Abarth 600e 2025 Review

Exterior Design

While the Fiat 600e offers some clear similarities, Abarth has successfully infused its version with a more dynamic and sporty visual appeal. The signature eyelid headlights, borrowed from the Fiat, appear more striking on the Abarth, enhancing its fierce look.

In place of the Fiat's cheerful, rounded lower grille, Abarth opts for a more vertical, angular dark mesh, which contributes a sense of character and athleticism.

The side design remains largely unchanged, though the formerly dark grey cladding, including the wheel arches, has been transformed into a sleek black. Additionally, the front grille's mesh design extends to the rear of the Abarth, positioned just below the tailgate, giving it a more aggressive flair compared with the simpler rear appearance of the Fiat 600.

Overall, the Abarth exudes a more intimidating presence than its Fiat counterpart, clearly designed to catch the eye.

Interior Comfort

The cabins of the Fiat and Abarth 600e share several similarities, but Abarth has effectively crafted a distinctly different atmosphere inside. While the Fiat opts for a charming, family-oriented look, the Abarth presents a far more aggressive and sportier vibe.

The steering wheel, for instance, is thicker and more assertive than that of the Fiat, featuring a top-centre stripe, a flat bottom, and a black Abarth logo at its centre. Thumb indentations positioned below the nine and three o’clock spokes boost its appeal.

Bright stitching adds a pop of colour, while the seats in the Abarth have been redesigned with pronounced vertical side bolsters that help hold occupants securely during spirited cornering.

Alcantara surfaces in the Scorpionissima model contribute a touch of sophistication, and the overall feeling inside is one of solid construction, even though there are some budget materials scattered throughout.

Finding a comfortable driving position is relatively straightforward, thanks to the ample adjustability in both the seats and the steering wheel – especially with six-way power adjustment available in the premium model. The front seats provide oodles of legroom, and headroom is also generous.

However, the situation changes in the rear, particularly for taller individuals, as legroom is quite limited. While shorter passengers may fare better, they might still feel a bit confined.

Overall, even though three adults can squeeze into the back, it’s best reserved for short journeys.

Storage and Load Carrying

The Fiat/Abarth 500e had limited boot capacity, and while this is significantly improved with the 600e, the space is still not huge.

With the rear seats up, you get 360 litres. That’s more than a Mini, but less than many vehicles in this class. The rear seats have a 60/40 split, and if you drop these forward the space available increases to 1,231 litres, which is perfectly respectable.

The 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, positioned prominently on the dashboard like a tablet, boasts a crisp, contemporary graphical interface that responds impressively. The menu layout is intuitive and a walk in the park to navigate.

It pairs well with the digital instrument display, allowing for a reasonable level of personalisation in selecting the information you want to see.

Fortunately, physical controls for the air conditioning have been kept, rather than being integrated into the touchscreen – a refreshing feature as more cars adopt touch interfaces. This makes adjusting the temperature on the go a breeze, rather than requiring you to poke at the screen.

Overall, the interior is quite delightful, offering welcome stylistic changes over the standard Fiat model it’s derived from.

Performance and Driving

We focused our testing on the 280PS Scorpionissima version, but it’s worth writing about both variants here.

Firstly, bear in mind that the advertised power is only achievable in Scorpion Track mode, one of the three driving modes available for the Abarth 600e.

When in Turismo mode, both variants experience a power reduction of about 35 per cent to conserve battery, while Scorpion Street mode limits the power output by roughly 20 per cent.

However, switch to Scorpion Track mode, and the standard model sprints from zero to 62mph in just 6.2 seconds, with the Scorpionissima version managing an impressive 0.3 seconds quicker at 5.85 seconds.

Though the acceleration is certainly lively, the power delivery is markedly smoother and more linear compared with the Abarth 500e, which tends to deliver its poke in a more abrupt fashion.

The smaller model throws you back in your seat when you accelerate, but the 600e still displays more ferocity than many of its electric counterparts, even if it comes across as somewhat more restrained than the 500e.

It’s true that those eager to push the power on the exit of corners may feel a bit let down, as the 600e can take a moment to respond to accelerator inputs. That said, it’s a minor issue that shouldn’t deter you.

The Scorpionissima features the synthetic engine note we already mentioned is available with the 500e, which is one of the better renditions we’ve encountered. The standard version, however, lacks this, so Abarth enthusiasts who dislike silence might want to consider this point.

The power-limiting Turismo mode may seem unappealing for a performance vehicle, but it provides a more manageable daily driving experience. It offers smoother power delivery and very light steering, which is handy for navigating urban streets and stop-start traffic.

Scorpion Street mode serves as a decent middle ground between Turismo and the aggressive Scorpion Track mode, delivering improved steering and throttle response.

On faster bendy roads, the 600e is a pleasure to drive. A Torsen limited-slip differential significantly enhances cornering at pace by effectively directing power to the wheel that needs it most.

The steering also weights up nicely through corners, providing a good level of feedback, which leads to an engaging driving experience and gives you the confidence to place the Italian car exactly where you want it.

In twisty scenarios, it handles left-right-left transitions with ease, and the chassis reacts superbly. However, when pushing towards its limits, things can become a bit unpredictable, as the steering weight may vary while the electronic systems strive to maintain control.

If you keep the 600e within its limits, you’ll find a car that is lively, reasonably agile, and a real joy to drive. There is more body roll around bends compared with the 500e, which is to be expected considering the vehicle’s size, but it's relatively well-controlled thanks to a stiffer suspension setup prioritising agility over comfort. Despite weighing 1.6 tonnes, it doesn’t feel particularly hindered.

The ride does tend to be on the firmer side, so those with back issues might prefer to look for alternatives. That said, it only becomes uncomfortable on poorly maintained roads, and it can still manage potholes and uneven surfaces without too much trouble. The brakes are also rather assertive, and there is a notable amount of road and wind noise present.

Range and Charging

Both versions of the Abarth 600e come with a 54kWh battery. This capacity allows for a maximum electric range of up to 207 miles, although Abarth highlights that this figure can only be achieved by using their recommended ‘eco’ tyres.

In practice, especially in the UK, it’s unlikely you’ll reach this range, particularly if you drive the 600e in the spirited manner that Abarth encourages. Additionally, the actual range can be affected by a variety of factors, including weather conditions, road quality, and temperature. If you're managing to achieve around 150 miles or more, that would be considered quite normal.

The Abarth 600e has a peak charging capability of 100kW. While it's not the quickest option available, it manages to achieve a 10-80 per cent charge in a decent 32 minutes on a rapid charger. For home charging, it supports an 11kW rate, allowing the battery to go from empty to fully charged in approximately five hours and 15 minutes. If you opt to charge it using a standard household outlet, expect the process to take a little over 16 hours for a complete 0-100 per cent charge.

These charging specifications apply equally to both the Turismo and Scorpionissima models.

Running Costs

The 600e stands out as a rare find in the performance car market, offering an eco-friendly option that won't impact the environment negatively. Plus, it can help you save substantially compared with fuelling a traditional petrol or diesel vehicle.

While it might not attract many executives, from a financial standpoint, the Abarth is a smart choice for company cars, especially since electric vehicles benefit from the lowest rates for Benefit-in-Kind tax.

Road tax for the 600e is £10 for the first year and £195 for subsequent years. Furthermore, the Abarth's price tag has been reduced to ensure it remains under the £40,000 limit, avoiding the UK's “Expensive Car Supplement.”

Abarth has a solid reputation for reliability, but with this being an electric model, the 600e enters a new territory that leaves some uncertainty.

Safety

Abarth doesn't subject its vehicles to Euro NCAP crash testing, but since its recent models are based on Fiats, it can utilise said brand's safety ratings.

During testing in 2021, the 500e achieved a four-star rating, with an adult protection score of 76 per cent, 80 per cent for children, and 67 per cent for safety features. We are optimistic that the 600e will mirror this performance, especially since its predecessors – the Panda and Punto – received a disappointing zero-star rating. However, that was approximately seven years ago, so we hope there have been positive advancements in safety since then.

Stock features include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and an electronic parking brake.

The Scorpionissima variant comes equipped with lane-keeping assist, traffic jam assistance, a rear-view camera, urban blind spot monitoring, parking sensors for the front, rear, and sides, as well as traffic sign recognition.