Abarth is normally associated with Fiat because the Italian brand bought it in 1971. Before that, Carlo Abarth also prepared vehicles from Porsche, Simca, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo. Despite that, all recent Abarth vehicles are from Fiat. The next one will be – guess what? – the Fiat 500e. Better saying, the Abarth 595, according to the first reports about this leaked image.
The guys from ROAD Car published it on Instagram and just shared this is the first image of the “new Abarth full electric.” But we already know a thing or two about this EV to share with you.
Considering the 500e’s largest battery pack is a 42-kWh (37.3 kWh usable) unit, that’s what the performance EV will have as well. Only a new cell technology could allow Fiat to pack more energy into the tiny battery pack that fits in this car.
The 500e’s most powerful motor currently delivers 87 kW (117 hp), but the Abarth derivative is all about improving that. This is why the new Abarth should be named 595e. Expect to see a 695e as well. It may even be this prototype, as far as we know. The rumor is that the new electric Abarth will have outputs ranging from 125 kW (168 hp) and 150 kW (201 hp).
Apart from the green lime paint, the new Abarth 595e (or 695e) presents a more aggressive front bumper, and the name Abarth printed there instead of 500e (which this high-performance electric isn’t, at least in what relates to its name).
It seems Stellantis has new plans for Abarth. And it should: Fiat does pretty well in Brazil, but that is the only market in which it is competitive. Even Italy forgot about its largest brand, which now has a restricted lineup in its home country. Either Stellantis fixes that, or it should think about other brands to bear the Abarth logo. Simca was bought by Chrysler (remember FCA) and later by Peugeot, which could also get the scorpion badge. What about Lancia and Alfa Romeo? Abarth’s electric future has great possibilities of breaking free from Fiat.
While Stellantis has yet to announce an official name for the vehicle, Olivier Francois, CEO of the FIAT and Abarth brands did confirm a switch to electrification for the brand (at least in the European market) at the Company’s EV Day 2021 presentation. At the event, it was announced that the brand would carry the new motto of “Heating Up People, But Not The Planet!”
The current gasoline-powered Abarth 595 Competizione can do 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 6.7 seconds. The 595 Competizione is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter “T-Jet” inline-four-cylinder engine delivering 180 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. (250 Nm) of torque. Compared to the third-generation 500e, which features 117 horsepower (87 kW) and 162 lb.-ft. (220 Nm) of torque-rated e-motor and 42kWh battery can complete the same run in about 9-seconds. So there is a lot of room for improvement.
Over the summer, the Scorpion brand held several online polls across its social media accounts asking fans to vote on their favorite things like propulsion sound and launch color.
Earlier this weekend, an image appeared on the Facebook group “Abarth Italia Forum” appearing to show the front of the upcoming vehicle. Wearing one of the voted launch colors (Acid Yellow), the car wears a completely restyled front fascia with a new lower front intake that is much larger than the current 500e. It also features an underbody air intake integrated into the front splitter area.
The most drastic change to the Abarth model is the addition of A-B-A-R-T-H text across the front of the vehicle. The Scorpion badge is still there, but now sits center atop the hood and is significantly smaller than the current models.
Looking at the picture it clearly looks as if the photo was taken inside a Stellantis facility. In the background, we can see several other Stellantis vehicles including a brand-new GranTurismo, confirming that the picture is a real deal.
According to several sources on the interwebs, it looks as if Abarth will show off the vehicle in November. Those same sources have stated that the production vehicle would not be reaching dealers until mid-2023.
As an extension of the FIAT brand, the Abarth brand is following suit by introducing an all-electric portfolio in the European marketplace by the end of the decade. The first model to join the new lineup will be an Abarth version of the third-generation Fiat 500e battery-electric vehicle (BEV). The all-electric city car has proven itself and has continued to bring in award after award, even becoming one of the best-selling BEVs across Europe.
In May, we showed you the first images of the very first Abarth 500e prototype mule on a holding lot at a Stellantis facility in Italy. And this week, we are finally seeing the first images of another prototype out testing on public roads near that same facility thanks to our friend Walter Vayr (@GabetzSpyUnit).
We see that like the first prototype, this one also wears a set of 17-inch aluminum wheels from the former Alfa Romeo Mito Quadrifoglio Verde.
The current gasoline-powered Abarth 595 Competizione can do 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 6.7 seconds. The 595 Competizione is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter “T-Jet” inline-four-cylinder engine delivering 180 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. (250 Nm) of torque. Compared to the third-generation 500e, which features 117 horsepower (87 kW) and 162 lb.-ft. (220 Nm) of torque-rated e-motor and 42kWh battery can complete the same run in about 9-seconds. So there is a lot of room for improvement.
Abarth has already been building up excitement about the new electrified model, with Abarth enthusiasts voting to pick the vehicle’s new signature color as well as its new Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) sound for its electric vehicles in the future. AVAS is used on electric vehicles, due to the silent operation of the vehicle to warn pedestrians of the vehicle’s presence.
We are excited about learning more about the next generation of 500-based Abarth models.