This Fiat Abarth 600e has a “who are you calling cutesy?” look, and I’m here for it.
In case you missed it (and I don’t blame you, since we’re not getting it), Fiat recently revealed a larger battery-electric hatch called the 600e. Now, the brand’s Abarth performance arm turned it into a hot hatch with 237 horsepower on tap. But guess what? We’re not getting this one stateside either.
So, why am I talking about it at all? Well, it’s fun to look at forbidden fruit from time to time, plus this is one of the most out there Fiat models we’ve seen in a little while. Even though that 237 hp figure isn’t hugely impressive compared to some other high-performance cars, this is the most powerful Abarth to-date. Fiat did not publish full technical specs yet, but we do know the automaker worked with Hankook on special tires for this model, and this hotter 600e has some beefier brakes behind the large 20-inch wheels as well as a mechanical limited-slip differential.
Couple those upgrades to the appropriately loud “Hypnotic Purple” paint and a more pissed off-looking front end, and you know what? I actually kind of dig it. As much as Fiat is aiming to woo younger buyers with the 500e’s U.S. relaunch, bringing a model with some performance cred would actually help its case, to my mind. Never say never, but at least for now there are no concrete plans to bring any Fiat 600, let alone the Abarth version, to our shores.
For those who can order it, this particular Fiat Abarth 600e is the “Sporpionissima” edition, which will be limited to 1,949 examples, each with a certificate of authenticity. Underneath, it should pack the same 54-kWh battery as the standard 600e, though the added performance may hinder its range a bit. Using Europe’s WLTP cycle, the base car is supposed to get around 250 miles on a charge.
Just so you hopefully don’t feel like the read was a waste of time, check out the Fiat we actually are getting in the coming months below:
