New Abarth 600e first look: a sporty electric SUV with 237bhp

• 237bhp electric motor
• Performance upgrades over Fiat 600e
• Limited-edition ‘Scorpionissima’ launch model

Here is your first look at the new Abarth 600e, an aggressive – and very purple – variant of the Fiat 600e electric SUV. Following in the footsteps of the performance brand’s first EV, the Abarth 500e city car, the 600e will aim to provide the same feisty character in a larger, family-friendly bodystyle. 

While the smaller Abarth EV made its debut in a bright shade of yellow, the 600e wears a similarly vibrant purple hue, shown here applied to the limited edition ‘Scorpionissima’ launch model. The Abarth 600e is soon to be fully unveiled and is likely to go on sale in the UK later this year.

What do we know about the Abarth 600e?

Abarth has a long history of tweaking and tuning Fiats, ramping up horsepower, adding aggressive bodywork and throwing in a few scorpion badges for good measure. From what the teaser image shows us, the same appears to be true for the Abarth 600e.

Gone is the cute and cheerful styling of the Fiat 600e upon which the Abarth is based, replaced by a new muscular look. There’s a squared-jawed front bumper with bold ‘Abarth’ lettering across the nose, along with a set of 20-inch alloy wheels and a new rear spoiler. In case the front lettering isn’t enough to remind you, you’ll find large ‘Abarth’ decals along the 600e’s flanks, plus a smattering of bright yellow scorpion badges on the wheel centre caps and above the front wheelarches.

Sharing its platform with the Fiat 600e, which in turn uses the same guts as the Jeep Avenger and Peugeot E-2008, the Abarth 600e will carry over the front-mounted electric motor layout. While the regular Fiat produces 154bhp, Abarth claims its souped-up model will generate 237bhp, a healthy bump that should result in much-improved performance. It’s likely that the Abarth will use the same battery, too, meaning its range could drop from the Fiat’s official 254-mile figure for the regular 600e.

Abarth hasn’t just stopped there, however. Other performance upgrades included a limited-slip differential, designed to improve traction coming out of corners, along with ‘high-performance’ Hankook tyres. 

How much will the Abarth 600e cost and when can I order one?

While UK pricing and availability are still unknown, we expect the Abarth 600e to command a chunky premium over the Fiat 600e’s £33,000 starting price. The Abarth 600e will launch in Sporpionissima trim, limited to 1,949 cars, with other trim levels to follow.

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