The new Abarth 600e is a 237bhp hot electric crossover
Developed as a tribute to Abarth’s colourful racing history, the 600e is the firm's most powerful model to date
Having showcased its new 600e with a render earlier this year, Abarth has provided a first look at its hot crossover in final production form. Details on its performance are still to come, but the marque has disclosed that it will be its most powerful road-going model to date, with a number of performance upgrades aimed at offering a sharper driving experience than the standard Fiat 600e.
Developed in collaboration with Stellantis Motorsport, the Abarth 600e is built upon a new Perfo-eCMP platform, a high-performance derivative of eCMP. This architecture is more advanced than that found in the smaller 500e, although what this actually means for drivers is yet to be confirmed.
What we do know is that the hot 600e will feature a 237bhp output, making it the most powerful Abarth model yet. Based on the 1620kg kerb weight of the ordinary Fiat 600e, a power-to-weight ratio somewhere in the region of 150bhp/ton will put it some way above the 110bhp/ton of the smaller, 152bhp Abarth 500e.
The powertrain isn’t all that Abarth has paid attention to, with revisions to the 600e’s chassis designed to offer improved dynamics. Distributing power to each front wheel is a new EV-specific limited-slip differential, with tweaked suspension geometry to increase stability. Although not drilled or vented, the Abarth’s Alcon braking system features larger discs for improved stopping power, while new tyres with a performance-orientated compound have also been fitted without any detriment to efficiency.
Setting it apart from the ordinary Fiat 600e are unique 20-inch diamond cut wheels, an aggressive fixed roof-mounted spoiler, new tinted rear lights and a sportier lower intake section with diagonal grilles for improved cooling.
The interior will receive an Abarth makeover too, with unique graphics on the dashboard, a scorpion emblem on the steering wheel and Alcantara upholstery. The 600e's 10-inch infotainment screen will also come with an Abarth-specific UI, and an onboard sound generator will offer a synthesised powertrain noise similar to that of the Abarth 500e.
The 600e will initially be available in Scorpionissima launch spec, finished in bold Hypnotic Purple and limited to 1949 units worldwide to reference Abarth's founding year. Pricing and UK availability is yet to be announced, but expect a starting price of around £40,000.
