What is it?
The makers of pocket-sized Italian performance cars, Abarth, have had a crack at their first electric hot hatch – the 500e. It’s just arrived in Australia and replaces the previous, rambunctious, petrol-powered version.
The 500e has an external speaker that produces a gurgling synthetic idling noise so loud, you can easily hear it 20 or 30 metres away. It’s laugh-out-loud funny for anyone expecting nothing but a silent start-up from this electric car.
Less funny for anyone driving is you can’t turn the sound off while driving – and even stationary, the setting is buried deep in a cluster menu.
Does it have any racing pedigree?
Abarth has plenty, dating back to 1949, with lots of rally cars in its back catalogue. The 500e has less motorsport pedigree, and we’ll be surprised to see many in any racing categories given its relatively small battery and limited range.
What’s under the bonnet?
An electric motor producing 114kW and 235Nm. There’s a 37.8kWh (useable) lithium-ion battery pack offering a claimed 252km range with a maximum DC fast-charging capability of 85kW.
In the real world, the range is almost comically limited. On the highway you could expect to get something like 180km. During a long drive back to Melbourne we had to do 100km/h in a 110km/h zone with the air-conditioning off because the range kept dropping too quickly relative to how much distance we had left.
How does it handle?
It’s quite fun. While the claimed 0-100km/h time is 7.0sec, the punchiness of the electric motor makes it feel a lot faster, at least from zero to 60km/h.
As well as the fake idle noise – which burbles away in a fixed, unchanging tone up to about 25km/h – there’s a fake engine noise in the interior which is pretty convincing and makes a good impression of the old, petrol Abarth. (The old, petrol Abarth with a single fixed gear.)
There’s also a higher pitched mechanical sound from the front electric motor as you get stuck into it. Needless to say, there’s plenty going on sound-wise – a refreshing change from almost every other EV.
The handling is fun and darty, with lots of wheelspin from a front inside tyre. But this is ultimately a little car that’s big on laughs, but small on serious dynamic ability. On bumpy roads the suspension can lose its composure at speed – trying to deal with the 1410kg – and you can’t fully deactivate the ESC. Serious drivers look elsewhere.
Back in the urban environment, the Abarth’s small size makes it a breeze to park and a cinch to zip around the city, but the ride quality can be uncomfortably bumpy.
Where would you most like to drive it?
Italy – of course. Little cars like the Abarth 500e make much more sense in Europe where medieval, cobbled streets are barely wide enough for a pair of passing scooters, let alone a car. We’d love to see how Italian locals would react to the electrifying of a car that had plenty of petrol-powered passion in previous iterations.
What’s the interior like?
It’s not too bad, with sufficient space for the front seat occupants, while forward visibility is excellent through the large, open windows. Although having hard scratching plastics all the way to the top of the door-cards for a $60K car seems a bit rich.
There’s a 10.25-inch central infotainment touchscreen and 7.0-inch digital instrument display which both offer bright, clear and crisp graphics – including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The back seat is for emergency use only, rendering the little 500e effectively a two-plus-two. The boot is predictably small and only for quick trips.
How much does the Abarth 500e cost?
The 500e Turismo we’re testing today is $58,900 before on-road costs.
Would I buy one?
We can only recommend the 500e for running around the city, and for people who can easily plug it in to recharge. And who don’t flinch at the price.
If you are wanting to take it out to a winding road, or a track day, because of the limited range you’ll need to do some serious planning and researching – and we’re not sure the juice would be worth the squeeze. Ultimately, the 500e is just a little electric toy for those who have a primary family car and want a greener option for shorter trips.
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