First look inside new Abarth 600e smokin’ hot electric SUV

Описание: Compared to the Fiat 600e it’s based on, Abarth’s souped-up version features racing-inspired seats, a sportier steering wheel with leather and Alcantara inserts, lots of neon green stitching and the brand’s signature Scorpion emblem.

Abarth has also added its own graphics to the information system to provide drivers with performance stats and use the 10-inch central touchscreen to switch the car’s ‘Abarth Sound Generator’ on or off. We first saw this feature in the Abarth 500e hot hatch, which uses two speakers – one inside the car, the other outside – to try and mimic the burble of the company’s petrol-powered models.

The exterior styling changes are no less subtle, with the Abarth 600e getting a blocky front bumper, an equally chunky rear bumper with a very pronounced diffuser, large roof spoiler and decals along the sides. The 20-inch rims were needed to accommodate a new brake system, and have been wrapped in a set of high-performance tyres jointly developed by Formula E’s supplier Hankook.

The dramatic ‘Hypnotic Purple’ paint not only contrasts the lime green Abarth logos on the car, but is the launch colour of the Abarth 600e. The specific model you see here is the exclusive Scorpionissima launch edition, just 1,949 examples of which will be produced.

The Abarth 600e sits on a new platform called ‘Perfo-eCMP’, based on Stellantis’s well-known CMP/e-CMP architecture that underpins Fiat’s 600e, plus the Jeep Avenger, Vauxhall Mokka and Peugeot 2008.

Producing exactly 237bhp, this small electric SUV is Abarth’s most powerful car yet, though performance figures remain a tightly guarded secret for the moment, as do any range figures.

The Abarth 600e is probably using a single electric motor driving the front wheels like Fiat’s version, but will benefit from a mechanical limited-slip differential. These are often used by front-wheel drive hot hatches to help minimise torque steer, with Abarth claiming it “guarantees excellent driving stability, improved handling, and traction” in the 600e.