then there is the weight, 1,410 kg, or almost 300 more than the petrol counterpart, especially noticeable when driving along a curvy road, the ideal context for a car of this type.

155 horsepower which falls halfway between the 145 of the 595 and the 165 of the 695, as always delivered all immediately and with a maximum torque of 235 Nm which makes the 500e snappy, but not enough to tear the asphalt. This translates into 7 seconds for 0 to 100 kph, a value that doesn’t seem like a miracle, but which I don’t consider as fundamental as the involvement factor that is instead dispensed between the curves. In fact, it is here that the electric Abarth proves to manage a pinch of understeer very well, winter tires that certainly do not enhance the rigidity of a chassis that is better than the petrol one and an elasticity that makes you devour kilometers without even realizing it. Here comes what is perhaps the main flaw of the 500e, namely its range. In fact, if its FIAT sister is essentially designed for use in urban areas, the Abarth requires a greater mileage, at least to go where a hot hatch really makes sense: looking for curves. A maximum range of 230 kilometers is not enough to drive easily from home to the place of entertainment and back without thinking ‘bout a stop to recharge, let alone if you will drain the power reserve, as is the right thing to do given the character of this car.

The differences between Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track are abysmal and if at that precise moment you don’t pay attention to generating a greater charge during braking, Track is without a shadow of a doubt the most suitable one for any circumstance. You sink on the brake at least as much as you press on the throttle, noticing how in the initial take-off the 500e makes the wheels spin in search of grip. Once you find it you throw yourself between one curve and another feeling like the weight is lower than usual, to the advantage of a balance that guarantees infinitely cleaner lines compared to a traditional Abarth. In the fastest sections, however, a bit of power is missing in what are traditionally considered the “high revs”, almost as if at 100/110 per hour part of the available power is lost. It doesn’t matter, because there is another series of bends and here you gain what was lost on the boring straights. Suddenly, the sound generator has become a background and it doesn’t matter how or where it comes from. However, I am happy to have an accompaniment to emphasize the excitement of the moment.

Well, I don’t think that the typical customer, or at least the one who has identified with the 695 so far, is currently willing to plan their mountain tour with friends based on the (scarce) availability of charging stations. Which then, to be honest, it also takes very little time for a refill from 20 to 80% – let’s round up to 30 minutes – given that the capacity of the batteries is reduced. The point is that the charge doesn’t last long in a traditional scenario, let alone when you are incited to go hard on the right pedal, even by the sound generator which during the weeks of testing I decided to keep on for a good 90% of the time. Today I don’t want to think about anything other than stepping on the accelerator and enjoying a car that has been unfairly mistreated and which, once driven, can really be understood. If in terms of acceleration we use 3 tenths of a second more than the 695 (average values) we have a maximum speed limited to just 155 per hour. The 500e is one of those bad girls with which you quickly establish confidence, appreciating how you can push the bar of your limits day after day.

Drawing a line and putting everything on the scales we have a car that is 270 kg heavier, with more or less the same power, but which at least in the current state of things will make you forget all the possibilities for tuning that the petrol variant allows . However, there is a more muscular look, a much more refined interior and not only for the more efficient infotainment system, but for materials, assemblies and above all an infinitely better seating position. The sound generator is an optional and as such must absolutely not represent a decision-making factor, but rather an interesting solution that does not imply a silent future, which is commendable, at least as an idea. The price is overall in line with its electric competitors, but higher than the internal combustion counterpart, in fact it costs at least €7/8,000 more. And now we come to the most important bit of them all: fun. Well, rest assured that it remains and actually becomes more mature thanks to a better weight balance. Unfortunately it doesn’t last long and will be interspersed with a few too many recharges, but if this is the starting point for a new generation of electric hot hatches, the hope of millions of enthusiasts not to give up smiling once behind the wheel is partially safe and this looks more than enough for me to judge the new Abarth 500e as a valid introduction to the legendary scorpion’s family.