Latest news with #Fiat600e
Scottish Sun
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Car giant boss behind two ‘struggling' brands denies talks over ‘massive merger' with rival firm
The firms own some of Europe's biggest car brands NO MERGE Car giant boss behind two 'struggling' brands denies talks over 'massive merger' with rival firm THE boss of a huge carmaker behind two struggling brands has denied talks of a reported mega-merger with a rival firm. John Elkann, the Chairman of car conglomerate Stellantis, has ruled out talks of a potential union with European competitor Renault Group. Advertisement 5 The head of Stellantis has denied merger rumours Credit: Reuters 5 Renault enjoyed a boost in sales across its brands last year Credit: Alamy 5 Both firms are moving towards making electric cars, like this Renault 5 E-Tech Credit: Getty Stellantis is the company behind brands such as Fiat and Peugot. The news comes as some of the firm's badges, including Chrysler, DS Automobiles and Abarth, are under-performing. But Mr Elkann has dismissed increasing rumours of the company merging with fellow European brand Renault. Instead, he said: "We are not discussing any merger." Advertisement Mr Elkann was sat in a panel adjacent to Luca De Meo, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Renault, at the FT Future of the Car Summit in London. It is the second time in a few months that the company has denied rumours of a merger with Renault. In October last year, then CEO of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, dismissed suggestions the two firms would join forces as "pure speculation." He did so while visiting a Renault hub in eastern France. Advertisement Renault boss de Meo declined to comment on what he described as "rumours" at the same event. Mr Tavares has since resigned as Stellantis CEO in December last year. He is yet to be replaced. The Sun's Motors Editor Rob Gill takes the new electric Renault 5 for a spin The merger has been denied amid starkly contrasting economic backgrounds for the European car firms. Advertisement Renault Group enjoyed boosts in sales for all three of its brands last year. Renault rose 1.8 percent to 1,577,351 vehicles, Dacia increased 2.7 percent to 676,340 units, and Alpine climbed 5.9 percent to 4,585 units. Stellantis, by contrast, has encountered increasingly stuttering financial success. The company itself is the product of a merger between Fiat-Chrysler and France's PSA, the maker of Peugeot and Citroen, in 2021. Advertisement In February, the company announced that its results for 2024 saw a 70% drop in net profit performance, and a 17% reduction in revenues year-on--year. This was in part due to 'temporary gaps in product offerings." Earlier this year, Chrysler announced that progress making the company's new flagship electric model, the Airflow, was 'on hold until further notice.' This followed Sun Motors reporting that the brand was forced to sell off its massive test track located in the middle of the desert, in Arizona, in a desperate bid to cut costs, last year. Advertisement Fiat and Abarth were also forced to drop the prices of two key models, the Fiat 600e and Abarth 500e by £4,020 and £4,220 at the start of 2025. This followed a 14% sales drop for Fiat last year compared to 2024. Then in the wake of US President Donald Trump's tariffs, Stellantis considered selling iconic brands Maserati and Alpha Romeo. Maserati sold just 11,300 cars worldwide in 2024, and saw its new electric sports model MC20 Folgore get cancelled following low demand. Advertisement Consequently, Stellantis then hired management consulting firm McKinsey and Company to review the situation of the brands. Stellanis told Motor1: "McKinsey has been asked to provide its considerations regarding the recently announced U.S. tariffs for Alfa Romeo and Maserati." Alfa Romeo is currently working on next-generation versions of Stelvio and Giulia. However, Maserati cancelling its plans for electric cars perhaps points towards a more precarious position for the brand. Advertisement 5 The former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares also denied merger rumours while visiting a Renault plant last year Credit: Alamy
Auto Express
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Car Deal of the Day: Fiat 600e offers high-mileage EV drivers 12,000 miles a year for just £342 a month
Retro design 254-mile range; 12,000 miles a year for £342.03 a month Love the retro flair of the Fiat 500e but feel it's a bit too small on the inside? The 600e is its bigger brother, combining similar levels of panache with a welcome dose of practicality. But, despite its larger size, you can get one for a remarkably small price even if you're a high mileage driver. Advertisement - Article continues below If you scour the Auto Express Find a Car service, you'll find that Pink Car Leasing is offering the fashionable Fiat for £342.03 a month. Not the most eye-catching price, admittedly, but this deal isn't for the 5,000-mile limit we usually feature. You get a whopping 12,000 miles a year. That gives fantastic flexibility for higher mileage drivers who don't want to be stung for travelling further during their lease agreements. This is a 48-month deal which requires £4,104.31 to be put down as an initial payment – not the cheapest but remember this is a 12,000-miles-a-year deal. The package gets you a 600e in 'Red' trim – that's the name of it, although it does also come painted in a vibrant shade of red as standard. Also included is climate control, rear parking sensors, LED headlights, a digital instrument display and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Fiat also throws in a heat pump to improve efficiency during the winter. The 600e shares a lot of its components with the likes of the Peugeot E-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka Electric, so under the cutesy styling lies a 54kWh battery pack which gives a claimed 254 miles of range. A 154bhp electric motor gives keen performance, while supple suspension gives a cosseting and refined driving experience. The Car Deal of the Day selections we make are taken from our own Auto Express Find A Car deals service, which includes the best current offers from car dealers and leasing companies around the UK. Terms and conditions apply, while prices and offers are subject to change and limited availability. If this deal expires, you can find more top Fiat 600e leasing offers from leading providers on our Fiat 600e hub page. Check out the Fiat 600e deal or take a look at our previous Car Deal of the Day selection here… Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: Volvo XC60 Black Edition is a mean-looking, posh SUV for under £450 a month Car Deal of the Day: Volvo XC60 Black Edition is a mean-looking, posh SUV for under £450 a month The XC60 is Volvo's best-selling car, and loved by Brits. It's our Deal of the Day for 6 May New BMW 1 Series and electric i1 to target younger drivers with bold design New BMW 1 Series and electric i1 to target younger drivers with bold design The BMW 1 Series is set for a shake-up, with a Neue Klasse front end and a choice of hybrid or battery electric powertrains when it arrives in showroo… EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs Running costs for car share club EVs are £6k higher than ICE equivalents according to new data
Telegraph
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Abarth 600e review: This new hot hatchback is great fun to drive – but there's a catch
Up on the Castello di Montaldo above Turin the raincloud is so thick it's hard to see out of the car; my impression of this go-faster Abarth version of the Fiat 600e family crossover appeared to be clouded from the off. Fiat is claiming inspiration from the Abarth-tuned versions of the Fiat 600 (Seicento) of 1955, Dante Giacosa's precursor to the better known 500, which proved incredibly popular, being built in 10 countries and badged among others as a Seat, NSU, Jagst and Zastava, which was the last to go out of production in 1985. Unfortunately the new Abarth is nothing of the kind and looked more like the derided 2004 Chrysler Crossfire, particularly in its rear styling. This new hot hatchback is based on the Perfo e-CMP platform already used in the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce; it faces strong competition from Ford's forthcoming electric Puma, the VW ID.3 GTX, Seat Born VZ and MG 4 XPower, all considerably rapid electric cars but suffering familiar flaws; weight, along with the need to charge more frequently if you use the available performance. The range The company was founded in 1949 on Carlo Abarth's talent for breathing fire into small Fiats; the 600e, which musters 276bhp in £39,875 limited edition top-model Scorpionissima form, is the most powerful Abarth thus far. It's capable of 0-62mph in only 5.85sec and 124mph. But it is also the heaviest Abarth ever, at 1,624kg for the standard car and 1,640kg for the Scorpionissma. The latter also has an annoying exterior speaker so that pedestrians can appreciate your passing, or not… The maximum range isn't fantastic, with a WLTP figure of 207 miles; wider tyre options, cold weather, hills and spirited driving will reduce this considerably. Efficiency is quoted at 3.4 miles per kWh, although during the test I could only achieve 2.6 m/kWh, the available range dropping to 132 miles. The slightly more staid and cheaper £36,975 Turismo has 237bhp, a 0-62mph time of 6.2sec and a 120mph top speed, with similar efficiency and range as the Scorpionissima. DC fast charging on both is up to 100kW, which in theory is capable of providing a 10-80 per cent recharge in only 26 minutes. In practice, however, you'd struggle to find a charger performing at its full capacity. Both share the same front-drive powertrain, with a wider track than the standard, Fiat-badged 600e. Both have a separately excited AC electric motor with an uprated battery cooling system and an identical peak torque output of 254lb ft. Go-faster bits They also have the same Torsen (torque sensing) mechanical limited-slip differential used on the Alfa Junior. It has an aggressive locking of 36 per cent under hard acceleration and 34 per cent under braking, the aim being to tie the front wheels together when required to reduce wheelspin, improving handling by helping to pull the nose through corners. MacPherson strut front and twist-beam rear suspension is cheap and cheerful class ubiquity, also used on the Alfa Junior. It is 41 per cent stiffer than that of the regular Fiat 600e, a firmer front anti-roll bar and the addition of a similar strut at the rear giving 140 per cent more anti-roll stiffness. The dampers are uprated and the ride height is 25mm lower than the Fiat. The brakes, too, are uprated, with 380mm front discs and four-piston monobloc calipers. Generally this suspension configuration can do one of two things: control wheel movement and deflection when the accelerator is lifted, or provide a decent ride quality, but not at the same time. I asked Abarth marketing manager Francesco Morosini about the 600e's set-up and he admits that the Abarth is unashamedly biased towards racing circuit use, so much so that the development team were able to raise the power output of the motor in the Scorpionissma version from 240bhp to 280bhp. He also says that the aggressive locking action on the differential would not be possible without careful integration of the Electronic Stability System and the diff. 'Because of the dynamic set-up, the ESP would have been affected without great care in configuration,' he says. At the wheel this translates as less of a go-kart feeling, in the interests of a faster lap time. Morosini says while he admires that trait in the Alfa and Mini, it isn't the fastest way for the Abarthisti. Styling tweaks inside and out It's wider than the Alfa Romeo Junior on which it is based. The body has plenty of badges bearing Abarth's scorpion logo, spoilers and aggressive wheel designs. No one could accuse the standard 600e as being overendowed with equipment and design virtuosity inside, so Abarth will have started with one arm in a sling. It's not badly put together, but there are a lot of hard plastics in the facia and it feels far from premium, despite a colony of scorpions decorating every surface. There's a single, multi-function, circular digital dial in front of the driver displaying an occasionally bewildering amount of information, including the basics of speed, range and battery state of charge. A rather basic but over-complex central touchscreen has a set of piano-key buttons for heating and ventilation underneath. For once, the steering wheel buttons are fairly simple and useful. The drive modes are Turismo, Street and Track, the last one sharpening everything, giving the full 280bhp, bypassing the regenerative braking so the system is purely mechanical and activating the speaker at the back of the car. On the road I finally got a proper drive on English roads in Suffolk recently, thankfully with no rain or fog. While Track mode is the one you need on a twisting road, Turismo is the default option; its restricted power and top speed conserve precious range, the light steering making urban progress relaxing. But this is a sporting machine and from the off you can feel the thoroughbred nature of the major controls. It's brisk at even light applications of the accelerator, blistering if you are pressing on in Track mode, while the power delivery feels more linear and less switch-like than the Abarth 500e. The steering doesn't have the slightly over-assisted turn in of rivals, more the feel and weight build of Fords of yore. There's progression and accuracy, and an innate understanding of where the car will end up almost before you've turned the wheel. Through corners the anti-roll holds up the body, but only over the worst bumps does the car feel uncomfortable, while despite the pronounced differential action tugging at the steering wheel, it feels secure and stable. Considering the accomplished level of the car's dynamics, I was quite impressed with the ride quality. It's actually a pretty hard-core machine. As intended, that tight differential pulls the car through corners and while you can tighten the line by lifting the accelerator, that will diminish the extraordinary amount of momentum you can carry into a bend. It's the type of car that's fun to drive on a public road, but cries out to be taken to a trackday. The brakes have a lot less regeneration than the 500e's and no one-pedal mode and, as a result, they feel strong and progressive, with a nice grab at the top of the pedal's travel. The Telegraph verdict Fun? Yes, but… If you drive fast you're going to be looking for a charger sooner that you might have expected. Morosini concedes the point, but says that the team has fulfilled the brief of providing 'the most simple and affordable way of going fast'. Don't you just love the Italians… He says that if they had provided greater range by fitting a larger battery the 600e would not be as enjoyable to drive and that's true. He also says that the battery will charge from 20 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes, which is also true, so you'll have to take your fun on small doses between chargers. Do you like coffee? Prepare to be drinking a lot of it. The facts On test: Abarth 600e Scorpionissma limited edition Body style: five-door performance crossover On sale: now How much? from £36,975 (£39,875 as tested) How fast? 124mph, 0-62mph in 5.9 sec How economical? 3.7mpkWh (WLTP Combined), 2.6m/kWh on test Electric powertrain: 54kWh gross (51kWh net) lithium-ion NMC battery, front-wheel drive via a Torsen geared limited-slip differential Electric range: 207 miles (WLTP) on standard tyres/199 miles on Michelin sport tyres, 132 miles on test Maximum power/torque: 280bhp/254lb ft CO2 emissions: 0g/km (tailpipe), 33g/km (CO2 equivalent well-to-wheel) VED: £10 first year, then £195 (from 1 April 2025) Warranty: 3 years/unlimited mileage, 8 years/100,000 miles on battery The rivals Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, from £42,295 Swap the Scorpion bandage for Alfa's Cross and Snake and you get this. The hardware is the same as the Abarth's (read 124mph, 0-62mph in 5.9sec and 207 miles of range), but the set-up is different; more immediate, more chuckable, but ultimately more of a handful on a racing circuit track. A highly enjoyable road car, but cramped in the back, expensive and with a limited range. Cupra Born VZ, from £44,570 With 326bhp, rear-wheel drive and a 79kWh battery pack, the VZ's range is 372 miles and, with a 185kW fast-charge speed, a 10-80 per cent recharge is achievable in 30mins. The top speed is 124mph, with 0-62mph in 5.7sec. It's heavy (two tonnes) which affects the steering feel and feedback, but the titivated suspension gives handling with a pleasing front-end grippiness – and it's a lot of fun.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Abarth 600e review: This new hot hatchback is great fun to drive – but there's a catch
Up on the Castello di Montaldo above Turin the raincloud is so thick it's hard to see out of the car; my impression of this go-faster Abarth version of the Fiat 600e family crossover appeared to be clouded from the off. Fiat is claiming inspiration from the Abarth-tuned versions of the Fiat 600 (Seicento) of 1955, Dante Giacosa's precursor to the better known 500, which proved incredibly popular, being built in 10 countries and badged among others as a Seat, NSU, Jagst and Zastava, which was the last to go out of production in 1985. Unfortunately the new Abarth is nothing of the kind and looked more like the derided 2004 Chrysler Crossfire, particularly in its rear styling. This new hot hatchback is based on the Perfo e-CMP platform already used in the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce; it faces strong competition from Ford's forthcoming electric Puma, the VW ID.3 GTX, Seat Born VZ and MG 4 XPower, all considerably rapid electric cars but suffering familiar flaws; weight, along with the need to charge more frequently if you use the available performance. The company was founded in 1949 on Carlo Abarth's talent for breathing fire into small Fiats; the 600e, which musters 276bhp in £39,875 limited edition top-model Scorpionissima form, is the most powerful Abarth thus far. It's capable of 0-62mph in only 5.85sec and 124mph. But it is also the heaviest Abarth ever, at 1,624kg for the standard car and 1,640kg for the Scorpionissma. The latter also has an annoying exterior speaker so that pedestrians can appreciate your passing, or not… The maximum range isn't fantastic, with a WLTP figure of 207 miles; wider tyre options, cold weather, hills and spirited driving will reduce this considerably. Efficiency is quoted at 3.4 miles per kWh, although during the test I could only achieve 2.6 m/kWh, the available range dropping to 132 miles. The slightly more staid and cheaper £36,975 Turismo has 237bhp, a 0-62mph time of 6.2sec and a 120mph top speed, with similar efficiency and range as the Scorpionissima. DC fast charging on both is up to 100kW, which in theory is capable of providing a 10-80 per cent recharge in only 26 minutes. In practice, however, you'd struggle to find a charger performing at its full capacity. Both share the same front-drive powertrain, with a wider track than the standard, Fiat-badged 600e. Both have a separately excited AC electric motor with an uprated battery cooling system and an identical peak torque output of 254lb ft. They also have the same Torsen (torque sensing) mechanical limited-slip differential used on the Alfa Junior. It has an aggressive locking of 36 per cent under hard acceleration and 34 per cent under braking, the aim being to tie the front wheels together when required to reduce wheelspin, improving handling by helping to pull the nose through corners. MacPherson strut front and twist-beam rear suspension is cheap and cheerful class ubiquity, also used on the Alfa Junior. It is 41 per cent stiffer than that of the regular Fiat 600e, a firmer front anti-roll bar and the addition of a similar strut at the rear giving 140 per cent more anti-roll stiffness. The dampers are uprated and the ride height is 25mm lower than the Fiat. The brakes, too, are uprated, with 380mm front discs and four-piston monobloc calipers. Generally this suspension configuration can do one of two things: control wheel movement and deflection when the accelerator is lifted, or provide a decent ride quality, but not at the same time. I asked Abarth marketing manager Francesco Morosini about the 600e's set-up and he admits that the Abarth is unashamedly biased towards racing circuit use, so much so that the development team were able to raise the power output of the motor in the Scorpionissma version from 240bhp to 280bhp. He also says that the aggressive locking action on the differential would not be possible without careful integration of the Electronic Stability System and the diff. 'Because of the dynamic set-up, the ESP would have been affected without great care in configuration,' he says. At the wheel this translates as less of a go-kart feeling, in the interests of a faster lap time. Morosini says while he admires that trait in the Alfa and Mini, it isn't the fastest way for the Abarthisti. It's wider than the Alfa Romeo Junior on which it is based. The body has plenty of badges bearing Abarth's scorpion logo, spoilers and aggressive wheel designs. No one could accuse the standard 600e as being overendowed with equipment and design virtuosity inside, so Abarth will have started with one arm in a sling. It's not badly put together, but there are a lot of hard plastics in the facia and it feels far from premium, despite a colony of scorpions decorating every surface. There's a single, multi-function, circular digital dial in front of the driver displaying an occasionally bewildering amount of information, including the basics of speed, range and battery state of charge. A rather basic but over-complex central touchscreen has a set of piano-key buttons for heating and ventilation underneath. For once, the steering wheel buttons are fairly simple and useful. The drive modes are Turismo, Street and Track, the last one sharpening everything, giving the full 280bhp, bypassing the regenerative braking so the system is purely mechanical and activating the speaker at the back of the car. I finally got a proper drive on English roads in Suffolk recently, thankfully with no rain or fog. While Track mode is the one you need on a twisting road, Turismo is the default option; its restricted power and top speed conserve precious range, the light steering making urban progress relaxing. But this is a sporting machine and from the off you can feel the thoroughbred nature of the major controls. It's brisk at even light applications of the accelerator, blistering if you are pressing on in Track mode, while the power delivery feels more linear and less switch-like than the Abarth 500e. The steering doesn't have the slightly over-assisted turn in of rivals, more the feel and weight build of Fords of yore. There's progression and accuracy, and an innate understanding of where the car will end up almost before you've turned the wheel. Through corners the anti-roll holds up the body, but only over the worst bumps does the car feel uncomfortable, while despite the pronounced differential action tugging at the steering wheel, it feels secure and stable. Considering the accomplished level of the car's dynamics, I was quite impressed with the ride quality. It's actually a pretty hard-core machine. As intended, that tight differential pulls the car through corners and while you can tighten the line by lifting the accelerator, that will diminish the extraordinary amount of momentum you can carry into a bend. It's the type of car that's fun to drive on a public road, but cries out to be taken to a trackday. The brakes have a lot less regeneration than the 500e's and no one-pedal mode and, as a result, they feel strong and progressive, with a nice grab at the top of the pedal's travel. Fun? Yes, but… If you drive fast you're going to be looking for a charger sooner that you might have expected. Morosini concedes the point, but says that the team has fulfilled the brief of providing 'the most simple and affordable way of going fast'. Don't you just love the Italians… He says that if they had provided greater range by fitting a larger battery the 600e would not be as enjoyable to drive and that's true. He also says that the battery will charge from 20 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes, which is also true, so you'll have to take your fun on small doses between chargers. Do you like coffee? Prepare to be drinking a lot of it. On test: Abarth 600e Scorpionissma limited edition Body style: five-door performance crossover On sale: now How much? from £36,975 (£39,875 as tested) How fast? 124mph, 0-62mph in 5.9 sec How economical? 3.7mpkWh (WLTP Combined), 2.6m/kWh on test Electric powertrain: 54kWh gross (51kWh net) lithium-ion NMC battery, front-wheel drive via a Torsen geared limited-slip differential Electric range: 207 miles (WLTP) on standard tyres/199 miles on Michelin sport tyres, 132 miles on test Maximum power/torque: 280bhp/254lb ft CO2 emissions: 0g/km (tailpipe), 33g/km (CO2 equivalent well-to-wheel) VED: £10 first year, then £195 (from 1 April 2025) Warranty: 3 years/unlimited mileage, 8 years/100,000 miles on battery Swap the Scorpion bandage for Alfa's Cross and Snake and you get this. The hardware is the same as the Abarth's (read 124mph, 0-62mph in 5.9sec and 207 miles of range), but the set-up is different; more immediate, more chuckable, but ultimately more of a handful on a racing circuit track. A highly enjoyable road car, but cramped in the back, expensive and with a limited range. With 326bhp, rear-wheel drive and a 79kWh battery pack, the VZ's range is 372 miles and, with a 185kW fast-charge speed, a 10-80 per cent recharge is achievable in 30mins. The top speed is 124mph, with 0-62mph in 5.7sec. It's heavy (two tonnes) which affects the steering feel and feedback, but the titivated suspension gives handling with a pleasing front-end grippiness – and it's a lot of fun. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Forbes
22-03-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Abarth 600e Brings Affordable Fun To Electric Driving
The Abarth 600e feels at home on a go kart track. I was not expecting to like the Abarth 600e as much as I did. The Abarth 500e is lots of fun, but mostly because of the way it looks and the hilarious noise it makes. The Abarth 600e is different. Like the 500e, it's based on a Fiat of the same numerical value. But unlike the 500e, Abarth has done more to bring the 600e in line with its brand values. The result is one of the most amusing electric hatchbacks currently on the market. Abarth has made its name since 1949 taking practical small cars and injecting performance. Many car brands have their 'skunkworks' garages that tune and uprate their regular cars into something that could even be race-worthy but certainly adds appeal for discerning everyday drivers. In the case of the Abarth 600e, the basis is the Fiat 600e, a car I quite liked when I tested it last year. But the latter isn't a fun driver's car – it's a practical small family hatchback. The Abarth 500e had 36hp more than the Fiat 500e it was based on, dropping the 0-62mph sprint to 7 seconds from 9 seconds. However, the Abarth 600e has 345Nm of torque and either 240 or 280hp, depending on which version you go for (the more powerful one is the Scorpionissima, namechecking the arachnid Abarth uses as its logo). Either one is a big leap from the Fiat 600e's 154hp, and the Scorpionissima is in fact the most powerful car Abarth has ever made. The basic Abarth 600e is available with a wider choice of colors. There are many differences in setup between the Abarth 600e and the Fiat version, too. The car has been lowered and the track enlarged by 30mm at the front and 25mm at the back. This provides room for the 20in diamond cut alloys. The suspension has also been stiffened to reduce roll. One feature that gives the Abarth 600e very different handling to the Fiat version is the JTEKT Torsen mechanical limited slip differential (LSD), improving traction as you accelerate out of corners. EVs can get you to high speeds fast, so Abarth has fitted 380mm Alcon-derived disc brakes and calipers to ensure you can stop fast too. Apart from the larger wheels, the Abarth 600e has plenty of changes in its appearance. You can still see the resemblance to the Fiat 600e, but with significant improvements. The body kit is more angular and less round than the Fiat 600e. The default paint color is the same Acid Green as the Abarth 500e, although you can also choose orange and more sober white and black. The Scorpionissima only offers Acid Green and an exclusive Hypnotic Purple, with no extra cost required for either. The latter also has a gloss black body kit. The result is a considerably more aggressive look, although it's hard to obscure the friendliness of the 600e's round headlights. On paper, the Abarth 600e is not that fast for an EV. The base 240hp takes 6.2 seconds to hit 62mph and the Scorpionissimo only drops that a little to 5.8 seconds. This seems pedestrian when compared to an electric supercar like the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore. But this is on par for a hot hatch powered by internal combustion, but straight-line speed is not really what this car is about. The chassis setup means that you can chuck this car into corners with great gusto. It feels entirely at home on windy British A-roads and is very forgiving if you hit a bend a little bit faster than you meant to. Simply turn in, hit the accelerator after the apex, and let that capable LSD pull you round. To hammer home this point, Abarth took journalists at the launch to a go-karting track for a few laps each. The 600e is very much in its element here. In the hands of a demonstrator familiar with this track's tight corners, the car is capable of nausea-inducing changes of direction thanks to its ability to pull 1G laterally. In my less familiar hands, the Abarth 600e was still able to provide huge amounts of cornering enjoyment and luckily those big brakes worked as advertised, slowing the car very capably. Despite being a small hatchback, the Abarth 600e weighs 1,700kg, whereas the 2025 Mk8 Golf GTI, for example, is just 1,454kg. Handling is not quite so nimble for this reason, but the Abarth 600e remains hugely enjoyable. If you loved the silliness of the Abarth 500e's artificial noise box, never fear – the 600e has that available too. The Abarth 600e is great for twisty British A-roads. You can choose how aggressively you harness the Abarth 600e's capabilities via the three power modes – Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track. Turismo only gives you 148hp for the basic Abarth 600e and 198hp for the Scorpionissima, with 300Nm of torque. It's aimed more at range and efficiency. Scorpion Street increases these figures to 201hp and 228hp respectively, with the full 345Nm of torque. Scorpion Track then enables all the power. The modes also alter setup, including accelerator pedal setup, ESP and steering. The car was clearly twitchier in Scorpion Street, with ESP not kicking in much and more torque steer. The grip is much more than you'd expect a small four-seater hatchback to have. Because that is the point with the Abarth 600e – it's still a practical car. The rear seats are a bit cramped but still viable for adults (unlike the 500e) and there's a decent amount of luggage space in the rear. You get 360 liters with the rear seats up and 1,231 liters with them down – enough for the daily shop, a short family trip, or a light DIY collection. However, one drawback with the stiffened suspension is that the ride is hard for some British roads. It's swings and roundabouts – you gain in driver engagement but lose in comfort. Pricing is not outrageous either. The basic Abarth 600e costs £36,975 ($48,000), while the Scorpionissima is £39,875 ($51,500). Both these figures fall below the UK Expensive Vehicle tax threshold, so you won't be paying the higher amount for this. The price compares well with internal combustion hot hatches, such as the 2025 Mk8 Golf GTI. So you're not paying anything extra by going electric for your hot hatch thrills. The pricing is also similar to the MG4 XPOWER, which is much faster in a straight line but lacks the handling enhancements of the Abarth. Cornering is tight with the Abarth 600e. Unfortunately, however, the Abarth 600e does have one drawback – that 54kWh battery combined with so much motor power doesn't make for a lot of range. The WLTP rating is 207 miles, quite a lot lower than the Fiat 600e's 250 miles, and you'll get far less than that if you dial up the more aggressive setup modes and drive accordingly. DC charging maxes out at 100kW, too, so replenishing from 10 to 80% takes 27 minutes. Not terrible, but that will be less than 160 miles. So you can really only go around 2 hours on a motorway between stops with the Abarth 600e, making long distances possible but not ideal. The Abarth 600e is therefore not perfect. The hot hatch is meant to be the universal transportation tool – potentially fun on a track at the weekend, but otherwise great for everyday activities like commuting, shopping, trips with friends and family, and visiting people in other cities. The 600e lacks a little for the latter but covers every other area well, making it one of the best electric hot hatches yet, if not the ultimate small all-round EV driving machine just yet.
