We have just met the new Abarth 500e, the first electric car from the scorpion brand. Based on the Fiat 500e, it shares features, but there are also differences.
This same week we have attended the presentation of the Abarth 500e, the first electric car produced by the Scorpion brand, thus entering a new era that will lead to the total electrification of the Italian company. The Abarth 500e is based on the Fiat 500e and we are going to show you the five big differences between the two.
Abarth has applied the same recipe that it has been doing for decades with its combustion engine vehicles: taking a Fiat model as a base and making improvements to the engine and chassis to increase the car’s performance.
For its first electric car, it has been based on the Fiat 500e, the model with which the Turin firm also entered the battery-powered car segment. Like this one, the first electric Abarth will be marketed with two bodies: saloon and cabrio.
Five big differences between the Abarth 500e and the Fiat 500e: design
Let’s go with the differences between the Fiat 500e and the Fiat 500e and we have to start with the most obvious at first glance: the design. The new Abarth starts from the electric Fiat 500, but adds the usual aesthetic modifications that give it a much more aggressive and sporty look.
One of the main differences is found on the front, where the brand name ‘Abarth’ appears in large letters, while on the Fiat, we see a well-marked ‘500’. In addition, the new Abarth includes the logo of the brand on the nose.
There are also different bumpers, side skirts and wheels, 17 or 18 inches, with a specific design. Back, the optics are darker compared to the Fiat 500e.
The aesthetic differences can also be seen inside both models. The scheme is the same, that is, a very horizontal and minimalist dashboard, chaired by a touch screen to manage the multimedia system and another for the instrumentation behind the wheel.
However, the design of the screen menus, especially the instrument panel, is different, being more sporty in the case of the Abarth. This one also has different materials, a sportier decoration and semi-bucket type seats.
engines
Logically, aesthetic issues aside, the big difference between an Abarth and a Fiat, whatever the model, is in the engine. This also occurs in the electric variants. So the Abarth 500e has a clearly more powerful engine than the Fiat 500e.
To begin with, the Fiat model is offered with two options, one of 95 and another of 118 CV. Instead, the first electric Abarth uses a 155 hp engine and 235 Nm of torque that provides superior performance.
Autonomy
The electric Fiat 500 is offered with two types of battery: the 95 hp version is coupled with a 21.3 kWh net capacity battery that offers a range of 180 kilometres. For its part, the 118 CV variant has a battery with a useful capacity of 37.3 kWh (42 kWh gross), with which it can travel up to 320 kilometers, according to official data.
This is the same battery that the Abarth 500e has, 42 kWh of gross capacity and, although the brand has not given the autonomy figure, it will be less than that of the 118 hp Fiat 500e.
Road behavior
Greater mechanical power must inevitably translate into greater performance on the road by the scorpion. It is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in seven seconds and going from 40 to 60 km/h in just 1.5 seconds, a remarkable acceleration capacity. Instead, the Fiat 500e has a slower acceleration, although it is not bad: 9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h for the most powerful version.
In addition, it has three driving modes, Turismo, Scorpion Street and Scorpion Track, which modify the behavior of the car. Depending on the option selected, the powertrain prioritizes comfort, efficiency, or performance.
sound generator
Finally, another of the differences between the Abarth 500e and the Fiat 500e is in a curious item of equipment option in the scorpion. This is the Sound Generator, a device that faithfully reproduces the sound of a gasoline Abarth.
The Fiat utility, on the other hand, does not have a similar option, something that also marks the type of philosophy pursued by each model.