Alexandre
Presented and available for order for about 6 months, the electric Abarth 500 did not meet with unanimous approval.
There are two main reasons for this: how an electric car can have a sound so characteristic of a Abarth and, its priceThis is almost double the price of the internal combustion version: 43,000 € for the electric version, whereas the 595 petrol can be had for 25,000 €.
So obviously, Abarth promises that its electric 500 will respect the DNA of the brand and that it is at the level, if not better, than the thermal version (the manufacturer announces that it would be 1 second faster than the 695 on the circuit of Balocco).
But if we are really pragmatic, What is this electric Abarth 500 worth compared to the competition?
| Length | Weight | 0 to 100 km/h | Vmax | Autonomy | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abarth 500 electric Pack 154 hp | 3,63 m | 1400 kg | 7 sec | 155 km/h | 250 km | 36 900 € |
| MINI Cooper SE 184 hp | 3,84 m | 1440 kg | 7.3 sec | 150 km/h | 234 km | 37 400 € |
| Honda e 154 hp | 3,89 m | 1588 kg | 8.3 sec | 145 km/h | 222 km | 41 270 € |
| MG4 Luxury 204 hp | 4,28 m | 1685 kg | 7.9 sec | 160 km/h | 435 km | 35 990 € |
| Tesla 3 287 hp | 4,69 m | 1645 kg | 6.1 sec | 225 km/h | 491 km | 41 990 € |
So, the electric Abarth 500 is indeed the smallest, the lightest, the fastest at 0 to 100 km/h if we don't count the Tesla 3... but it is also the most expensive with its 43 000 € in Scorpionissima version!
In our opinion, it should have been at the level of the Mini Cooper SE with a price between 35 000 and 37 000 € to start becoming interesting (and still...).
UPDATE: the brand has unveiled in May 2023 a new Abarth 500 electric Pack from € 36,900This puts it just below the MINI Cooper SE 184 hp and slightly above an MG4 Luxury.
We are very curious to know the sales of Abarth in the years to come... already in perdition these last years because of a non-renewed range. If the new electric Abarth 500 is a flop, it would not be surprising to see this star of the Stellantis galaxy die out.
| Year | Sales |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 12800 |
| 2021 | NC |
| 2020 | NC |
| 2019 | 25000 |
| 2018 | 27000 |
| 2017 | 25000 |
| 2016 | 18000 |
| 2015 | 13000 |
| 2014 | 9500 |
| 2013 | 9000 |
| 2012 | 8000 |
For the curious, here is the sound of the electric Abarth 500.
What did I say? They're going to slaughter this brand!
Hold me back or I'll pull out the guillotine again!😡🤬
Yes.... and if they massacre that brand 🤔🤔🤔
They think that they can make a fortune because the brand is popular and has its own clientele, but we have seen the limits of the customers' budget with the 124 and now the 500 electric car at the price of a Tesla.
Carlito has taken his 60 million € bonus, he was hoping for 80 for this year
He enjoys himself with old Lancia or Alfa and would like us to pay a fortune to drive electric or 1.2 puretoc
The 124, you are right, it is also a beautiful waste because to have invested so much money with Mazda and to drop everything in the course of road, we swim in full delirium!
60 million if that's not a scam, I don't know what to call it.
No but seriously Dav, who is going to put 45.000€ in an electric Abarth which moreover is limited to 150km!
Hello Osto? Here the earth, it's decided, we land more... we spit ourselves outright and don't forget to ask Carlito to put the 60 million in 5€ bills spread on the ground to cushion just in case!🤣👌
After the Puretoc trash can, we get a nasty strap in the ass!😂👎
Who is it? The same clientele as Mini's... We will see a lot of them in Monaco for sure (especially prepared by Garage Italia)!
The noise may be fake, but it's great.
The Abarth 500e is a little more expensive than the competition, but undoubtedly more fun.
But I will wait to see the Abarth 595e which will be more powerful (planned for 2024).
The maximum speed of these electric cars, 150 or 155 km/h, is not much.
Only the first three models compared are in the same category, and they are about the same price. Obviously, it is extremely high (7,700 euros more than a 500 La Prima), but Fiat can choose to reduce it like Tesla if needed, especially if they realize that the clientele is not following. After all, the modifications with the 500 are quite limited...
It's too expensive anyway, but like almost all Stellantis products. As someone from Stellantis said to me, produce at the lowest price to sell at the highest, that's the Stellantis recipe.
But unlike Peugeot, Opel DS or Citroen products, Fiat, Alfa, Maserati and Lancia rely on iconic models and designs (even the 1980s Panda, which was presented at the time in the Quirinale Palace and is the subject of an exhibition at the Triennale in 2019). Italian cars are more than just cars, they are social markers and collectibles. You don't buy a Fiat 500 because you need a small car, otherwise you'd get a Hyundai i10. You don't buy a Maserati because you need a big car, otherwise you take a Skoda Superb. Peugeot, except for the 208 (and even then), has nothing comparable.
Well I was mistaken, I rectify it is 23,5 million for carlito and 51 M for Mike Manley which contributed to the bringing together of the 2 groups.
Otherwise, to come back to the subject, even if the abarth can be a favorite purchase, it remains a small car and therefore too expensive compared to the mini which benefits from the bmw network.
It is especially that it is limited to 150km/h???
Honestly Fredo, how would you like to spend 45.000€ on an Abarth?
The BMW doesn't offer more space... Concerning Abarth, they are obviously going to release an "unbridled" version of the Biposto type for the rally. Which cost 70,000 euros for 190 horses... If I'm not mistaken, a 695 can easily exceed 45,000 Swiss francs in the Competizione version. It will have Sabelt seats and a top speed of more than 220kms/h but if Abarth takes care to specify that the speed is limited on its new model is to indicate that it can be unbridled. The joys of marketing...
But how much will it cost to get it unstuck? 5000chf? There's still a ball in the soup that can't justify such a basic price.
There is a big difference between the Fiat and Abarth versions.
Tavares makes exactly 64,328 euros per day, not counting bonuses and other stock options.
Poor Carlo Abarth who must be turning in his grave, he who worked with his engineers and technicians in the preparation of cars and especially the marmitta, while remaining accessible, today it is acousticians, electricians, financiers and marketers who have replaced them!
The new Abarth 500e are coming, after the special series Scorpionissima. They will be priced at 37950€ (500e) and 42650€ (500e Turismo). They are not so bad in price compared to the competition. With less flashy colors since they are presented in black.
And other models will follow in 2024.
After first screaming about the price, I was invited to try out a Scorpionissima by my dealership in the west of Paris... And to try it is to adopt it, disowning all my previous Cassandra imprecations, I ordered it, they're great salesmen! It's worth mentioning that until the end of May, they're offering a 3-year, 30.000 kms and take back my Fiat 500e at a very very attractive price (taking into account the premium, it will have cost me almost nothing in 2 1/2 years...) But fundamentally, the Scoprionissima is a very exciting car to drive for urban and suburban use, and I had a lot of fun during the half-hour I spent at the wheel: incredible liveliness, excellent braking, very good comfort, refined interior, crisp lines in its "Acid Green" paintwork...with, as a bonus, the sound of the Monza exhaust. In my opinion, this super-toy is highly competitive with its direct rivals, Honda and Mini, because beyond the gadget aspect, the car's fundamentals, derived from the excellent 500e but adapted to the Abarth spirit, are very solid.
So yes, it's totally irrational, it really is a toy. Yes, it's expensive, but it's obviously negotiable, and Stellantis is helping its distributors enormously with the launch (we'll see how long that lasts). Yes, it's unsuitable for journeys of over 200 kms, so it's a second or third car, which won't suit everyone and will limit its distribution to a wealthy clientele in the nicer parts of town; these days, that's not too politically correct, especially as the electric bonus system ends up subsidizing a machine that, admittedly, is not essential for saving the planet... But the fact that an electric car, and an Italian one at that, is still capable of delighting old-school enthusiasts like me gives us reason for hope in these new and uncertain times.
Thank you for this wonderful testimonial and congratulations on this new toy 😃
Abarth ist tot. Schade, wer soll denn so eine kastrierte Sau kaufen? 150 km/h - da ist ja ein Fiat 500 Hybrid schneller! Elektroautos sind völlig charakterlos, bleiben ständig liegen oder brennen lieber schnell ab. Uns so etwas anzubieten ist schlicht eine Frechheit. RIP Abarth! Du warst der Beste!
Nein Elektroautos können viel Spaß sein, wenn sie richtig gebaut sin, was der Fall für den Abarth 500 e ist. I besitze seit einer Woche eine 500 Abarth Scorpionissima und es ist eine Freude, sie in der Stadt oder auf kleinen Straßen für kurze Strecken zu fahren. Ich habe mehr als 15 italienische Fahrzeuge besessen, meistens Alfas (der letzte ist eine Giulia Veloce) und dazu auch echte Abarth (besonders -45 Jahre her- den unvergesslichen Autobianchi Abarth 70 HP, und vor kürzerer Zeit einen Abarth 595 Turismo...) und ich kann ruhig behaupten, daß der "ElektroAbarth" ein stolzer Erbe und eine gegenwärtige Interpretation der früheren "Marmite" darstellt. Nur die Reichweite stimmt nicht. Wenn er 700 km ohne Rückladung absolvieren könnte, wäre er perfekt!
(just to say that my enthusiasm for the Abarth Scorpionissima has led me to launch into an ode in the language of Goethe, pardon any spelling or grammatical errors! I've had it for a week now, and I'm really enjoying it. The only drawback is obviously the range - say 200 km in practice - which unfortunately prevents it from being an all-purpose vehicle. But the rest is really great, and I find the spirit of the old Abarths adapted to today's -difficult- times...)