NEW Abarth 500e Review | Does an electric hot-hatch really work?

[@CARmagazineTV]

Can a hot hatch be all-electric? Let us know what you think...

[@redlineste4283]

Answer.... no

[@surturiel]

Yup, of course! Nothing says what a hot hatch should be fueled with. What makes a hot hatch is being small, nimble and more powerful than the regular variant.

[@Peginafication]

​@@surturiel and cheap too, surely? Seems not to check that box

[@surturiel]

@@Peginafication Unfortunately nothing is cheap today...

[@Peginafication]

@@surturiel this is true. Still, hard pass on electric Hot Hatches for me for now. May change at some point but not the way things are today

[@teamhandsome1974]

Give me Tron noises or nothing at all! At least it can be turned off.

[@protocetid]

Abarth model should’ve stayed ICE

[@bikebudha01]

Nawww... I want my to play the Star Wars theme for the Empire....

[@quercus5398]

Only the Italians can put a muffler sound in a EV,beautiful car!

[@isleofauto]

In fact, ford did it in 2019 with the Mustang Mach-e: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3jQhmmmZZZrjsU

[@sunsinger970]

Dodge?

[@gameboyterrorysta6307]

Imitating combustion noises with speakers is lame. End of the story. Give me exagerated sci-fi noises. And make it RWD and tail happy.

[@ChristianrnstrupRasmussen]

And a hundred horses more.

[@gameboyterrorysta6307]

@@ChristianrnstrupRasmussen I'd rather remove 400kg. Idea of supermini with curb weight higher than my daily AWD wagon is just insane for me, regardless of its' power.

[@AadrianB]

i think it's worth the difference, the seats and driving position are far better than the old one and also the interior quality has improved

[@RandomSubscriptions]

Should've made it rwd like the original...

[@stanislas4990]

Great review. It's a kind of fun car, despite the fact it's quite heavy. I've had the opportunity to drive the Abarth 500e very recently, but only for a short drive in the city, and I like it. The sound generator is great, but it could be louder in my opinion. Inside it looks like a luxury car, with alcantara.

[@eugenux]

speaker car sounds are dvmb af, good only for non-car ppl. edit. 160 miles in the best ever conditions; in normal conditions, around 100 miles, which is pathetic.

[@rcajavus8141]

what is the price? it should look like a luxury car with price of a luxury car... or is 30k euro cheap for supermini fiat garbage?

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

It's way overpriced and much slower than a real Abarth. Warm hatch (at best) performance for £34k and under 150 mile range lol Best just buying a used BMW i3 for half that.

[@lambrosstamos4494]

Probably, there will be a sportier version. Carbon roof and bonnet, please. Rear seat delete and lightweight bucket seats. That would be a hot electric hatch. This scorpion is very handsome.

[@stefanweilhartner4415]

in a few years they might offer you a lighter battery with 500Wh/kg. that means half the weight for the same energy. that would translate in approx. 200kg less weight.

[@JoeFarruggia]

@@stefanweilhartner4415 sounds best to wait until then

[@robertcook2572]

What's the point of shaving a few pounds off a tiny car which weighs as much as a blue whale?

[@dontknowdontcare44]

Already paying 34,000 for 160hp, it be a nice car but I’m not paying 40k to have more power than an economy car

[@markhamilton7289]

just had a 1hr test drive. absolute hoot. but also a very grown up car with better damping than my bmw330e

[@DanDiMaggio]

I'm actually digging this little thing but I doubt we'll get it in the states. One thing I'd comment on about the sound though is every sub 2 liter 4 or 3 cylinder with a manual transmission I've ever driven at highway speeds buzzes away like that since they are typically sitting at or above 3k rpm so I get why they are doing that but I totally agree it would be nice to have a simple button to turn it off quickly.

[@endeavourist5287]

You never know. Fiat is bringing the 500e to North America next year, and its CEO has said specifically that he would like to bring over the Abarth 500e also. While not yet confirmed, I think it has a good shot. But yeah, I absolutely love this little car also and I'd love to see it here in Canada.

[@spunkymonkie]

I have a Fiat 500e La Prima and I love it. I’ve test driven the Abarth 500e and I equally love it, so I’ve ordered one. Very excited.

[@buggerlugz6753]

Really missed the opportunity there didn't they? I mean, if it'd had twice as much power it'd be a viable alternative.

[@nosoupforyou425]

Well done Fiat. As an owner of a 453 smart EV I can say I would consider this...

[@JBsC6]

Cool little car and a great review. Recharge capability is weak and the cost comparison loses to the gasoline powered model.

[@Nickoboss29]

It's not cool

[@hoody3758]

It`s not cool. It`s a fake abrth.

[@robsmall6466]

£34k. Too much Fiat. Too much

[@toasty12354]

It is a lot for a fiat

[@pigeonpoo1823]

At 20k I'd think, 'hmmm I'll have a fiesta ST-Line'. 34k is not even funny. And abarths are supposed to have a sense of humour.

[@FlyingFun.]

Saved me watching another boring ev video lol. 34k is stupid. There is fa in an ev compared to ice and the prices of these things needs to reflect that simplicity.

[@REALZEUS1]

Regarding the loss of playfulness compared to the petrol versions, one must keep in mind that this has a different platform altogether. A longer wheelbase and tracks bring on more stability. This is just a more planted car by design, regardless of its weight, which of course plays its part too.

[@lesvassallo5760]

looks great but 11000 k more than a petrol version no

[@TheOnlyJizz]

I'm an EV driver, and I really want to like this. But I suspect the new Mini and Renault 5 will be more polished articles.

[@nigel.w]

I think the Mini electric is already quite polished. It's just lacking in range. I have high hopes for the upcoming Renault 5. Range is the key for such cars, because so many are purchased as an only car, even though in reality the low range of the current Mini electric is probably enough for many people's weekly commute, and enough for 98-99% of annual journeys. This Abarth is disappointing, and its fake ICE sounds tell us in no uncertain terms that Abarth considers them essential to the enthusiast experience, which is exactly the wong message. IMO, very few ICE are anything to write home about, but I do lament the probable loss of many truly great ICE.

[@g600f700]

good review. It's great they make fake sound to imitate ICE version, may I recommend they also make fake shift, fake clutch, fake turbo and fake motion to get full ICE experience? There is a market for those buyers. Also, on price comparison, IMO, TCO - total cost of ownership make more sense than just look at initial purchase price. In general, ICE has oil change, tune up, and the time going to petrol station to refill vs EV has none on home charging. Time is a resource that a lot of people overlooked. Unless you keep the vehicle forever, we got to look at resell value. Is there still a market for used ICE let's say 2030? 8 years from now. These are some points we need to research.

[@1MrBryn]

More on those ducks please

[@tzeimet]

I don't quite get how the range is so much worse, the Mini SE which is more powerful, is also far more efficient. Seems like they might have cheaped out with the motor, choosing to go for a less efficient model. More efficient motors have more windings, and thus cost more.

[@jupitersydney3555]

Great review … James start your own You Tube channel … your way better than almost all the big names

[@peterthwaites5891]

I love my petrol Abarth 595 scorpioneoro... I know everything is wrongly being forced down the "EV route" and it will be comply or die? BUT surely for now (there`s over 6 years to current 2030 deadline) rather than keeping the old model plodding on they could have put the 595/695 mechanicals into this new body? i`d have been buying one...as it is this EV Abarth will loose many faithful followers..

[@craigix]

Lol it's apparently already sold out.

[@protocetid]

I wish people and automobile conglomerates didn’t have tunnel vision for EVs and also looked at alternative fuels like methanol to keep the ICE alive

[@riverah003]

No oil changes or gas station fill up at high prices these days should account for something as far as price difference? My 2015 Fiat 500e in the US paid for itself after a few years. Granted I paid a lot less as it was a lease return at that time. Since then the price for it has appreciated here. I’m waiting for the Abarth E to show up here. Cheers!

[@Space-O-2001]

Don't have an issue with the range as a fun commuter and it will be charging on the drive , ready the next day like a mobile phone. I do however think the price kills it.

[@garden-Railway]

Crazy that we need the sound !

[@stickvortex]

It looks cool but they missed the mark with the low hp number honestly. They should have given it around 200hp at least and not 160. I don’t think the “tuner” image of Abarth makes sense for an EV but semantics aside I think it’s nicely done when judged on its own merits. The noise sounds ridiculous though.

[@wpjohn91]

Heavier, more expenisive and less powerful than the previpus model. Dosent make sense does it

[@brownhairydog6472]

Hang on, it's quicker than the petrols...might have downsides vs petrol but speed ain't one of them

[@stickvortex]

@@brownhairydog6472 Perhaps off the line, but that’s because the petrols have manual gearboxes or one of the worst automatics in modern times.

[@AnInterestedObserver]

Well presented, thank you.

[@CARmagazineTV]

Thanks!

[@richardconway6425]

Did James really not say anything about whether this car was front or rear wheel driven? Bit of a surprising omission?! From the comments I get the impression that it's front drive - but this is a little curious, because I thought the ev makers had come to a consensus that rear drive is better in 2 wheel drive full bevs. This is for reasons of traction - the weight distribution of a bev is completely different from a typical fwd car. The reason why fwd cars work as well as they do, well, up to 8/10 effort, is exactly because they have so much weight over the front axle. Typically ~ 63% of the cars mass, in fact. I understood that the ev car makers found that in a typical bev, there just wasn't enough weight over the front axle to give the required traction.

[@CARmagazineTV]

Sorry, yes FWD!

[@richardconway6425]

@@CARmagazineTV Aha!! It's all coming out now ... 😃

[@alexshepherd]

Yes - they claim this is a new platform, but it does look similar to the usual FWD platform with a motor bolted in place of an engine, instead of truly starting from scratch. If they put the motor in the back, under the rear seats, there could be useful space in the front as in the 1950s 500 :) I think that would work out well, as they’d have to engineer a proper rear suspension instead of the twist beam, and they could also dial down the steering assistance with the front wheel geometry not having to counter the effects of torque steer. Of course, for the same money, you can buy a Tesla Model 3 basic RWD version where they’ve already done all that and put in twice the power. Still, it would be nice to see the Abarth version of it

[@robrackstraw]

How do they get this stuff so wrong? A noise on/off button. It's not bloody rocket science.

[@daguzify]

Delete the back seats, double the battery size and I’m sold

[@alsayedfakhri4597]

Cool car, up there with the Honda E in terms of style. If Honda could get the range up to 180ish, it'd be the perfect city car imo.

[@teamhandsome1974]

Well not the perfect city car so much as the perfect small all rounder. 🙂

[@Nickoboss29]

It's anything but cool

[@peakproofuk]

Yep. Don’t get the feeling Honda are fully behind their E.

[@teamhandsome1974]

@@peakproofuk I think its a vanity city car tbh. A very good looking one, but not Honda's best effort in technical terms!

[@Hali88]

I just think this car makes no sense. It's not as fun as Abarth should be, so they added the fake engine noise and eye searing paint. Who is it for? EV buyers who want to pretend they have a petrol? Bizarre.

[@richardconway6425]

errrm, I think it will appeal to well heeled urbanites living in big, European cities, and perhaps people who have a short daily commute. Perhaps as a second car. A little bit of Italian style goes a long way. The price, though, is a bit eye-watering. This seems to be the case with small, chic full bevs, like the little Honda and mini e. When I think what I could buy with 34k, it's not a favourable comparison. Like an Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce, for example. But the buyers of cars like these don't think like that. The car market has become very diverse, and niche.

[@qvisionstudios]

I'll take one in black but change the sounds to a Tie Fighter!

[@AR-zr1om]

Love this car and don't mind the range or power they're perfect for what it needs to do but the price is just too much it needs to be around 30k

[@Gadgetlava]

£34k for a lemon, the world has truly gone insane

[@ogloftus]

Can’t wait to pass these with ease in my Mk8.5 Fiesta ST3

[@Winning9999]

While only having paid a fraction of the cost and making engine noises from a real engine and not a speaker 😂🤙

[@ogloftus]

@@Winning9999 damn straight

[@Winning9999]

@@ogloftus recently sold my mk7.5 ST3 with Mountune 230 kit and quaff LSD they are great cars and have heard the mk8 is even more tunable yet to drive one 👍

[@ogloftus]

@@Winning9999 should try it never driven any of the previous ones just had a golf R32 before and the ST is hands down the much better car minus the exhaust note

[@ogloftus]

@@Winning9999 mines stock and passes mk7.5 Golf GTi and just barely got pulled on by a new BMW 128ti, both considerably more powerful

[@geetee4037]

Looks cool, its fun and quick enough but no need for the fake noise.

[@NisseOhlsen]

Thanks for being honest !

[@718YellowSubmarine]

Is the seating as high as the FIAT 500e? That would be a real "down"-point compared to the Mini Cooper EV.

[@marcusjackson2874]

Test driving one today see if it's any good

[@eleveneleven572]

£34,000 for a fiat 500. Ridiculous. EV cars are just way out of reach for most people....and who wants to get stung for a new battery after a few years then get hit with road tax and expensive electricity; governments will eventually have to start taxing them.

[@bluceree7312]

The question is: how much distance do you have to travel to make up the £11k difference in price, assuming you have cheap-ish AC electricity rates and ability to charge at home.

[@toobasaurus23]

Love one in Black.

[@leliobasket]

Just imagine doing in this new car a swap with a 595 engine👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[@squalewally7297]

Perfect city car

[@kevincarpenter561]

Not sure the people looking for an EV will cross shop the ICE versions. The ICE version might be a little slower but for less than the 11,000 price difference, you can buy a lot of performance upgrades.

[@Bennyferizaj]

The ICE version is faster than this I think he said 152 hp. My 2013 abarth has 160hp.

[@kevincarpenter561]

They claim the EV is 1 second faster around their test track than the ICE powered version, quicker reacting once up to speed, no shifting, constant torque delivery. The the ICE powered version would be quicker to 60 mph due to similar power but lighter curb weight, sounds better too.@@Bennyferizaj

[@tomooo2637]

But can you drill holes in the exhaust to make it really loud like the tiny motor bikes around here.

[@erezyoal]

I get the honda E

[@fanBladeOne]

That duck looking up 😄🦆

[@josueelombre931]

So basically ev killed abarth and it’s lunacy

[@charlesclement383]

You guys are always complaining when it comes to Italian cars,that's why I buy them, and NOT anything German.

[@michaelmedina7308]

I'm trying to imagine myself driving a car with fake exhaust noises in Oklahoma

[@sly7159]

Not only that, but doesn't the car have diffrrent modes? Just like the Fiat 500e? There should be an economy mode, and sport at least in the Abarth, right?

[@ripmax333]

What’s the point of Fake noise on an EV car?, or you are proud to go green with an EV car or get the petrol version.

[@RSProduxx]

If money wasn´t an issue, I´d probably buy it. :)

[@Sebaberthier]

1 second quicker, game changer 😂👌🏼

[@ripmax333]

And with Fake ICE sound!…..pppfftt😅

[@replica1052]

(the low center of gravity and minimal moment of inertia should make it worth it )

[@stoicllc2352]

Yeah I just want to hear the actual electric motor.

[@DarrenSpill]

Life time cost! Cheaper fuel, servicing, tax, ULEZ, etc…they probably workout the same over 3-4 year so yes I’d rather have the 500e. Good video though 👍🏼🔋

[@Cassp0nk]

No one has beaten the i3s on the small car front. Shame bmw ditched their dedicated platforms.

[@stephen300o6]

I wonder if the early combustion car makers tried to make their cars sound like horse hooves? To pander to the concrete folks, the ones who cannot bend with change.

[@robertcook2572]

Early cars already made more noise than horse-drawn vehicles. Battery-powered cars make less noise than their ICE-powered brethren. Well done for having a go, though.

[@matthewp9015]

Do you feel superior yet?

[@timfreeman2603]

The yellow looks faded in video,compared to thumbnail

[@ragemydream]

Great review. Would rather spend the £11k on petrol.

[@CARmagazineTV]

Glad you enjoyed 👌

[@boyvee]

Is it shorter then the petrol version?

[@robertcook2572]

The range is, certainly.

[@StefTechSurfer]

Hard top? Cabrio?

[@abehaile2659]

😢 I was hoping it was going to be a zippy FUN ev. I'll stay with my Fiesta ST for another year

[@darknessislight3689]

I love it

[@anthonygebala1198]

I noticed that when you showed it being charged that all the charges were paid available and working! Not like the real world

[@CARmagazineTV]

That was genuine! They weren’t closed off or anything. But we did get lucky…

[@alexshepherd]

“Is this worth £11,000 more than the petrol version?” - fair question, but then there’s the question I have, “Is this worth £7,000 more than the FIAT 500e?”

[@CARmagazineTV]

The £7k gap from Fiat to Abarth is probably more justifiable than £11k from 595 to 500e!

[@alexshepherd]

@@CARmagazineTVThanks, I’m not sure it is :) A few days later, we ordered our FIAT 500e to replace our 2014 Abarth 500C Esseesse, making sure to get the fancy version (La Prima equivalent) with the light-coloured interior, the lane keeping/Traffic Jam assist, chrome trim, etc. I think that car probably utilises the heavy-feeling platform better than the Abarth version would. Remember the Stilo Abarth? I liked it, but most people didn’t, for similar reasons to what you've said about the Abarth 500e

[@cbca6567]

Should have a lot more power to negate the huge weight increase compared to the petrol cars. and that would heighten the top speed also. The range should also be greater and lets not start on the ridiculous price for too little power and range. Not really an Abarth to me.

[@matthewp9015]

More power would necessitate a bigger battery, adding more weight.

[@harisdevedzic3167]

Just get the petrol

[@nigel.w]

This Abarth is disappointing, and its fake ICE sounds tell us in no uncertain terms that Abarth considers them essential to the enthusiast experience. Whether they are or not is subjective, but I think we have to accept that electric cars are either silent to the occupants or sound like an electric motor. However, they give at least one compensation, which is instant torque. My personal opinion is that most ICE engines and their sounds are nothing to write home about. I only lament what I consider the unnecessary looming loss of truly great sounding ICE engines, like the Ferrari and Lambo V12s, the Audi/Lambo V10, Ferrari V8s, the great BMW straight sixes, and some V6s. Otherwise, I think there;s nothing for fear of EVs in and of themselves. They are far too expensive. But they have the potential to be very cheap and mobilise even more people. The problem is that Western governments seem opposed to the very mobilization of the masses that EVs could deliver, along with increased social/socio-economic mobility. Instead, in the West the promotion of the EV seems a pretext to severely increased costs of ownership of personal cars and getting most people out of personal car ownership and all of the social and socio-economic limits and losses that would bring with it. But by that time they hope to have us all in ghettos that you need a pass to get out of. What we need is some of the really cheap Chinese EVs to land on our shores. New EVs for under 10 grand is possible right now, as in China you can get them for less the US$5K. This Abarth is grossly overpriced and I hope it sells very poorly because of that. We need to send a clear message that we won't be blatantly rippped off.

[@Winning9999]

Imagine paying over £34,000 for a 160hp tarted-up economy car..... Ridiculous 🤯

[@robertvass4015]

We have an 500e and the 200mile figure is bullshit, it shows 250km ~155miles on a full charge but it pretty much does it in almost any condition

[@anotae]

Disposable cars. Nice but! Another Expensive disposable car. Anyone can drive a Ford t today. Can you drive one of those EV in 10 years?

[@pimeye]

I have been waiting for this car since it was first announced but unfortunately the range is pathetic, especially on a cold UK day. With UK charging infrastructure still hit and miss then unless the 2nd Generation (?2024) has a better range then I will have to give it a miss 😢.

[@timjohnson67]

I thought unique was just that. Very unique?

[@robertcook2572]

A bit pregnant

[@nickgee7291]

i want it! perfect for greece! I have a house so is ok

[@ModdBoy]

Need a kill switch put on the speaker.

[@daguzify]

I will hack that exterior speaker and put in my own vroom noises

[@aryaahmadi4029]

Acid Green also known as Vomit

[@andreabotti99]

The concept makes sense but to be honest the execution is terrible. If it really is marketed towards enthusiasts, it should've been rwd to even out the weight balance and for driving excitement. Also, 155hp is ridiculous for an EV, and the low range of the battery is unfortunate. Solid pass from me

[@stefanweilhartner4415]

it is a nice city car, however, quite pricy. for a lawyer in rome a nice gadget. but last time i checked, i was weather in rome nor a lawyer. when the latest LFMP batteries arrive in europe, they can shave off 5k€ of the fiat and abarth 500e. then, the sales numbers really go up.

[@DouglasJWalker]

Good review on a car that I hope is a good seller for Fiat. They play too much with petrol engine sounds any way. But yah....that button seems necessary.

[@Nickoboss29]

Everybody hates it... plus it's a shame

[@TheLastEmail]

1400 kg already the top ten lightest amoung all EV. EV can never be great when it's turning.....

[@Andrew-vx2ls]

Electric cars are perfect for suburban use (ie most of England) where distances are small. Given the weight of the batteries, little progress has been made since milk floats were around. However, on a long trip with cold weather, luggage and passengers the solution is to take the train, a Toyota hybrid or a classic car. In this specific case, the Fiat 500 is available in timid hybrid format which is probably the car to go for.

[@redlineste4283]

Insanity pricing again.

[@jacquesduplessis6175]

interior looks good, bar the screen, which I would just break off. outside, I get it, it's cute but still with a bit of go. fake engine sound.... mmmmm, I don't know

[@rxs87]

It makes no sense that this is fwd. It’s far easier to make an ev rwd than an ice car. Just buy an mg 4 if you want a fun ev.

[@keithronson2624]

Great review, as always. Hmmm. Really not sure. Design and looks are spot on! Certainly better than the Honda retro look... However! Surely new 2024 Mini Cooper e and indeed current 208e will be by far better... Nonetheless, a brave, bold attempt from Fiat. !

[@robertcook2572]

Can't really see the point of a performance version of a city car. Performance is inappropriate in a city and a city car is inappropriate on the open road.

[@VarioFelce]

Someone playing a fake sound this loud on an ev should be ashamed lmao

[@achilleconte4385]

it seems like... a petrol version would be better than this, who would have thought that? Lol

[@nikjac79]

A petrol version is EVER BETTER than any electric cars!!!

[@achilleconte4385]

@@nikjac79 yep, it was sarcasm on my side 😏

[@solentbum]

When I saw/heard one of these on display At Farnborough recently I thought some one was taking the piss. Only children need a brum brum noise.

[@teklife]

11k quid less for the petrol version, but how much in fuel monthly? you can think of it like this, get one of these at a dealer for around the same price or less than the petrol one down, and consider the monthly payments what you'd be burning in fuel anyway. charging is much cheaper than petrol

[@User-pu3lc]

Why would you ever buy this over a real 500 abarth?

[@hitmanhart6275]

There is no future for the affordable hot hacth in a EV world.

[@pigeonpoo1823]

There's no future for affordable cars full stop.

[@Reddylion]

Nice but too small.

[@Lemming1970]

it's a Fiat 500, What are you expecting?

[@By_Rant_Or_Ruin]

Just not good enough. Fiat back to the drawing board for some of this like weight, and where is my 230 ft pounds of torque? For $35,000 - 7 seconds for a hot hatch these days is far to slow. With the extra weight it makes body roll terrible and handling go from happy to muddy. And what the hell is with the sound? This can be better FIAT - Do better. This is them keeping their emissions standard for the EU.