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 6510 Price £39,885 Best price £35,995 Price as tested £39,885 Official range 199 miles Test range 143 miles
30 March 2026 – Lighting up my life
One or two of my colleagues here at What Car? have commented on what they think is the rather poor interior quality of my Abarth 600e, which I have to admit I hadn’t picked up on.
The truth is, I'd probably already been too seduced by the figure-hugging Sabelt seats with their sporting cut-outs and the Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, dash and centre console cover of my Scorpionissima model to notice the scratchy plastics used on the lower surfaces.
However, you’re probably not buying a sporting Abarth like this one if what you want is the interior quality of a Lexus. What matters to you far more is how it looks and how it drives. In the former, although looks are always subjective, I think the Abarth certainly looks flashy enough to appeal to the sort of people who might want to buy one.
I like the pumped-up kicks of its bulging wheel arches and huge alloys, and I love the sizeable rear wing, which carries a scorpion motif etched into its surface, presumably for passing birds to admire.
How it drives is another matter. When I first got the car, it reminded me of what is still one of our favourite hot hatches here at What Car?, the 2013-2017 Ford Fiesta ST. Like that car, the primary purpose of my Abarth is to put a grin on your face. Both cars are fast in a straight line, steer eagerly and stick to the road in corners like lipstick to a guilty man’s collar.
At the time, I thought the only thing that let the Fiesta ST down was its bumpy ride, which, on a pockmarked country lane, caused the headlights to dance around so much I found myself having to slow down so that I could see where I was going.
The Abarth is even firmer in the ride and even more uncomfortable. Oddly, though, its stiff damping seems to keep its LED headlights pointing in more or less the right direction over broken surfaces. Bumps are always felt, but they are dispatched quickly, keeping the headlight beam on a more even keel. The only thing then slowing you down is how long your spine can withstand the beating.
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