Abarth 500 EV hot hatch teased... and leaked!

After a near 15-year life, Abarth is set to debut an all-new hot hatch – but this time it’ll be pure-electric

2023 Abarth 500 Ev Spied Carzturbo Instagram 03
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UPDATE: Abarth 500 EV revealed in leaked photos!

Instagram user Carzturbo has shared more spy shots and video of the all-new Abarth 500 EV while on a commercial shoot in Italy.

It reveals the bright lime-green electric hot hatch will again boast a horizontal line pattern spelling the ‘Abarth’ brand along the side skirts, iconic black scorpion emblem behind the doors, and a panoramic glass roof.

The overall silhouette is largely the same as its regular three-door Fiat 500e hatch donor car with a rounded aesthetic, full LED head- and tail lights and seemingly a tight turning circle.

What do you think of the Abarth 500's look, hot enough? Tell us in the comments below!

Source: Carzturbo on Instagram

2023 Abarth 500 Ev Spied Carzturbo Instagram 02
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The story to here

November 10: Abarth 500 EV teased

Key Points

  • “Abarth New 500” EV set to be shown-off in a fortnight
  • Big wheels, artificial driving sounds and lime yellow paint set apart the electric hot hatch
  • Unclear whether it’ll come to Oz, though Fiat 500e is confirmed for 2023

Abarth is about to return with an all-new 500 EV hot hatched teased ahead of its November 22 global unveil.

The Italian performance sub-brand published a teaser video on Twitter showcasing its large silver rims with a prominent Lime Yellow scorpion centre-lock wheel nut and what seems to be artificial electric vehicle whirring sound.

The circular headlights are similar to the Fiat 500e city car on which it’s based on and is consistent with the leaked factory photo from last week showing that the “Abarth New 500” (as labelled in the video) will have a more aggressive honeycomb front lower grille and ‘Abarth’ lettering in lieu of a traditional badge.

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With parent company Stellantis confirming that the regular 500e will land in Australia next year – three years after its debut in Europe – there’s some hope that this hi-po electric Abarth will make it here, too.

The top-spec Fiat 500e overseas features a 37.3kWh (usable) battery pack for a 235km driving range in the combined WLTP cycle. The 500e uses a single front electric motor outputting 87kW of power and 220Nm of torque able to sprint from 0-100km/h in 9 seconds.

That’s compared to the current flagship Abarth 695 Competizione with its 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder producing 132kW and 250Nm with a 0-100km/h time as low as 6.7 seconds.

Fiat New 500 500 E Electric 3
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Fiat 500e

It’s unclear what kind of punch Abarth's EV will pack given the smaller ‘500’ designation, but don’t expect it to match the combustion-powered hatch’s light 1055kg tare weight.

The new electric hot hatch will be a welcome upgrade from the pocket rocket that dates back to 2011. For the first time, it’ll likely be available with full LED headlights, a 10.25-inch Uconnect 5 infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, safety assistance systems and more.

It’s unclear whether the petrol-powered Abarth will remain on sale like the combustion Fiat 500 in Europe.

The Abarth 500 EV doesn’t have many like-for-like competitors when it does debut, besides the slightly larger Cupra Born, MG4 and Mini Electric.

Henry Man
Contributor

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