# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
It looks the part and it's fun to drive, but Abarth’s 600e can't escape its roots

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
It looks the part and it's fun to drive, but Abarth’s 600e can't escape its roots

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
It looks the part and it's fun to drive, but Abarth’s 600e can't escape its roots

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content
It looks the part and it's fun to drive, but Abarth’s 600e can't escape its roots

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content.description[]
but Abarth’s 600e can't escape its roots

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content[]
"description":"It looks the part and it's fun to drive

# data.attributes.metatag[].attributes.content[]
but Abarth’s 600e can't escape its roots"

# data.attributes.field_cars_driving.value
We’ve only driven the Competizione on UK roads so far, but that’s fine because it’s the one that’s a proper Abarth. It gets a beefier motor, the Torsen diff, stiffer suspension and Alcon brakes, which combine to make the 600e a hoot to drive. There’s huge amounts of grip, and when you feel the understeer shoving its way in, the diff works hard to wrestle the nose back.

Even in a tight corner sequence, the 1.6-tonne weight shifts from side to side with comedic ease. There's body roll, but it’s surprisingly agile for its size and the steering has decent weight to it. A properly firm brake pedal is a welcome addition, too.

The ride is seriously stiff as a result of this sporting intention though, and with big 20-inch wheels it can bounce and crash over poor UK roads. You do have to work the modes to get the best out of the 600e too, as it dishes the power out very stingily.

Explain...

There are three modes available: Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track. Each boosts power, sharpens the throttle response, stiffens the suspension and balances the torque delivery more keenly.

Scorpion Track actually pins you back in your chair if you mash the throttle, and it dials down most of the car’s intervention aids and regenerative braking to make the 600e feel more natural. It’s the only opportunity to really enjoy those upgraded brakes, because you’ll want to use the regen around town for maximum efficiency.

Is the sound generator tragic?

It’s down to personal taste here, but at least compared to the 500e the artificial engine noise is a little more subtle. Where the smaller sibling sounds comically OTT, the 600e has a much more refined sound. At idle, it's a bassy burble that could be mistaken for a quirky combustion engine. That noise then builds up on your way to 50mph before settling down. No paddles or fake gearshifts here sadly.

You’ll turn it off straight away, of course, but there might be the odd occasion when you want to switch it back on so you can pretend you’re driving something more interesting. Or to just drown out some of the road noise that makes its way into the cabin.

What's the battery range really like?

As with all EVs you get out what you put in, but the inherent tension with a performance electric car is that you’re forced to trash your range if you want to have any fun.

Over a hundred miles on mixed UK roads we got 3.1 mi/kWh out of the 600e, which really feels like a best case scenario. That would mean just under 160 miles from the 51kWh usable battery, some way short of the official 197-mile figure for the Competizione. But if you’ve got somewhere to be… get a different electric car. The 600e isn’t a tourer.

# data.attributes.field_cars_driving.processed
We’ve only driven the Competizione on UK roads so far, but that’s fine because it’s the one that’s a proper Abarth. It gets a beefier motor, the Torsen diff, stiffer suspension and Alcon brakes, which combine to make the 600e a hoot to drive. There’s huge amounts of grip, and when you feel the understeer shoving its way in, the diff works hard to wrestle the nose back.

Even in a tight corner sequence, the 1.6-tonne weight shifts from side to side with comedic ease. There's body roll, but it’s surprisingly agile for its size and the steering has decent weight to it. A properly firm brake pedal is a welcome addition, too.

The ride is seriously stiff as a result of this sporting intention though, and with big 20-inch wheels it can bounce and crash over poor UK roads. You do have to work the modes to get the best out of the 600e too, as it dishes the power out very stingily.

Explain...

There are three modes available: Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track. Each boosts power, sharpens the throttle response, stiffens the suspension and balances the torque delivery more keenly.

Scorpion Track actually pins you back in your chair if you mash the throttle, and it dials down most of the car’s intervention aids and regenerative braking to make the 600e feel more natural. It’s the only opportunity to really enjoy those upgraded brakes, because you’ll want to use the regen around town for maximum efficiency.

Is the sound generator tragic?

It’s down to personal taste here, but at least compared to the 500e the artificial engine noise is a little more subtle. Where the smaller sibling sounds comically OTT, the 600e has a much more refined sound. At idle, it's a bassy burble that could be mistaken for a quirky combustion engine. That noise then builds up on your way to 50mph before settling down. No paddles or fake gearshifts here sadly.

You’ll turn it off straight away, of course, but there might be the odd occasion when you want to switch it back on so you can pretend you’re driving something more interesting. Or to just drown out some of the road noise that makes its way into the cabin.

What's the battery range really like?

As with all EVs you get out what you put in, but the inherent tension with a performance electric car is that you’re forced to trash your range if you want to have any fun.

Over a hundred miles on mixed UK roads we got 3.1 mi/kWh out of the 600e, which really feels like a best case scenario. That would mean just under 160 miles from the 51kWh usable battery, some way short of the official 197-mile figure for the Competizione. But if you’ve got somewhere to be… get a different electric car. The 600e isn’t a tourer.

# data.attributes.field_cars_editor_title
Abarth 600e review: Abarth's most powerful car ever is also scarily expensive

# data.attributes.field_cars_inside.value
As you probably realise by now, this largely depends on which trim you've chosen. The Competizione gains proper bucket seats with swankier upholstery, which does much more to create a sense of occasion over the Fiat version.

One niggle is the vents in the backs of the bucket seats: should you be at odds with your rear passengers (and you will, because they won’t have any legroom), they've got easy access to your kidneys. Death by a thousand pokes. We’ve also found that most cars on this Stellantis platform force you to sit with your legs too close to the pedals while your arms are still reaching for the steering wheel.

The Competizione also gets more badging and Alcantara in places like the centre console cover, whereas the Turismo makes do with vanilla Stellantis parts and lacks pretty basic equipment like heated seats and a rear-view camera.

Ah yes, how’s the tech?

The 10.25in infotainment screen is responsive and easy to navigate. There’s a TomTom-backed satnav as standard, but we found that the map display wasn’t very intuitive to follow. Fortunately there’s Apple/Android connectivity as standard too, so you can deploy your app of choice.

The menus are laid out well though, and Abarth has even thrown in some funky game-like gauges and readouts for when (!) you hit the track, measuring things like g forces and torque. You also get ambient lighting, a six-speaker audio kit and a few USB slots – though only one for your back passengers to fight over.

The interior SFX need some work – the indicators sound like a slow handclap and the warning bongs from the safety kit are infernally loud. Fortunately, you can program the latter to turn off with a long press of a dashboard switch.

Is it spacious?

A lot of small crossovers look bigger than they actually are, and the same goes for the 600e: there’s lots of headroom but a questionable amount of legroom. Front seat passengers have decent footwell space but at the cost of any meaningful room in the rear. So either those up front are happy, or nobody’s happy.

In the Competizione those cutouts in the bucket seats add a little nook for you to stick your knees in, but the seat backs are so hard you’d have to be a glass-half-full type to see that as a win.

The boot measures 360 litres – 40 less than the Alfa Junior – and 1,231 litres with the seats popped down. It’s bigger than the Alpine A290’s boot, but nothing to write home about.

# data.attributes.field_cars_inside.processed
As you probably realise by now, this largely depends on which trim you've chosen. The Competizione gains proper bucket seats with swankier upholstery, which does much more to create a sense of occasion over the Fiat version.

One niggle is the vents in the backs of the bucket seats: should you be at odds with your rear passengers (and you will, because they won’t have any legroom), they've got easy access to your kidneys. Death by a thousand pokes. We’ve also found that most cars on this Stellantis platform force you to sit with your legs too close to the pedals while your arms are still reaching for the steering wheel.

The Competizione also gets more badging and Alcantara in places like the centre console cover, whereas the Turismo makes do with vanilla Stellantis parts and lacks pretty basic equipment like heated seats and a rear-view camera.

Ah yes, how’s the tech?

The 10.25in infotainment screen is responsive and easy to navigate. There’s a TomTom-backed satnav as standard, but we found that the map display wasn’t very intuitive to follow. Fortunately there’s Apple/Android connectivity as standard too, so you can deploy your app of choice.

The menus are laid out well though, and Abarth has even thrown in some funky game-like gauges and readouts for when (!) you hit the track, measuring things like g forces and torque. You also get ambient lighting, a six-speaker audio kit and a few USB slots – though only one for your back passengers to fight over.

The interior SFX need some work – the indicators sound like a slow handclap and the warning bongs from the safety kit are infernally loud. Fortunately, you can program the latter to turn off with a long press of a dashboard switch.

Is it spacious?

A lot of small crossovers look bigger than they actually are, and the same goes for the 600e: there’s lots of headroom but a questionable amount of legroom. Front seat passengers have decent footwell space but at the cost of any meaningful room in the rear. So either those up front are happy, or nobody’s happy.

In the Competizione those cutouts in the bucket seats add a little nook for you to stick your knees in, but the seat backs are so hard you’d have to be a glass-half-full type to see that as a win.

The boot measures 360 litres – 40 less than the Alfa Junior – and 1,231 litres with the seats popped down. It’s bigger than the Alpine A290’s boot, but nothing to write home about.

# data.attributes.field_cars_owning.value
The Abarth 600e actually costs slightly less in 2026 than when it first launched. Now you’re looking at £32,495 for the entry Turismo (after the Electric Car Grant) and still a rather hefty £36,495 for the Competizione – some £4.5k and £3.5k less than before.

Interestingly though, that is over £5k less than Alfa’s Junior Elettrica Veloce that uses the same bits. Plus, that takes the Alfa over the £40k ‘expensive car supplement’ that adds £410 a year to your annual VED bill for the first five years of ownership. Not a problem you'll have with the Abarth.

What are the key differences between this and Fiat’s 600?

Aside from the performance-y bits, the Abarth 600e makes some proper gains in the cabin over the Fiat. You still get the same 10.25in infotainment screen (which you’ll recognise from the fancier versions of the 500e) and 7.0in digital instrument panel, but they’ve been upgraded with bespoke Abarth graphics.

There’s a new, partially Alcantara clad steering wheel, aluminium pedals and privacy glass, while the darkened interior theme has yellow accents dotted around so it doesn’t feel overly turgid.

And the Competizione?

That obviously gets the extra power and builds on the Turismo with an even sportier interior, including heated bucket seats, new seatbelts and matte black dashboard trim with glossy patterns (as opposed to a plain black theme).

You also get more scorpion badging (the ‘mind the scorpion’ graphics feel a little like something has been lost in translation) and an iPad style folding cover for the storage compartment under the gear selector buttons.

Which one should I go for?

If you desperately want an Abarth 600e, it really has to be the full fat Competizione. The equipment is better, there’s a decent slug more power (if you want range then just go for the standard Fiat) and it looks the part too with extra gloss black bits and graphics.

# data.attributes.field_cars_owning.processed
The Abarth 600e actually costs slightly less in 2026 than when it first launched. Now you’re looking at £32,495 for the entry Turismo (after the Electric Car Grant) and still a rather hefty £36,495 for the Competizione – some £4.5k and £3.5k less than before.

Interestingly though, that is over £5k less than Alfa’s Junior Elettrica Veloce that uses the same bits. Plus, that takes the Alfa over the £40k ‘expensive car supplement’ that adds £410 a year to your annual VED bill for the first five years of ownership. Not a problem you'll have with the Abarth.

What are the key differences between this and Fiat’s 600?

Aside from the performance-y bits, the Abarth 600e makes some proper gains in the cabin over the Fiat. You still get the same 10.25in infotainment screen (which you’ll recognise from the fancier versions of the 500e) and 7.0in digital instrument panel, but they’ve been upgraded with bespoke Abarth graphics.

There’s a new, partially Alcantara clad steering wheel, aluminium pedals and privacy glass, while the darkened interior theme has yellow accents dotted around so it doesn’t feel overly turgid.

And the Competizione?

That obviously gets the extra power and builds on the Turismo with an even sportier interior, including heated bucket seats, new seatbelts and matte black dashboard trim with glossy patterns (as opposed to a plain black theme).

You also get more scorpion badging (the ‘mind the scorpion’ graphics feel a little like something has been lost in translation) and an iPad style folding cover for the storage compartment under the gear selector buttons.

Which one should I go for?

If you desperately want an Abarth 600e, it really has to be the full fat Competizione. The equipment is better, there’s a decent slug more power (if you want range then just go for the standard Fiat) and it looks the part too with extra gloss black bits and graphics.

# data.attributes.field_cars_stand_first
Want the properly hot one? That’ll be almost £36,500…

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict.value
Abarth has done a lovely job spiffing up the Fiat 600e’s driving experience, particularly for the top trim Competizione, it’s just a shame it had so little to work with in the first place. What does it have to do to be allowed to make its own bespoke car?

Most impressively, the best of the drive comes from mechanical upgrades, not slick EV trickery and software tweaks – sometimes the old ways are the best. It is rather firm for UK roads, though.

But the big issue is that the best version of the car is seriously pricey with very limited range. It offers more performance and a significantly better interior, while the Turismo doesn't differentiate itself enough from Fiat's original blueprint. Come on Abarth, bucket seats should be for the many, not the few.

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict.processed
Abarth has done a lovely job spiffing up the Fiat 600e’s driving experience, particularly for the top trim Competizione, it’s just a shame it had so little to work with in the first place. What does it have to do to be allowed to make its own bespoke car?

Most impressively, the best of the drive comes from mechanical upgrades, not slick EV trickery and software tweaks – sometimes the old ways are the best. It is rather firm for UK roads, though.

But the big issue is that the best version of the car is seriously pricey with very limited range. It offers more performance and a significantly better interior, while the Turismo doesn't differentiate itself enough from Fiat's original blueprint. Come on Abarth, bucket seats should be for the many, not the few.

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_against
Stiff ride, poor range, cramped in the back

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_for
Fun to drive, looks distinctive, sounds better than the 500e

# data.attributes.field_cars_verdict_text
The best of the drive comes from mechanical upgrades, not slick EV trickery and software tweaks

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_is_it.value
Abarth doubled its UK model line-up in one fell swoop when it introduced this hot version of Fiat’s 600 SUV to complement its extremely high-vis 500e.

In similar style, this larger hatch has been given more bling over the Fiat 600e upon which it’s based (aggressive styling updates on the outside, some bright paint options and a warmed-over interior), and the numbers have been ramped up accordingly – 237bhp, 254lb ft of torque and 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds en route to 124mph flat out. Warm hatch territory.

But that’s only if you go for the base-level Abarth 600e Turismo. There is also a hotter version with 278bhp that drops the 0-62mph time to 5.9 seconds and was previously only available as a special edition Scorpionissima.

After some tweaks to the regular UK line-up in early 2026 though, that one is now available to all as the Competizione. Worth noting that’s the one that gets the really racey bits, including a Torsen limited slip differential, Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres, Alcon brakes, Sabelt bucket seats and an artificial sound generator.

Fiat's 600e is a bit boring isn't it?

Harsh, but fair. It’s a shame Abarth's had to start with a rather dull base vehicle – the 600e suffers from the modern plague of platform sharing that’s made cars cheaper to build and more profitable for carmakers but homogenous and lacking in personality when it comes to driving.

The bumpers and huge rear spoiler do all of the heavy lifting in terms of making the 600e stand out, along with the lurid shades you can order it in.

Underneath though, it’s the same car as the Vauxhall Mokka Electric, Peugeot e-2008, Alfa Junior Elettrica and Jeep Avenger EV. Each offers a touch of surface design flair but the same bland drive. A bit of a tall order then for Abarth to work its tuning magic.

Has Abarth managed to make it fun?

Surprisingly, yes... mostly. The 600e packs more punch than the 500e (the smaller hatch is almost a second slower than the entry 600e to 62mph), and the LSD in the Competizione does a lot of the hard work getting the car through a bend. It’s crazy how much speed you can tip into a corner with – any initial understeer is quickly defeated, and you can feel the car dragging you through and out the other end.

You’ve got to be on top of your drive modes, mind – you’ve got Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track to choose from. In the Turismo you start with 146bhp, rising to 201bhp in Scorpion Street, then 237bhp in Scorpion Track mode.

The Competizione model starts with 195 horses, turns the wick up to 224 in Scorpion Street, then bumps you all the way to 276bhp in track mode for max performance. Makes a big difference when you want the oomph.

The range must be dreadful then…

Well, it’s not great. Over a hundred miles on mixed UK roads in warm weather, we got 3.1 mi/kWh out of the Competizione, which works out at just over 158 miles from its 51kWh usable battery. That included some ‘brisk’ driving on country roads, but this is a hot hatch (well, kinda a crossover) after all. Have too much fun or dare to take it out in wintry weather and you’ll see vastly diminishing returns.

The official WLTP range is 198 miles for the hotter Competizione, and that only improves to 200 miles in the Turismo.

What about rivals?

Well, there are plenty even within Stellantis. The Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce, Vauxhall Mokka GSE and the upcoming Peugeot E-208 GTI all use the same bits underneath, and there’s a couple of options from Cupra now that you can get both the Born and smaller Raval in hot VZ forms. Then there's the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX, and the upcoming ID. Polo GTI.

Otherwise you’ll be looking at the Alpine A290, which is less sharp to drive but more fun over a B road, and is a better basic car but smaller inside. The hotter version of the Alpine starts at roughly the same as the entry-level 600e Turismo, which is £32,495. Including its Government grant. The Competizione is a punchy £36,495.

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_is_it.processed
Abarth doubled its UK model line-up in one fell swoop when it introduced this hot version of Fiat’s 600 SUV to complement its extremely high-vis 500e.

In similar style, this larger hatch has been given more bling over the Fiat 600e upon which it’s based (aggressive styling updates on the outside, some bright paint options and a warmed-over interior), and the numbers have been ramped up accordingly – 237bhp, 254lb ft of torque and 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds en route to 124mph flat out. Warm hatch territory.

But that’s only if you go for the base-level Abarth 600e Turismo. There is also a hotter version with 278bhp that drops the 0-62mph time to 5.9 seconds and was previously only available as a special edition Scorpionissima.

After some tweaks to the regular UK line-up in early 2026 though, that one is now available to all as the Competizione. Worth noting that’s the one that gets the really racey bits, including a Torsen limited slip differential, Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres, Alcon brakes, Sabelt bucket seats and an artificial sound generator.

Fiat's 600e is a bit boring isn't it?

Harsh, but fair. It’s a shame Abarth's had to start with a rather dull base vehicle – the 600e suffers from the modern plague of platform sharing that’s made cars cheaper to build and more profitable for carmakers but homogenous and lacking in personality when it comes to driving.

The bumpers and huge rear spoiler do all of the heavy lifting in terms of making the 600e stand out, along with the lurid shades you can order it in.

Underneath though, it’s the same car as the Vauxhall Mokka Electric, Peugeot e-2008, Alfa Junior Elettrica and Jeep Avenger EV. Each offers a touch of surface design flair but the same bland drive. A bit of a tall order then for Abarth to work its tuning magic.

Has Abarth managed to make it fun?

Surprisingly, yes... mostly. The 600e packs more punch than the 500e (the smaller hatch is almost a second slower than the entry 600e to 62mph), and the LSD in the Competizione does a lot of the hard work getting the car through a bend. It’s crazy how much speed you can tip into a corner with – any initial understeer is quickly defeated, and you can feel the car dragging you through and out the other end.

You’ve got to be on top of your drive modes, mind – you’ve got Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track to choose from. In the Turismo you start with 146bhp, rising to 201bhp in Scorpion Street, then 237bhp in Scorpion Track mode.

The Competizione model starts with 195 horses, turns the wick up to 224 in Scorpion Street, then bumps you all the way to 276bhp in track mode for max performance. Makes a big difference when you want the oomph.

The range must be dreadful then…

Well, it’s not great. Over a hundred miles on mixed UK roads in warm weather, we got 3.1 mi/kWh out of the Competizione, which works out at just over 158 miles from its 51kWh usable battery. That included some ‘brisk’ driving on country roads, but this is a hot hatch (well, kinda a crossover) after all. Have too much fun or dare to take it out in wintry weather and you’ll see vastly diminishing returns.

The official WLTP range is 198 miles for the hotter Competizione, and that only improves to 200 miles in the Turismo.

What about rivals?

Well, there are plenty even within Stellantis. The Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce, Vauxhall Mokka GSE and the upcoming Peugeot E-208 GTI all use the same bits underneath, and there’s a couple of options from Cupra now that you can get both the Born and smaller Raval in hot VZ forms. Then there's the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX, and the upcoming ID. Polo GTI.

Otherwise you’ll be looking at the Alpine A290, which is less sharp to drive but more fun over a B road, and is a better basic car but smaller inside. The hotter version of the Alpine starts at roughly the same as the entry-level 600e Turismo, which is £32,495. Including its Government grant. The Competizione is a punchy £36,495.

# data.attributes.field_cars_what_we_say
It looks the part and it's fun to drive, but Abarth’s 600e can't escape its roots