Abarth 600e long-term test

It looks the part, but can the electric Abarth 600e deliver the driving thrills of a traditional hot hatch? We're living with one to find out...

Updated24 April 2026

The car Abarth 600e Scorpionissima Run by Mark Pearson, used cars editor

Why it’s here To see if a small electric sports SUV can cut the mustard against combustion-engined rivals

Needs to It’ll need to be fun, but it’ll also need to dispatch commuting, work and family life without any range anxiety issues and cope with a wide variety of everyday duties

Miles covered 7013 List Price £39,885 Best price £35,995 Price as tested £39,885 Dealer price now £28,040 Private price now £24,409 Official range 199 miles Test range 107-168 miles Running costs (excluding depreciation) £310.80 electricity

24 April 2026 – Racing to the finish

In the olden days, when nothing much was very good, if your car or motorbike didn’t go or handle very well, you’d take it to a specialist firm, usually one with a successful record in racing, and they would modify it and make it better. Technically, that is what my Abarth 600e is. You see, Abarth is an offshoot of the mighty Fiat empire, and what it has always done is take humble Fiats and turn them into something more sporting.

I also date from the olden times, and my motorbike has likewise been modified. It started life as an everyday Honda, but, along the way, it was transformed into a more uncompromised sportster. Could Abarth, I wondered, likewise wave its magic wand over the humble Fiat 600e and turn it into a pocket rocket sufficient to stiffen the sinews and summon up the blood of even this most jaded of drivers?

Well, the good news is, I thought the car looked terrific. Mine was actually the limited-edition Scorpionissima version, and it benefited from, among other things, the stunning Hypnotic Purple paint, which would have attracted attention in its own right regardless of the car it happened to be on. I liked its beefed-up bodywork too, replete with scorpion detailing and bright yellow badges, and I liked its deep front spoiler and large rear wing and its eye-catching 20in alloy wheels with their imitation centre-lock studs.

Inside, it lived up to the exterior swagger. There were figure-hugging Sabelt sports seats, a racing-inspired steering wheel, and pedals made from aluminium.

Then there was the power. My Scorpionissima version enjoyed a boost over the regular Abarth 600e, delivering 276bhp to its front wheels. With such oomph, the Abarth always felt quick without feeling, if you’ll forgive the pun, electrifying, although you can’t argue with a 0-62mph time of just 5.9sec.

You could argue with the torque steer, though. This is a phenomenon that occurs under heavy acceleration, when that power can make the steering wheel writhe and squirm in your hands. I initially admired this for its sporting bravado, but soon tired of having to tread carefully when exiting junctions in the wet.

Maybe this was why I felt on occasion that some slight driving pleasure was missing in the 600e; perhaps it was also because it was lacking the sound and feel of a good petrol engine? Even there, Abarth had an answer, sort of. My car came with an artificial sound generator that produced a noise akin to the exhaust note of a regular petrol-engined car. It rose in volume as the car accelerated and then settled down at a cruise. Did it work? Not really, because its muted burble was rather underwhelming inside the car. However, if all it did was warn the odd pedestrian of my presence, then we must view it as a good try, and it was at least easy to turn on and off.

I liked the steering, though, which was nicely weighted and pleasingly direct, yet not so quick as to be twitchy. In corners, grip levels were high, and the 600e’s handling was eager, nicely balanced and good fun. There was little body lean through fast bends, and no discernible body movement at all under acceleration or heavy braking.

The bad news is that as a corollary of that stiff suspension, the ride was excruciatingly firm. Of course, a sports car will almost inevitably be firmly set up, but the 600e felt like it had no suspension at all, with every pothole and ridged surface, every sleeping policeman and speed hump, met with howls of anguish from anyone travelling in the car. Both my wife and my brother declared it the most uncomfortable car they’d ever travelled in, and there can be no sharper criticism than that.

Its efficiency was likewise a cause for concern. I saw highs of 3.3 miles per kWh, which equates to a real-world range of 168 miles, and lows of 2.1 (107 miles). On average, it achieved 2.8 miles per kWh, which is a fairly mediocre 143 miles.

So, was my choice justified? Well, it was worth a gamble. My Abarth was certainly a much more invigorating drive than the regular Fiat 600e, but for me, the compromises involved in living with it outweighed its occasional pleasures. If I’d been a little younger, perhaps, with stronger vertebrae…

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here