Abarth 500e Review 2024

The Abarth 500e might not be the quickest or most technologically complex EV, but it's an ideal runaround for those of us who aren't quite ready to grow up and drive an appliance. Provided you're not bothered about having the most practical, fastest or longest-range electric car, the Abarth 500e is a really appealing choice.

Our money would go on the Abarth 500e Turismo. Some of the exterior interior highlights (such as Alcantara trim and heated seats) are worth paying for over the regular 500e. We're not quite so keen on the Abarth 500e Convertible - it's not as practical as the hatch and enthusiasts will argue that it's not as good to drive, either (although you'd be hard-pushed to tell the difference day-to-day).

If you're looking for an electric pocket rocket, there's nothing quite like the Abarth 500e on the market. The Cupra Born is probably the nearest thing to an electric hot hatch, although it is bigger and more mature, while the MG 4 feels like it's unintentionally brilliant to drive.

The MINI Electric caters for a similar market to the Abarth 500e, although it's not quite racey enough to be called a hot hatch. You could also look at the Honda E and Peugeot e-208 - while the regular Fiat 500 Electric is also worth considering if you're not fussed about the Abarth's sporty nature.

While there are a few flimsy plastics here and there, generally the Abarth 500e feels very well-finished. All the touch points are spot on, and we really like the Alcantara finish in Turismo models. It's certainly a more upmarket cabin than the petrol Abarth 500s, although what would you expect with a price tag nudging £40,000?

A central 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display is fitted as standard to the Abarth 500e. This is packed with all the features you'd expect from a modern car: namely navigation, DAB radio, onboard Wi-Fi and built-in Amazon Alexa. It also has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing you to mirror apps from your phone onto the central screen.

It's pretty good to use, with fast responses and better graphics than many infotainment systems used in small cars. There are physical buttons for the climate control, although you have to tap the infotainment display to turn on heated seats (on the Abarth 500e Turismo).

There's a separate seven-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel which looks pretty smart and can be customised to show a range of displays (from navigation to what music you're currently listening to). It's perhaps a little more complicated than it needs to be - with an extensive range of menus to scroll through - but you'll soon find your favourite display and stick with it.

The Abarth 500e is best viewed as a two-seater that can occasionally carry passengers in the back when required. The rear seats are cramped and difficult to get in, but things are better for those in the front. Indeed, it feels relatively spacious for front-seat passengers, although the high seating position means taller adults will find their heads brushing the roof (especially on the Abarth 500e Turismo with its fixed sunroof).

Unless you really want a soft-top roof, we'd recommend the Abarth 500e hatchback over the convertible. That's because the convertible has a really tiny boot opening which limits access; the hatch is much more practical. Both have an official boot capacity of 185 litres, which increases to 550 litres with the rear seats dropped.

The Abarth 500e measures 3673mm long, 1683mm wide (1900mm including door mirrors) and 1518mm high.

The Abarth 500e comes with an 152PS electric motor that produces 235Nm of torque. It's powerful enough to accelerate to 62mph in 7.0 seconds flat... which doesn't sound that quick by electric car standards.

But the Abarth 500e isn't trying to be a rival to a Tesla Model 3 Performance. It's more about fun than outright pace, and the way it scampers forward will definitely put a smile on your face. Abarth is keen to point out that, while it's slightly slower to 62mph than a petrol Abarth 695, it's quicker in other metrics. Accelerating from 0-31mph takes just 2.9 seconds while 25-37mph is dispatched in just 1.5 seconds (a whole second quicker than the Abarth 695).

With its small 42kWh battery pack, the Abarth 500e has an official WLTP range of just 164 miles. There are lots of electric cars that can travel further on a charge, but that should be plenty for darting around town or covering the average commute.

The real-world range will be slightly less than this, especially if you make the most of the Abarth 500e's sprightly performance. We saw a range of around 120 miles from an enthusiastic cross-country drive - which is more than we managed in a MINI Electric in similar conditions.

An advantage to most electric cars is how quiet and refined they are. But quiet and refined isn't the Abarth way. That's why a speaker is fitted underneath the Abarth 500e, creating the 'unmistakable roar of an Abarth petrol engine'.

It's certainly a talking point. When idling in traffic, there's an almost-antisocial burble from the Abarth 500e. This changes to more of a drone during acceleration. When you're in the mood for it, we do think the Abarth 500e's sound generator adds to its character - it's quite fun to razz around with this artificial soundtrack making a din.

Not everyone will like it, though, and it certainly gets a little annoying when driving at a constant speed. You can turn it off, fortunately, although the car needs to be stopped (with the handbrake on) to do so.

While the Abarth 500e might be a little electric city car, it comes with a host of safety and driver-assistance technology as standard. This includes drowsy driver detection, traffic sign information, autonomous emergency braking and vulnerable road user protection, lane keeping assist, intelligent speed assistant and emergency E-Call assist. There's a blind spot warning system fitted as standard to the Abarth 500e Turismo, too.

The Abarth 500e hasn't been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, but the regular Fiat 500 Electric was awarded four stars in 2021.

The Abarth 500e is too new for any reliability issues to come to light. On the plus side, electric cars are generally simpler and therefore more reliable than their petrol counterparts - there are very few mechanical parts to go wrong in a 500e.

Abarth 500e insurance groups range from 23 to 27, with the convertible models costing the most to insure. As a relatively sporty electric car, insurance costs might be high - so do your research on insurance quotes first, particularly if you're a young or inexperienced driver.

At the moment, you won't pay any road tax on most Abarth 500e models. This incentive won't last forever, though - EVs are set to be taxed alongside petrol and diesel cars from 2025.

There are two core Abarth 500e models: the regular 500e, and the Abarth 500e Turismo.

Standard equipment on the Abarth 500e includes 17-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, climate control, an electrically operated soft top (on the convertible), keyless start, LED headlights, dark tinted rear windows and cruise control. The 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, DAB radio and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is also standard, along with a seven-inch digital instrument cluster.

The Abarth 500e Turismo adds 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, an Alcantara dashboard, Alcantara sports seats and an Alcantara/leather steering wheel. The Abarth 500e Turismo also comes with a 360-degree camera, fixed glass roof (on hatchback models), passive entry and keyless go, auto high/low beam, front heated seats, heated door mirrors, a heated windscreen, wireless phone charging and a central armrest with closed console.