Abarth 500e – Back to Basics

Abarth 500e – €38,490

With a starting price of €38,490, the compact and rather impractical Abarth 500e is of course not a car for bargain hunters. If you look at it with sober glasses, you will quickly come to the conclusion that for comparable amounts – hello Tesla Model 3! – there are more spacious and faster EVs on the market that go much further on a full battery, but that’s not the point of the Abarth. You buy this car because you want it, but money still plays a role. After all, anyone considering an Abarth has to choose from the different variants.

Always the same battery

There isn’t much choice though. The Abarth is available as a three-door hatchback and as a convertible, with the roll-top known from the Fiat 500. The latter is also €3,000 more expensive than the closed version and therefore costs €41,490. The 3 + 1 version of the Fiat 500, so with an extra (rear) door on one side, is not yet available as an Abarth.

Both body styles come in two versions, an unnamed base variant and a more expensive Turismo. There is no difference from a technical point of view: all Abarths 500e are propelled by a 155 hp electric motor, which receives its power from a 42 kWh battery pack (net 37.8 kWh). The chance that you will reach the specified range of 265 km is greater with the basic version than with the more expensive variants. With 17 inches, the entry-level model is on a size smaller wheels, which is always good news for the consumption of an EV.

Acid Green

Apart from those wheels, there is also no difference in appearance between the basic Abarth and the more expensive variant. So it not only gets the same thick bumpers and striking Abarth lettering, but also the full LED headlights that are optional with the Fiat version of this car. Interestingly, the upper part of the Abarth does not light up. The ‘half circle’ in the hood is not a lamp here, but a piece of black plastic. Another fun fact: the roof spoiler of the hatchback is the same as the Fiat 500e, while the Cabrio has a slightly larger one than its standard brother.

In terms of ‘free’ paint colors, the choice is clear, because only white does not have an additional cost. For all other colors you pay €700, but that opens up interesting possibilities. In addition to black, the Abarth is also available in ‘Acid Green’, ‘Adrenaline Red’ and ‘Poison Blue’, all of which are extremely striking bright colours. Doing!

sound generator

On to the interior. Here too, at first glance there seems little reason to go for the Turismo. For example, sports seats and a sports steering wheel are always present, as are cruise control, climate control and a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, Android Auto, Apple Carplay and – unique to the Abarth – ‘Performance Pages’. Yet there are also essential differences. For example, the entry-level model lacks the Alcantara accents on the steering wheel and seat that the Turismo does have, and this version has to do without keyless entry and without a JBL audio system. In addition, only the Turismo has the ‘Sound Generator’ that mimics the sound of a petrol engine, the entry-level model does without that gimmick. In the case of the hatchback, the more expensive version also treats to a panoramic glass roof. Incidentally, there do not seem to be any separate options for the electric Abarth, except for the already mentioned colors.

The Turismo therefore offers no really necessary extras, but it is a lot tastier below the line – at an additional cost of €4,000. If almost 40 grand for a gadget is no problem, that extra taste could just be a good argument to sign for that thicker version. You will then end up with a price of €42,490.