It has been six months since the all-electric Abarth 500e was unveiled to the world but it has only just been confirmed that will be offered in Australia in both limited-edition Scorpionissima guise as well as the standard Turismo trim. Found beneath the aggressive-looking bodywork of the Abarth 500e is a 42 kWh battery pack that provides a single electric motor with juice. This motor drives the front wheels and packs 153 hp and 235 Nm of torque. While the electric hatchback doesn’t offer neck-snapping performance, it can hit 100 km/h in a respectable 7.0 seconds. It can also accelerate from 40-60 km/h in 1.5 seconds, a full second ahead of the petrol-powered Abarth 500.
The 500e supports AC and DC fast charging
at a peak rate of 85 kW, meaning the battery can be charged from 0-80% in 35
minutes. It can travel up to 252 km on a charge and has been
equipped with an artificial sound generator that promises to reproduce the soundtrack
of a petrol-powered Abarth model. The first variant to launch locally will be
the 500e Scorpionissima. Abarth is building just 1,949 examples worldwide and
219 of these are bound for Australia. This version is available in Acid Green
or Poison Blue and includes distinctive Abarth decals. Customers will also
receive a certificate of authenticity.
The ‘run-of-the-mill’ model available will
be the 500e Turismo. While pricing details haven’t been announced for this
model nor for the Scorpionissima, Abarth has confirmed it will come standard
with plenty of features. For example, the 500e Turismo is equipped with 18-inch
alloy wheels, LED lights, a fixed glass roof, privacy glass, premium sport
seats with Alcantara accents, an Alcantara dashboard, heated front seats, metal
pedals and kick plate, and a leather and Alcantara steering wheel. It also
comes loaded with plenty of tech, including a blind spot monitor, 10.25-inch
infotainment display, cruise control, six-speaker JBL audio system, wireless
charging pad, autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, and
intelligent speed assist.
