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...
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 5593 Price £39,885 Best price £35,995 Price as tested £39,885 Official range 199 miles Test range 143 miles
21 February 2026 – Highs and lows
Although my Abarth 600e looks like a hot hatch, with its beefed up bodywork and eye-catching 20in alloy wheels (versus the 16, 17 or 18in variants of the regular Fiat 600e on which it’s based), it's actually classified as a sports SUV.
Still, being an SUV (albeit a small one), it should be practical, and I spoke last time about how useful the boot is. However, I’ve got to admit I'm finding it a little tricky to get in and out – and I don't think the fact that I'm no longer 21 is (entirely) to blame.
You see, the front-door aperture is on the small side, and if you have the driver’s seat quite far back, it becomes a bit of a struggle. Plus, you have to negotiate the car’s figure-hugging, heavily bolstered sports seats, which are more focused on holding you in place when you're cornering than making access easy.
The fact that the door opens to quite a large angle doesn't help, either, because this means that when you’re sitting in the driver’s seat, it can be a real stretch to reach the door handle to close it, unless you have very long arms. Now, obviously, the way to overcome this is not to push or pull the door as far open as it will go, but you have to remember to do it, which, of course, I don’t.
The rear door opening angle is more average, which is a shame when you think that some people might be loading small children into the back of an SUV. Not that space in the back is very plentiful anyway. With the driver’s seat set up for a six-footer like me, there isn’t enough room for another tallish adult to sit behind.
Be warned, then, as an everyday SUV for families, this 600e is a bit compromised. And range also plays its part here. On journeys of reasonable length, I’ve seen efficiency highs of 3.3 miles per kWh on its digital readout, which equates to a range of 168 miles, and lows of 2.1 (107 miles). On average, meanwhile, it’s achieving 2.8 miles per kWh, which equates to a range of 143 miles. I don't think that's very impressive in this day and age.
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