I love the Fiat 500 line as a whole, flaws and all. I even owned a used one for over three years while my old man one-upped me with a then-new Abarth. So when Stellantis announced that the current-generation Cinquecento, which has been taking Europe by storm, would return to our shores as a boutique, all-electric lifestyle car, I damn near imploded with excitement.
That said, it seems Stellantis must have crafted their new Abarth 500e just for me, judging by this driving footage from Planet Car News showcasing the acid-green mean bean tearing up urban streets and wavy backroads. You can even hear the outlandish noise generator put on its best impression of the last generation’s turbo four-banger. How adorable.
Thank you, Stellantis. I’ll take this Christmas gift early.
Yes, little one. You can be a performance EV, just like the big kids.
To summarize its recent debut, the Abarth 500e is the hotted-up performance version of the Fiat 500e, which recently announced its American encore at the LA Auto Show. The pint-sized cruise missile utilizes the same 42 kWh battery pack as the standard 500e but harnesses its juice with a more powerful electric motor. Net output is 155 ponies and 173 pound-feet, similar to the outgoing car, yet that dollop of instantaneous torque grants it slightly quicker acceleration and passing times. Handling is also vastly improved thanks to a slightly longer wheelbase and significantly wider track. In addition, there will be switchable drive modes, hardtop and cabrio variants, and even a Charger Daytona EV-esque fake “exhaust” system that mimics the outgoing car’s raucous growl. Such a feature can thankfully be disabled if you find it as hilariously stupid as it is cutesy and whimsical.
The range is not yet disclosed, but expect the emphasis on performance to sap the standard 500e’s expected 150-mile range. With 150 miles already being a bit of an eye-roller, expect this new Abarth to be one strictly for urbanite enthusiasts.
Readers across the Atlantic can score a new Abarth 500e as soon as it launches, but we stateside folk are currently left in the dark as to whether we’ll see another scorpion-badged hot hatch o our own. While the answer isn’t a resounding yes, Stellantis has made it known that the Abarth model will eventually go global, so fingers crossed that we’ll have another juiced-up econobox to prove that commutes don’t have to be a life-sucking bore.
Published in New and Noteworthy
Great review! Love your passion. It’s what keeps me reading your posts!!!!!!!
150 mile range? GTFOHWTS. I don’t want to rent a car to leave town. I drive my own car. That’s why I have it. I’m not a strictly urbanite dweller. This car is definitely NOT for me. But I’m gonna bust on it for a few lines.
Looks cool, though. I’d take the wheel to rip some twisties one time … and then have a friend pick me up leaving the owner with a dead car in the middle of a bend on the Appalachian Mountain. This car is for NYC, Dallas, LA. That’s a limited marketplace. Kids will buy it not fully grasping the limitations. Try to drive to grandma’s house for a holiday. You might make it over the river but be prepared to get stuck in the woods. (FULL SNARK INTENDED – had to do it … sorry, Jeric)
Love the “acid-green mean bean” line. That cracked me up!!!!! Again, great post. You really bring me to the subject and give me a real feel for what you are presenting. This is great stuff. You do this time and again. It’s magical. Don’t ever stop!!!! PLEASE
Thank you, David, very cool lol. I hope to see more words from you, as well.
Im not sure about the color, do they offer the white color with red stripes just like the old one did?