ABARTH has revealed its Fiat 500-based all-electric 500e scorching hatch this week – and the Italian efficiency model’s first EV mannequin is confirmed to reach in Australian showrooms late subsequent yr.
The high-performance mannequin will provide a 0-100km/h acceleration time of round seven seconds, which means it is going to be slower than the lauded 595 and 695 petrol-powered hatch variants it serves to exchange.
Like that duo, the Abarth 500e can be supplied in each hatch and cabriolet format with energy from a 114kW/235Nm electrical motor mounted throughout the entrance axle that’s fed by a 42kWh battery pack.
Abarth doesn’t quote a driving vary for the mannequin however says it could be charged through an 85kW DC quick charger enabling 40km of driving vary to be added in 5 minutes, or an 80 per cent cost in simply over half an hour.
To shortly and simply cost the automotive at dwelling, Abarth will provide a plug-and-play wallbox answer with Bluetooth MyEasyWallbox app that permits homeowners to arrange and monitor the five hundred’s charging parameters.
And whereas the ‘inexperienced scorpion’ is not going to have the identical aural character as its turbo-petrol derivatives, it is going to be supplied with a sound generator that claims to faithfully reproduce the sound of an inner combustion engine.
The Abarth 500e offers drivers with three driving modes together with a relaxed Turismo (or Tour) mode for round city driving; Scorpion Avenue, for one-pedal driving at full energy; and Scorpion Observe for “prime efficiency”.
Stylistically, the Abarth 500e is differentiated from common Fiat 500s by remoulded bumpers entrance and rear, replete with colour-coded honeycomb inserts up entrance, 18-inch alloys over bigger disc brakes, bigger sill covers and stand-out Abarth logos all spherical.
As pictured, the Scopionissima launch variant is accessible in vivid Poison Blue or Acid Inexperienced paint colors with bolder graphics on either side, its personal alloy wheel design, rear privateness glass and a set pane glass roof.
Alcantara upholstery with gray accents adorn the cabin of the Abarth 500e, which additionally hosts a 7.0-inch digital instrument array with Abarth graphics and a ten.25-inch central infotainment centre with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a JBL sound system, 360-degree digital camera system, wi-fi cellphone charger and a collection of performance-focused info menus.
Different inside highlights embody sports activities pedals and engraved sill panels, keyless entry and begin, local weather management, an electrochromatic rear-view mirror and manually adjustable and heated entrance sport seats.
On the protection entrance, the Abarth 500e is fitted as commonplace with six airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep help and site visitors signal recognition.
“At this time we’re celebrating a milestone in Abarth’s historical past: we’re concurrently presenting the primary electrical Abarth in Europe, based mostly on the brand new 500e, and likewise launching the model in Brazil with the introduction of the brand new Abarth Pulse,” mentioned Fiat and Abarth chief government officer and international chief advertising and marketing officer of Stellantis, Oliver Francois.
“The brand new Abarth 500e is likely one of the most enjoyable launches within the historical past of the model: an ideal new addition to the Abarth line-up. I like to think about it as household, so our fanbase can be concerned in each step of our electrification journey.
“You might ask ‘why electrical?’ Properly, principally, efficiency made us do it. In actual fact, each change made within the Abarth is about getting the perfect driving efficiency. That’s precisely how our founder, Carlo Abarth, all the time wished it.
“So, from that standpoint, let’s say that nothing has modified. Higher acceleration, higher dealing with, extra enjoyable. After which there’s Abarth’s legendary signature – its sound!”
Australian pricing and specification for the Abarth 500e can be confirmed nearer to the mannequin’s native launch towards the tip of 2023.
