2024 Abarth 500e review: This might be Australia’s stupidest electric car — and I bloody love it

Ok, fair warning: if you’re someone who approaches a new-car purchase with oodles of common sense, rationality and a keen eye for value for money, then this particular page of the internet might not be for you.

Still with me? Good, because while the Abarth 500e might make zero sense by any of the traditional car-buying metrics, it’s also one of my favourite EVs I’ve driven this year. 2024 Abarth 500e price and equipment

So shelve the head, tap into the heart, and let’s get started, shall we?

2024 Abarth 500e price and equipment

The Abarth 500e will take a $58,900-sized chunk out of your bank balance, before on-road costs. But if you want the limited-edition Scorpionissima variant, you’re looking at $60,500.

The difference between the Scorpionissima and the Turismo is entirely down to design, with Abarth decals down the sides, and a certificate of authenticity confirming yours is one of 1949 vehicles sold around the world.

In a world of increasingly affordable electric vehicles, that is bonkers money for a car this small. Chinese brands are now sub-$40k drive-away, and the mega-popular Tesla Model Y, which is a lot more car, is currently only $63,900.

But neither the Chinese brands nor Elon’s bloated SUV will paint the instant smile on your face the pint-sized Abarth 500e does, what with its retina-burning paintwork, 18-inch diamond-cut alloys and perfect proportions.

You also get LED lighting, a fixed glass roof, one-touch front doors and a whole heap go-fast add-ons when compared to the Fiat 500e, like a bespoke front and rear design treatment, a front splitter and rear disc brakes.

In the cabin, there are sports seats, a leather-and-Alcantara steering wheel, aluminium pedals, climate control and a big 10.25-inch central touchscreen with wireless device charging and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A second 7.0-inch driver display delivers all your driving data. 

The Abarth 500e is fitted with six airbags, and it gets active safety kit like AEB, Lane Keep Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Warning, auto high beam and a driver-attention monitor.

The ownership proposition is frankly sub-par, though. The car is covered for just three years or 150,000km, but there is capped-price servicing, at $300 per visit, required every 12 months or 15,000km, which lasts 10 years. The battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km.

2024 Abarth 500e: What we think

It’s no secret that the car-buying masses travel in herds, one following the other until a new trend has taken over our roads. We saw it happen with SUVs, then with Toyota RAV4s, and now it’s happening again with Tesla.

None of that is a slight against the Model Y.  It is, in every measurable way, an infinitely better buy than something like the Abarth. It’s bigger, smarter, more practical and better value. And the list goes on.

But is it so wrong to wish that, for every 99 Model Ys you see on the road, you could see just one lurid-yellow Abarth roaring its way through the crowd?

And I do mean roaring, with this pint-sized performance EV fitted with what the brand calls its Abarth Sound Generator, which means the “engine” fires into life, and it your throttle inputs are matched by “rev” sounds, all of which — in true Abarth fashion — is louder outside the vehicle than it is in it.

It sounds gimmicky, I know. But I like it, and it also adds a bit of ICE familiarity to the EV drive experience.

There’s a single front-mounted electric motor providing the go here, with a total 113.7kW and 235Nm on offer fed through the single-speed gearbox, which is enough to push the 500e from 0-100km/h in 7.0 seconds.

And while that doesn’t sound like a huge amount of grunt, it’s enough to make the little Abarth feel plenty perky, with smooth, constant acceleration that’s feels ample when you press on the accelerator.

Just in like the Fiat 500e, I reckon the whole electrification thing has improved the Abarth experience, ironing out the harshness of the ICE models and leaving a smooth and exciting little electric hot hatch in its place. The steering is nice and direct, too, and while the suspension errs on the firm side, it only adds to the theatre of it all.

I wouldn’t want to drive it Canberra, but around the city it’s the kind of car that makes every journey memorable.

There is one obvious downside, though, and that is that it is fitted with a 42kWh battery that produces just 253km in driving range. That’s best-case scenario, by the way. Of the three drive modes, only Turismo will give you the max range, which it achieves by dulling the power outputs. Use Scorpion Street or Scorpion Track and the range will plummet.

The Abarth 500e is set up for 85kW DC fast charging, which should take you from flat to 80 percent charged in around 35 minutes.

2024 Abarth 500e: Verdict

It makes almost no sense, but why should it? We don’t judge ice-cream for being less nutritious than a limp lettuce leaf, do we? The Abarth 500e isn’t for everyone, but it’s fun, no matter your journey, and the roads are a more interesting place for it being here.

3.3/5

2024 Abarth 500e specifications:

Price: $58,900 plus on-roads

Basics: EV, 4 seats, 2 doors, FWD

Range: 253kms (WLTP)

Battery capacity: 42kWh

Battery warranty: 8 years/160,000km

Motors: 1 front permanent magnet synchronous, 113.7kW and 235Nm

AC charging: 11kW

DC charging: 85kW

0-100km/h: 7.0 seconds