The new Abarth 500e is an electric hot hatch with 149bhp

Internet, say hello to the all-new Abarth 500e and its extremely bright ‘Acid Green’ paint. The phrase ‘shy and retiring’ doesn’t seem to be in the lexicon at Abarth…

Of course you know what this is already – it’s Abarth’s take on the all-electric Fiat 500, and given how many combustion-engined Abarth-spec 500s you see around, they’d better hope that the very first EV version goes down well.

The Abarth uses the same 42kWh battery as the top-spec Fiat, but here you get a 149bhp motor propelling the front wheels with 173lb ft of torque too. Abarth says this 500e is “faster and more exciting in both urban and suburban driving” than the 595, with improved weight distribution, a wider wheelbase and more torque.

We’re told that 0-62mph takes 7.0 seconds and that the 500e beats the 178bhp 695 by over a second around the Misto Alfa test track at Balocco. Impressive.

There are three drive modes - Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track – as well as 85kW fast charging to replenish your battery after some ‘spirited’ Abarth-style driving. We also know that Abarth likes a bit of noise, so to that end there’s a ‘guitar sound’ when you turn the car on, a ‘strumming guitar’ that plays the first time you exceed 12mph and then a ‘sound generator’ that provides generic petrol engine noises.

The car you see above is the “Scorpionissima” launch edition that’s fully loaded with every possible option, including 18-inch diamond-cut wheels, that 10.25-inch central touchscreen and a 7.0-inch digital dial display. Oh, and Abarth has introduced a new ‘electrified’ scorpion logo, that essentially looks like a scorpion being electrocuted. Bit graphic.

Anyway, what do we think of the 500e folks?