While Fiat has just launched its new Fiat 500 hybrid, produced in Turin, with great fanfare, another question is on everyone's lips: what's going to become of it? Abarth ? The Scorpion brand, once a symbol of accessible sportiness and a loyal community, has been going through an unprecedented crisis for the past two years. And the latest statements from its European boss, Gaetano Thorel, suggest an unexpected turn: a possible return to combustion engines. A scenario that was unimaginable until recently, given Stellantis' determination to impose the 100 % electric.
An electrical strategy that clashes with reality
It's no scoop: Abarth's transition to an electric 100 % range has been a commercial failure. We documented it from July then in october 2025 sales have collapsed. Where the brand still expected to sell close to 10,000 cars in 2024, it is struggling to break the 2,000-unit barrier in 2025. In Europe, only 1,030 Abarths were registered between January and June, compared with 4,867 a year earlier. A drop of almost 80 %.
And this decline has left no market untouched: France, Italy, the UK, Spain and Japan have all seen volumes plummet. The situation is all the more serious since the last thermal Abarths (595 and 695) were withdrawn from the catalog in August 2024. Since then, the brand has relied solely on the Abarth 500e and 600e, whose high prices - €36,900 for the 500e, €44,900 for the 600e - put off most potential buyers.
The malaise of enthusiasts: "We can't put our hands in the engine any more".
This is probably the most striking admission made by Gaetano Thorel to the British media outlet Autocar. According to him, Abarth customers don't recognize themselves in current electric models. Not because they are fundamentally uninteresting, but because they no longer offer what has been the essence of the brand for decades: the possibility of modifying, optimizing and tinkering.
"The Abarth customer wants a combustion engine, not just for the power, but because he buys the car and then modifies it with his own hands," he admits. "On the electric, we can't. They can't put their hands in the engine or play with the fuel. It's a limitation, and the Abarth clubs aren't happy."
Towards an Abarth 500 hybrid... or a technical dead end?
The launch of the new Fiat 500 hybrid is a game-changer. Based on a modified version of the 500e platform, it is powered by a small, atmospheric 1.0 petrol engine producing 65 bhp. Not enough to excite the crowds, of course, but enough to consider bringing a combustion-powered Abarth sports car back to life... in theory.
And this is where Gaetano Thorel's words become particularly revealing. Yes, the platform can handle more power. But no, the current 1.0 engine can never deliver the explosive character that fans expect. Too little power, too linear, too wise. Added to this are heavy technical constraints: the 500e's platform was designed for a compact electric motor, leaving very little room for a larger combustion engine or one requiring a larger cooling system. The technical equation is therefore far from straightforward. But despite these obstacles, the Abarth boss assures us: "we're trying".
A return to petrol... or a desperate attempt to save the brand?
This opening is the first official break with the 100 % electric dogma imposed since 2024. It shows that Stellantis has understood that the current strategy leads straight into the wall. Even the 600e, built on a common base with the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, the Lancia Ypsilon HF and the Opel Mokka GSE, fails to seduce. So the question is no longer merely technical, but strategic: is it still worth investing in a new thermal Abarth, given that volumes are currently anecdotal? Could Abarth reintegrate Fiat communications in Europe, as in Latin America where it still survives? Or will the brand simply be sacrificed in a future rationalization of Stellantis?
The announcement does not guarantee the return of the roaring scorpion. But it does confirm that Abarth is finally listening to what customers, clubs and enthusiasts are saying. It's not yet a revival, but it may be the first crack in a seemingly impenetrable electric wall.
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To have imagined for a single moment that electric Abarths would sell, when what makes an Abarth model interesting is precisely its internal combustion engine, chassis, performance, the sound of the exhaust, etc., shows the incompetence of Tavares and Fiat in general.
本当似その通り！今までのABARTHであってほしいよね。クラッチペダルも必須。
The placement of mirror and equipment in the windshield area created an unsafe vehicle for me to drive because of the huge blind spot for taller drivers. The US version is a no go.
Very true
Its frustrating how slowly Stellantis move. Cards on the table, I love EV, owned them for 7 years & will never have my daily as an ICE, but i realise for some its not practical & there are some who simply don't like them. On that note, overseeing a brand that is in freefall, how on earth has it taken Stellantis this long to figure out Abarth fans/clubs are not happy! Surely the 600 must be able to accomodate a powerful engine without any modifications? And yet, here we are!
Abarth is all about the engine and the sound. Nothing else, not even lukewarm hybrid water! "Thanks to the EU.....
If it's a question of CO2 because of the malus, let them make it with ethanol, then it remains to be seen whether there's room for a turbo, of course.
I've never really modified, let alone tinkered with, the 2 Abarths I've owned. The only improvement was to put the Record Monza exhaust on a 595 Turismo.
As for my 695 biposto, the Akrapovic exhaust alone was worth the purchase of this totally uncomfortable car, but also diabolical (in the good sense of the word).
Abarths are all about smiles and sensations.
I've tried the Abarth 500e, and I'm not sure I'll ever get the feel of it again. As for the sound generator, it's a bit too fake.
But who could have believed that the electric Abarth 100% could convince buyers?
I think he's referring to the many tuners or even customers who optimize their Abarth for the track. There are those who leave the original and there are others. And even to a lesser extent... exhaust, air filter, spark plugs, and so on. There are little things you might want to optimize.
negli anni 60 quelle erano le Abarth quelle di Oggi non anno nulla che vedere col vecchie glorie. futuro sarà elettrico e gli appassionati che si vedono un video
Imho, giusto tornare al benzina, un po' meno con la 500. Meglio una piattaforma più grande e con abitabilità maggiore ma cmq hatchback con estetica sportiveggiante. Chiamatela Stilo II.
Sempre col TJet, mica col 5 cilindri...
The problem stems mainly from the absurd idea of making Abarth a separate brand! You should have left the "option" on the Fiât thermiques, which still exist. In any case, the ear-splitters are disappearing, fortunately. So good riddance!
If Abarths "break the ears" of some people, I think you should consult an ENT specialist without delay.
Per quanto si possa mettere una pezza anche l'ibrido è un piacere a metà, soprattutto su auto con indole sportiva, a cosa serve avere un po' di spinta elettrica solo per accontentare questi pagliacci che obbligano al mondo "green" se poi devi letteralmente zavorrare un auto rendendola poco agile e soprattutto avere più consumo di gomma e freni, e anche benzina? La soluzione era l'idrogeno o i carburanti sintetici, ma qualcuno ha interessi più grossi e via tutti quelli che ne sono fuori.
The very DNA of the Abarth company was to prepare and manufacture sports cars, which earned it many records. Taking a mythical model and putting an electric motor on it for the financial gain of some, just allowed others to accentuate their passion. It's time to go back to the basics and revive our brand, to recapture the competitive spirit that drives so many enthusiasts.
ABARTHにキュートなボディーライン、クラッチペダル 、マフラーサウンド、が搭載されないならいらない。だからEV ABARTHは絶対買わない。
Once again, Carlos Tavares' technical incompetence can be seen in all the technical choices he has made since the creation of stellantis. On the other hand, I'm willing to admit that he's a master of finance for personal gain.
確かにEVは、エンジン車より楽しみが半減すると思いますが
古き良きクルマの楽しさを新車に求めては、駄目！
そんな感じで私自身は、旧いクルマをずっと乗り継ぎしてます。
Povera Italia!
Tutto finito. Stile motori sentimento... Abarth elettrica è un fallimento del nostro paese e delle nostre capacità imprenditoriali.
No, il problema è che Stellantis comanda...
Revive the Punto on the 208/Corsa platform and Abarth the f**k out of it