Abarth 500

FIRST DRIVE Electric hot hatch has the show, but does it back it up with the go?

- Richard Ingram

SLOWLY but surely, all corners of the car market are turning electric. What started as an option for big, bulky SUVs, has now trickled down to superminis and even sports cars - plus near enough everything in between. Attempting to leave no stone unturned, Abarth reckons it's now time for an electric hot hatchback.

As they did in the fast-dwindling ICE era, Abarth's efforts focus on the humble Fiat 500. Taking the EV city car as a base is no bad thing, though; while it's not as much fun as a MINI Electric, the latest Fiat offers a great balance of ride and handling.

"The steering adds more meat to the 500's rack, and is a highlight of the driving experience"

Yet Abarth has gone back to the drawing board for the 500, binning the standard car's springs and dampers and tuning the steering. It has fitted uprated brakes, and there are bespoke Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres, too. Of course, the Abarth 500 also adopts a sportier look, with new bumpers and side skirts, a white lower splitter, unique wheels, matte-grey mirror caps and a rear diffuser. Every car gets scorpion badges on the rear panels that come with added lightning bolts.

Under the skin, you'll find the Fiat 500's 42kWh battery, although the Abarth's range drops to between 150-164 miles, depending on the version you choose. The maximum rapid charge rate is unchanged, though, at 85kW, which is good for a 0-80 per cent top-up in around 35 minutes.

Then there's the motor, boosted from 116bhp to 152bhp and with a new throttle map. Abarth claims the 500 is faster than the petrol-powered 695 when accelerating from low speeds; it's a second quicker from 40-60km/h (25-37mph), for example. The maker somehow glosses over the fact it's half a second slower from 0-62mph.