Abarth 500e
Hot version of Fiat’s electric hatchback gets racier looks, more performance and a bigger price tag On sale Now Price from £34,195
Neil Winn neil.winn@haymarket.com
WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING at is the most significant hot hatch since the Simca 1100TI kick-started the genre back in 1973. It’s called the Abarth 500e and it’s arguably the world’s first proper electric hot hatch.
We say ‘arguably’ because Spanish brand Cupra would very much like you to think its sporty-looking Born is a hot hatch, but in reality it’s little more than a sportier-looking Volkswagen ID 3. And that’s fine if you’re in the market for a stylish hatchback, but the 500e has a bigger point to prove. Chiefly, it seeks to convince driving enthusiasts that electric cars can be just as fun as their petrolpowered counterparts.