The Abarth version of the Fiat 500 is a car with small dimensions but a big heart. While this isn’t a full-fat, polished sports car, it has a lot to offer – great fun for a lot less money. Thanks to their personal character, the sharper Abarth 500 and 595 have won the hearts of fans around the world – but what about the electric versions?

The guys from Abarth probably asked themselves this question, so they tested the novelty for a comparative test at Alfa Romeo’s Mista circuit to find out how it compares with the petrol version. And the electric Abarth 500e came out surprisingly well by comparison. The time on the circuit is even one second better, the flexible acceleration time is about 50 percent shorter.

That’s partly because the electric Abarth uses a more powerful battery than the regular Fiat 500e, sending 155bhp and 235Nm to the front wheels. Thanks to this, the frightening shopping bag accelerates to 100 km/h in exactly 7 seconds – here the petrol version has a slight advantage, namely three tenths, but still a decent result.

The Abarth 500e naturally struggles with the much higher weight – the petrol version’s curb weight is 1045 kg, the electric version is about three meters heavier. Another area where the Abarth 500e is sure to fall short is, logically, the sound. Interestingly, the folks from Abarth have even taken care of the fake sound coming out of the speaker, but it can be turned off.

This 42 kWh battery can be charged with up to 85 kW of power, and in practice, during charging, the mileage “jumps” up to 40 km every 5 minutes of charging. The car can be filled up to 80 percent in about half an hour.

On the occasion of the launch of the Abarth 500e, the brand also introduced the Scorpionissimo version, which will total 1,949 units – you guessed it, the number refers to the year Abarth was founded. It will come in a “subtle” Acid Green color, the other variant being Poison Blue. The two colors will then be complemented by contrasting stickers.

Thus, the electric Abarth will essentially be equipped with 18-inch wheels, designed directly for the 500e, to which will be added a panoramic roof (but still) and tinted windows, cosmetic interior accessories will consist of pedals made of brushes. steel, and the decorative covering of the door frame will also be made of the same material.

Inside, of course, there are sports seats that embrace the driver and passenger, both upholstered in Alcantara with contrast stitching and Abarth logos on the headrests in that Acid Green color. The main screen of the infotainment system has a diagonal of 10.25 inches and understands Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, there is a 7-inch instrument display in front of the driver.

Despite the fact that this is an A-segment car, it has some useful gadgets. Namely, headlamps with tilt and angle adjustment automatically, wipers with rain detector, keyless access, wireless charging of mobile phones, parking camera with wide view possibility thanks to 360 degree shooting, and audio system supplied by top company JBL.

Prices have not yet been announced, but they will obviously be more expensive than the regular 500e, which starts at 629,900 CZK in our country – let’s figure it out somewhere from 150 to 200 thousand crowns higher. The good news is that there will still be an open version with the C moniker, namely with a folding canvas roof that is anchored to rails in the car’s frame. The equipment will be the same as the closed version.