The Italian pocket rocket is going to be electrified.
During the European launch of the brand new and fully-electric Fiat 500e in Turin, the CEO of Fiat, Olivier François, indirectly confirmed an Abarth variant is already under development, signalling an electrified future for the Scorpion sub-brand.
More specifically, Olivier François said to media he would love to see an Abarth version of the 500e. He added that the new Fiat 500e which is already a fun-to-drive city car, is a great starting point for the Abarth engineers to work on.
As you can see from our speculative renderings, the upcoming Italian hot hatch will boast redesigned front and rear bumpers for a more aggressive look, along with larger diameter wheels and side sills.
At the back there won’t be any exhaust pipes (due to the electric powertrain) however we will see a more prominent diffuser, darkened taillights and a larger roof spoiler.
Furthermore, the 500 and Fiat logos will be replaced with Abarth and 595e badging all around the car.
We also expect a dual-tone exterior and Abarth graphics for further differentiation from the regular 500e, making it look more like its “mean” brother.
Besides the three-door hatch, there will also be a cabriolet version. It’s still unclear if we are going to see an Abarth with the 3+1 body style – the latter is reserved for the left hand drive markets due to the positioning of the suicide doors on the passenger side (right).
Inside, the first-ever electrified Abarth will be equipped with bucket suede/leather seats from Recaro, a different steering wheel, new upholstery options like Alcantara, and additional sporty touches like aluminium pedals and carbon-fibre bits.
As for technology, it is expected to have the 10.25-inch central touchscreen with the UConnect 5 infotainment, and the 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, however both units will probably get version-specific graphics.
Besides the visual tweaks, we expect a series of mechanical changes, including a more powerful electric motor, a more aggressive suspension setup, a different calibration for the steering wheel and beefier brakes.
The electric motor on the current 500e produces 70kW or 87kW of power (depending on the trim level) and a healthy 220Nm of torque. As for the internal combustion Abarth 595 range currently available in Australia, they are offered with the latest version of the good old 1.4-litre in two power outputs, with 107kW/206Nm and 132kW/250Nm.
For those who are not familiar with the Italian brand, Abarth’s reincarnation started in 2007 as Fiat’s sub-brand for sporty models.
The original company was founded by Carlo Abarth in 1949, who made his name by tuning Fiats for the racetrack between the ‘50s and the ‘70s.
The first modern 500 Abarth launched in 2008, followed by the updated Abarth 595 range in 2012 which received a major facelift in 2016 along with several model year updates.
