Fiat’s performance division Abarth has released details of the first deliveries of one of the smallest electric vehicles to be sold in Australia – the 500e electric hatch.
Abarth says it will make a limited number of 219 of the 500e Scorpionissima edition available to Australian buyers later this year, followed by the Turismo trim. Prices have yet to be released.
The Abarth 500e will be coming with a front-mounted motor producing 114 kW or power and 235 Nm of torque. This powertrain will get the electrified hatch to 100 km/h from a standstill in a respectable 7 seconds.
This powertrain can be used in three driving modes which are selected from the centre console. These include Turismo, Scorpion Street or the performance-orientated Scorpion Track mode.
A 42 kWh battery pack feeds the Abarth’s powertrain and can be topped up with DC fast charging speeds of up to 85 kW. This would get the battery charged 10-80% in around 35 minutes. This pack can deliver up to 252 km of range.
Safety and autonomous driving features offered on the Abarth include a forward-facing camera for adaptive cruise control and active lane centring. A newly developed sound generator ensures the car retains its “iconic” roar.
In terms of looks, the Abarth 500e will be featured in five colours:
- Acid Green
- Poison Blue
- Antidote White
- Venom Black
- Adrenaline Red
Dimensions-wise, this would be one of the smallest EVs to hit the Australian market so far. According to the ev-database, it sits at:
- Length: 3,631 mm
- Width: 1,683 mm
- Height: 1,529 mm
Pricing of the new sportier hatchback is yet to be announced but in a right-hand-drive market like the UK, its the equivalent of $A72,400. With UK prices, it’s worth noting that they include a 20% VAT (value added tax)
Abarth is encouraging interested buyers to visit the website or an Abarth dealer for more information.
Abarth 500e will be available in only one trim*, called Turismo.
Exterior Specification
- 18” alloy wheels
- Full LED lighting
- Panoramic fixed glass roof
- Privacy glass
- Heated Titanium grey mirror caps
- Abarth logo, lettering and Electrified Scorpion logo
Interior Specification
- Premium sport seats with Alcantara embossing
- Leather and Alcantara sporty steering wheel
- Alcantara dashboard Fascia
- 50:50 split foldable rear seats
- Height adjustable driver seat
- Heated front seats
- Sporty metal pedals and kick plate
- Centre armrest and closed centre console
e-Powertrain
Mode 3 charging cable
Technology
- Abarth driving modes
- Abarth Sound Generator
- Blind spot monitor
- Front, side and rear parking sensors
- Rear-view camera
- Autonomous Emergency Brake + Traffic Sign Recognition + Intelligent Speed Assist + Lane Control + Driver Attention Alert
- 7” TFT instrument cluster
- 10.25” infotainment with DAB+, wireless Apple Carplay® and Android AutoTM
- Keyless Entry and Keyless Go
- Cruise control
- Climate control
- Premium JBL audio with 6 speakers
- USB (type A+C)
- Auto dimming rearview mirror
- Wireless charging pad
- Automatic headlamps with automatic high/low beam
- Automatic wipers
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.