Final yr The Pushed revealed two critiques of the Fiat 500e (one by Tim Eden and one other from myself). For me it was a breath of recent air to be driving a small, enjoyable metropolis automotive with sufficient vary to enterprise out on a pleasing day journey, a pleasant change from the just about fixed weight loss plan of mid to massive SUVs that the producers appear to assume the Australian public is solely keen on.
So when the chance to spend 10 days with the ‘Abarth’ efficiency model of the 500e got here up – I jumped at it to search out out simply how a lot of a distinction ‘Abarthing’ the 500e may make.
For individuals who haven’t heard of Abarth – it started as an Italian racing and highway automotive maker again within the late Forties. Taken over by Fiat within the Nineteen Seventies, the Abarth badge is now used to indicate efficiency variations of Fiat fashions that Abarth have tweaked to enhance their efficiency and dealing with.
The corporate philosophy by the way in which is to be “… high-performing and highly effective, however initially small and agile identical to the Scorpion”.
How does the 500e Abarth differ from the 500e?
From the surface, the Abarth model is definitely no shrinking violet. With scorpion badges on the aspect and ‘Abarth’ emblazoned on the entrance, underneath the doorways plus scorpions on the centre hubcaps, it shouts ‘take a look at me’ from each angle.
(This was particularly so for the one I had: in ‘acid inexperienced’ – a vibrant cross between lime inexperienced and lemon yellow – I discovered when strolling away from it in a carpark, all of the automobiles round appeared very drab).
The inside differs from the usual 500e in a extra muted trend. Seats, roof lining and door trims are all black. The sprint is trimmed in Alcantara, as are the seats.
The entrance seats are sports activities fashion with leather-based and Alcantara trims and the steering wheel is a 3 spoke sports-style, additionally with leather-based and Alcantara trims. A function of the Abarth is a half-length panoramic glass roof. This was a pleasant contact and (for the passenger a minimum of) added to the chance to view bushes and surroundings on winding nation roads.
Tyres and rims additionally differ to the usual 500e: the Abarth rides 205/40 rubber on 18 inch rims with Bridgestone Potenza efficiency tyres. (Versus 205/45 R17 Continental rubber on the usual model). Suspension and dealing with tweaks for the Abarth embody rear-wheel disc brakes, totally different shock absorbers, and revised electrical energy steering management.
While the battery dimension and charging charges are the identical as the usual model, most energy is up (113 kW versus 87) as is torque (253 Nm versus 220). The extra energy does have a draw back although: the WLTP driving vary for the Abarth is 253 km (as in comparison with 311 km for the 500e).
Driver’s controls, switches and steering wheel buttons are additionally the identical because the 500e. As I famous in that report, this makes them very simple to entry and use as a ‘driver’s automotive’ with out the necessity to look away from the highway via the necessity to search via menus or find the fitting spot on a featureless touchscreen. Additionally new for the Abarth are some extra infotainment screens to observe efficiency, plus totally different driver’s show choices to indicate which driving mode has been chosen.
Driving
The trip is, surprisingly, not as harsh as you’d count on from 40 profile tyres – nonetheless that’s seemingly because of the suspension, braking and steering tweaks which have been made to the Abarth model. All up, it made for an interesting drive that cornered completely flat at any smart pace on a twisting, hilly highway.
It additionally implements a full i-pedal nicely*– though it did take just a few days for me to get used to its design. The Abarth’s i-pedal is adaptive, which means it slows down extra aggressively the tougher you raise off the accelerator pedal.
This meant the automotive and I have been sometimes at odds as I altered my foot … and it responded with kind of regen than anticipated! You rapidly get used to it, however these used to the implementation of i-pedal in different EVs would possibly discover it a bit odd to start with.
For the Abarth 500e, the driving modes have been tweaked and renamed. Gone are Regular, Vary and Sherpa. As an alternative you’ve Turissmo, Scorpion Road and Scorpion Monitor.
In contrast to the 500e although (the place in Regular mode the i-pedal is off and you’ve got gentle regen/want to make use of the brake to return to a full cease) within the Abarth the i-pedal is carried out in each the conventional driving modes of Turissmo and Scorpion Road and it’s only off in Scorpian Monitor (together with the de-tuning of a variety of the automotive’s ADAS options).
This implies it’s essential to use Scorpion Monitor to not have full i-pedal in reverse – together with the adjustments in ESC and different driver aids that this mode implements. This was maybe my solely annoyance with the Abarth model over the 500e.
For the highway, I’d have most popular an choice the place all of the ADAS methods have been working, however enable me to relaxation my foot on the brake pedal to allow an instantaneous cease as one creeps backwards.
To me that could be a safer choice in reverse than be enabling an unintentional reverse acceleration via leaping on the closest pedal ought to a canine or youngster run out behind you. (Most different EVs both disable i-pedal in reverse or have ‘creep’ as a selectable choice within the menu system).
The one different odd function was the simulated inside combustion engine noise pumped out via a water-resistant speaker mounted underneath the automotive. Sure, it did sound life-like and altered with the motor pace. It even made a very good effort of creating an appropriate revving noise when in impartial and blipping the accelerator.
Nonetheless: on a protracted drive all it did was present an annoying background drone and took away from the expertise of a easy, quiet electrical drive within the countryside. (This by the way in which is in stark distinction to the simulated noise and really feel carried out within the Ioniq 5N). While it did present a very good celebration trick/snicker to introduce the automotive to associates, it was invariably turned off instantly afterwards.
Variations, worth and guarantee
The 500e Abarth is at the moment provided in two variations: Turismo and a restricted version ‘Scorpionisma’. The latter comes with extra aspect ‘Abarth’ decals and a certificates of authenticity as a part of a restricted run of 1,949 items. (To indicate Abarth’s beginnings in 1949). Solely 219 Scorpionismas can be found in Australia – so if would you like a kind of, you could have to be fast.
In Victoria (i.e. with none rebates and minimal subsidies), the Turismo is $64,844 on-the-road. The Scorpionisma model is accessible solely in Acid Inexperienced or Poison Blue and retails for $66,512. (For comparability, a Turismo in Acid Inexperienced would price $65,876).
Guarantee is 8 years/160,000 km for the battery and three years/150,000 km for the remainder of the car. 3 years roadside help can be included.
Summing up
With a zero to 100 time of seven.0 seconds it’s only 2 seconds quicker than the usual 500e. As such, it’s by no means a competitor to one thing just like the track-oriented Hyundai Ioniq 5N.
What it does present is extra driving enjoyable over the usual 500e, as nicely a really noticeable ‘take a look at me’ presence on the highway. For these wanting a little bit of avenue presence and a succesful, enjoyable driving and sporty wanting small EV – the 500e Abarth is a worthy contender in your greenback.
As for the value: Abarth variations have by no means been an inexpensive car and the 500e Abarth is not any exception, so intending Abarth consumers are in all probability not going to baulk at that price ticket.
So again to the metric of did it really feel prefer it was “…high-performing and highly effective, however initially small and agile identical to the Scorpion”. Properly, I feel it hit the mark nicely.
Alternatively, if you happen to actually really feel the necessity to have the simulated engine noise turned on extra usually that as a celebration trick to elicit fun from your folks or appeal to appears from bystanders – I’d counsel you purchase the (nonetheless out there) petrol model of the five hundred Abarth and be completed with it. Maybe you’re not fairly prepared to maneuver into the vibration free, immediately accelerating and silent world of an EV simply but!
* i-pedal. The place lifting off the accelerator produces a major braking impact proper as much as and together with stopping the car altogether with out the necessity to contact the brake pedal. With i-pedal carried out, the brake pedal is barely used when considerably heavy braking is required.
Specs:
Electrical Motor: Everlasting Magnet, 113kW 235Nm
Transmission: Single Velocity Discount Gear
Drive: Entrance Wheel Drive
Efficiency:
0-100km/h in 7.0s
Velocity 150km/h
Seating: 4
Boot volumes in litres (1 litre = 10 x 10 x 10 cm)
Boot underneath parcel shelf: 185
Rear seat folded: 550
Dimensions:
General size: 3,632 mm
General top: 1,527 mm
Floor clearance: 130 mm
General width (fringe of doorways): 1,683 mm
General width (fringe of mirrors): 1,900 mm
Battery:
Vitality consumption: (WLTP)
Kerb weight:
Charging:
1 part AC: 7.4 kW max.
3 part AC: 11 kW max.
DC: 85 kW max.
Cost port location:
Drive configuration:
Towing:
Not rated for towing
Options
18-Inch Diamond-Lower Alloy Wheels
LED Infinity Headlights, Daytime Operating
Lights and Rear Lights
Panoramic Fastened Glass Roof
Privateness Glass
Premium Sporty Seats with Alcantara Embossing
Leather-based and Alcantara Sporty Steering Wheel
Heated Entrance Seats
JBL 6-Speaker Sound System
Abarth Sound Generator
7-Inch TFT Instrument Cluster Show
25-Inch Touchscreen Infotainment with DAB+, Wi-fi Apple Carplay® and Android Auto (TM)
USB Ports (2xA+1xC)
Wi-fi Charging Pad
Entrance, Facet and Rear Parking Sensors
Rear Again-up Digital camera
Blind Spot Help
Autonomous Emergency Braking With Weak Street Customers
Site visitors Signal Recognition and Clever Velocity Management
Lane Hold Help
Driver Behaviour Warning
Keyless Entry and Keyless Go
Abarth Driving Modes
Local weather Management
Auto Dimming Rear view Mirror
Mode 3 Charging Cable
Bryce Gaton is an knowledgeable on electrical autos and contributor for The Pushed and Renew Financial system. He has been working within the EV sector since 2008 and is at the moment working as EV electrical security coach/supervisor for the College of Melbourne. He additionally gives assist for the EV Transition to enterprise, authorities and the general public via his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.