Latest news with #Scorpionissima
Top Gear
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Abarth 600e Interior Layout & Technology
Interior What is it like on the inside? As you probably realise by now, this largely depends on which trim you've chosen. The Scorpionissima gains bucket seats with the swankier upholstery, which does more to create a sense of occasion over the Fiat version. One niggle is the vents in the backs of the bucket seats: should you be at odds with your rear passengers (and you will, because they won't have any legroom), they've got easy access to your kidneys. Death by a thousand pokes. Advertisement - Page continues below The Scorpionissima also gets more badging and Alcantara in places like the centre console cover, whereas the 600e makes do with vanilla Stellantis parts. It's a shame only 1,949 will be getting the top treatment. How's the tech? The 10.25in infotainment screen is responsive and easy to navigate. There's a TomTom-backed satnav as standard, but we found that the map display wasn't very intuitive to follow. Fortunately there's Apple/Android connectivity as standard too, so you can deploy your app of choice. The menus are laid out well though, and Abarth has even thrown in some funky game-like gauges and readouts for when (!) you hit the track, measuring things like g forces and torque. You also get ambient lighting, a six-speaker audio kit and a few USB slots – though only one for your back passengers to fight over. The interior SFX need some work – the indicators sound like a slow handclap and the warning bongs from the safety kit are infernally loud. Fortunately you can program the latter to turn off with a long press of a dashboard switch. Advertisement - Page continues below Electrical gremlins raised their ugly little heads too – on our UK test the car spent a couple of days turning the speed limit warnings straight back on after we'd switched them off, the electric tailgate worked two times out of five, and the start button was a lottery too. This is what will pass for character in the EV era. Is it spacious? A lot of small crossovers look bigger than they actually are, and the same goes for the 600e: there's lots of headroom but a questionable amount of legroom. Front seat passengers have decent footwell space but at the cost of any meaningful room in the rear. So either those up front are happy, or nobody's happy. In the Scorpionissima those cutouts in the bucket seats add a little nook for you to stick your knees in, but you'd have to be a glass-half-full type to see that as a win. The boot measures 360 litres – 40 less than the Alfa Junior – and 1,231 litres with the seats popped down. It's bigger than the Alpine A290's boot, but nothing to write home about.
Top Gear
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Abarth 600e Driving, Engines & Performance
Driving What is it like to drive? Let's start on the track with the Scorpionissima, where the new LSD, Formula E-bred tyres, racing brakes and tuned chassis combine to make the 600e a hoot around Abarth's Bolocco test circuit. There's a wide grip band to explore, and when you feel the understeer shoving its way in, the diff works hard to wrestle the nose back. Even in a tight corner sequence, the 1.6-tonne weight shifts from side to side with comedic ease. There's body roll, but it's surprisingly agile for its size. There's very little dead space in the steering too, so full opposite lock means full opposite lock. Abarth claims you can pull a whole g in the corners... we believe it. Advertisement - Page continues below The ride is supple enough on the road with everything kept tightly in check, but none of the thonk of overly firm suspension when you meet a pothole or speed bump – Abarth has done a good job on the damping. You do have to work the modes to get the best out of the 600e though, as it dishes the power out very stingily. Explain... There are three modes available: Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track. Each boosts power, sharpens the throttle response, stiffens the suspension and balances the torque delivery more keenly. Scorpion Track dials down most of the car's intervention aids and regenerative braking to make the 600e feel more natural. It's the only opportunity to really enjoy those upgraded brakes, because you'll want to use the regen around town for maximum efficiency. Is the sound generator tragic? It's down to personal taste here, but at least compared to the 500e the artificial engine noise is a little more subtle. Where the smaller sibling sounds comically bad, the 600e has a much more refined sound. At idle, it's a bassy burble that could be mistaken for a quirky combustion engine. That noise then builds up on your way to 50mph before settling down. Advertisement - Page continues below You'll turn it off straight away, of course, but there might be the odd occasion when you want to switch it back on so you can pretend you're driving something better. What's the battery range really like? As with all EVs you get out what you put in, but the inherent tension with a performance electric car is that you're forced to trash your range if you want to have any fun. Over a couple of hundred miles of mixed UK roads we got 3.4mi/kWh out of the 600e, which really feels like a best case scenario. That would mean 184 miles from the 54kWh battery, short of the official 207-mile figure. But if you've got somewhere to be… get a different electric car. The 600e isn't a tourer.
Top Gear
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Buy Abarth 600e Price, PPC or HP
Buying What should I be paying? The Abarth 600e range has been overtly priced to skirt in under the new £40k 'expensive car supplement' that adds £410 a year to your annual VED bill for the first five years of ownership. It starts at £36,975 for the standard version and it's £39,875 for the Scorpionissima, until all 1,949 of them have been shifted. That number is a nod to the year Abarth was founded, incidentally. Not a number plucked out of the thin Turin air. Advertisement - Page continues below What are the key differences? Aside from the performance-y bits, the Abarth 600e makes some proper gains in the cabin over the Fiat. You still get the same 10.25in infotainment screen (which you'll recognise from the fancier versions of the 500e) and 7.0in digital instrument panel, but they've been upgraded with bespoke Abarth graphics. There's a new, partially Alcantara clad steering wheel, aluminium pedals and privacy glass, while the darkened interior theme has yellow accents dotted around so it doesn't feel overly turgid. And the Scorpionissima? That gets more power and builds on the 600e with an even sportier interior, including heated bucket seats, new seatbelts and matte black dashboard trim with glossy patterns (as opposed to a plain black theme). You also get more scorpion badging (the 'mind the scorpion' graphics feel a little like something has been lost in translation) and an iPad style folding cover for the storage compartment under the gear selector buttons. Advertisement - Page continues below Which one should I go for? If you really want an Abarth 600e and the Scorpionissima is still available (the brand only sold 1,027 total cars in the UK in 2024, so your odds are good), that version is the only one to go for. The equipment is better, there's a decent slug more power (if you want range then just go for the standard Fiat) and it looks the part too. The Abarth 600e range will look distinctly half-hearted once the Scorpionissima does go off sale...
The Independent
14-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Abarth 600e review: Sports SUV is more than just a Fiat in a tracksuit
The Abarth 600e is more proof that you can have serious fun in an EV. Considerably cheaper than a Hyundai Ioniq 5N – our favourite EV hot hatchback – the 600e follows a similar theme, not least with its attempt to engineer an exciting 'engine' note as you enjoy the acceleration. The 600e lacks some of the engagement of the Hyundai, but uses clever tech to boost the handling. The car can be hustled through corners with meaty-feeling steering and quick spurts of acceleration that will put a smile on your face. The styling looks the part, too, with Abarth's trademark scorpion graphics dotted around along with a beefy body kit. But while the 600e looks good value against the Hyundai, it's still pricey, even though a recent price drop means the Scorpionissima version now drops beneath the £40,000 threshold for the expensive car supplement. If you do want a Scorpionissima, they are limited to just under 2,000 models. Abarth works with some big names in the racing world to give the 600e its sporting credentials, including Michelin, Sabelt, JTEKT, and Alcon. Yet some of the basics for an all-electric family SUV seem to have been forgotten in the race for performance. Primarily, the ride. Our passengers soon complained about the bumpiness, especially in the back. The fun I had driving the car with three others on board was soon offset by their complaints. Then there's the range. A maximum claim of 207 miles is nowhere near what you'll get if you enjoy the Abarth's performance to the full, or spend a while on the motorway. And although the interior of the 600e has been spiced up, the quality on offer isn't what I'd want in a car at this price – there are too many cheap plastics around. But if passengers are a rarity, you don't tend to travel too far and have regular access to cheap charging, there are few EVs that will make you smile as much as this Abarth. How we tested We had a blast driving the Abarth 600e around streets and lanes in the south of England – we even took it into London where the look and sound created quite a stir. As it's an SUV we also put the family on board and checked out the boot. Independent rating: 7/10 Pros: Bags of fun, quick, handles nicely, looks suitably outrageous, interesting sound Cons: Pricey, stiff ride, interior quality Abarth 600e specs Price range: £36,975 to £39,875 Battery size: 54kWh Maximum claimed range: 207 miles Miles per kWh: 18.7kWh/100km Maximum charging rate: 100kW Battery, range, charging, performance and drive Whether you go for the standard model or the Scorpionissima, you get the same 54kWh battery in Stellantis' Perfo eCMP platform. If you go for the Eco tyre option, Abarth claims a maximum range of 207 miles – that drops to 199 mile in the Scorpionissima with Perfo track-orientated tyres. Either way, you'll struggle to get anywhere near those figures, especially if you enjoy the 600e's performance to the full – 0-62mph takes just 5.85 seconds in the Scorpionissima but not much less in the standard car – or if you spend a lot of time on the motorway. The Scorpionissima offers up to 276bhp and the standard car 237bhp. We say 'offers up to' because you'll need either car in the most aggressive (in terms of accelerator, steering and electronic intervention) setting that Abarth calls Scorpion Track. There are also Scorpion Street and the most gentle Turismo modes – the latter meaning a reduction in power (and performance) down to 146 and 195bhp. Charging speeds aren't especially quick, though – something to note if you do decide to take your Abarth on a track, where it will use battery power pretty quickly. With a maximum rate of 100kW it'll take 27 minutes to get from 20 to 80 per cent charge. That's all the price you pay for the fun the 600e offers, which you may enjoy even more in the Scorpionissima model thanks to its sound generator. It produces a fruity sounding burble that's audible outside of the car as well as inside – and yes, I did find a tunnel to check it out. The sound generator does a reasonable job of mimicking a petrol-engined Abarth, with the noise getting louder the quicker you accelerate and easing off on a cruise. You can even 'rev' the car by blipping the accelerator when the car's in park or neutral, while there's another burble when you turn the car off – although it sounds a bit too much like a tummy rumble. If you don't like the fake noises, you can turn them off completely, too. It's a shame the standard car doesn't get that feature for the added fun it brings, though. The 600e handles impressively, putting its roster of tech to good effect, including a racing-style mechanical limited slip differential which enables the car to perform better during acceleration and braking, especially into and out of corners. The steering is impressive, too, with good feedback and swift reactions, as you'd expect from something that looks so sporty. Unfortunately, the sporty setup of the suspension is just way too firm. It'll be fine on a super-smooth track, but our UK roads are anything but super-smooth and the constant jiggling and jolting can get really wearing, especially for passengers. Interior, practicality and boot space Using the Fiat 600e as a starting point means reasonable practicality for the Abarth version. Space in the back is okay, but not exactly generous, thanks partly to the larger than average specialist sports seats in the front of the car. The 360-litre boot isn't exactly huge, either, but probably big enough for most people most of the time, too. However, things are also very dark inside, including the back, where the shadow of the big sports seats looms large. That's heightened by the black that's used pretty much throughout the entire cabin, plus dark privacy glass in the rear windows. There are plenty of sporting touches inside, with the Abarth scorpion symbol popping up here and there as expected. There's a leather and Alcantara-clad steering wheel and aluminium pedals, while the driver's 7in digital instrument panel gets a sporty Abarth makeover, too. The Scorpionissima model also gets a fussy folding cover for the centre console which is more trouble than it's worth. Despite the sporty trimmings inside, the quality is more Fiat than Abarth. Considering the price hike in the transition from mainstream to sporty model, nothing happens to the quality of the plastics inside, which feel a bit cheap in places; certainly too cheap for a car at this price. Technology, stereo and infotainment Other than the technology under the skin that makes the 600e drive so well (or sound exciting in the Scorpionissima model), there are a reasonable amount of creature comforts inside the car. There's a 10.25in infotainment touch screen with plenty of Abarth extras giving you dedicated performance pages and fancy graphics to play with, including a G-force measurement. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, although Abarth's own navigation system is reserved for the Scorpionissima model. You also have to choose the more expensive model for that sound generator (shame) and features like 360-degree parking sensors with a rear-view camera, blind spot protection, traffic sign recognition, automatic high-beam, power-folding door mirrors and heated seats. Both models get adaptive cruise control, plus other safety features like autonomous emergency braking and drowsy driver detection. If you're not listening to the Scorpionissima's sound generator, the audio system only offers six speakers and the sound from that is distinctly average. Prices and running costs Abarth has just dropped the price of the 600e Scorpionissima by £2,100 to £39,875 meaning it won't be hit by the expensive car supplement that applies to EVs from the second year of ownership. At that price it's still expensive, though. With the cheaper £36,975 standard model you don't get many of the nicer features, including the fun sound generator. Of more concern is the car's efficiency. The claimed 207 mile range is fanciful at the best of times, let alone if you enjoy the car's performance to the max. And then charging speeds aren't that great. If you use the car on a track and there's a fast charger handy, you'll have to wait nearly 30 minutes to get a 20 to 80 per cent charge at 100kW. Skoda Elroq rivals MG 4 X-Power Cupra Born Volkswagen ID. 3 FAQs How long does it take to charge? Find a fast charger that will go at speeds of 100kW and either of the two Abarth 600e models will get from 20 to 80 per cent charge in a claimed 27 minutes. How much does it cost - is it worth it? Prices range from £36,975 for the standard car to the Scorpionissima at £39,875, which is the model you'll probably want although it's limited to 1,949 models Does Abarth replace batteries for free? If you should have a problem with your battery, Abarth will replace it for up to eight years after purchase, or 100,000 miles. The verdict: Abarth 600e There's no doubting the amount of fun you can have behind the wheel of an Abarth 600e. It's fast, it handles superbly, looks as outrageous as you'd expect and even sounds interesting. But that's not without compromise when it comes to range, ride and price.
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.
