Over the past several months, spy photographers have caught numerous Fiat 500e Abarth prototypes out in public. The new electrified model will be a first for the “Scorpion” brand and shows a completely different direction away from the small displacement turbocharged engines that have been powering the brand’s vehicles up to now.
While Stellantis has yet to announce an official name for the vehicle, Olivier Francois, CEO of the FIAT and Abarth brands did confirm a switch to electrification for the brand (at least in the European market) at the Company’s EV Day 2021 presentation. At the event, it was announced that the brand would carry the new motto of “Heating Up People, But Not The Planet!”
The current gasoline-powered Abarth 595 Competizione can do 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 6.7 seconds. The 595 Competizione is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter “T-Jet” inline-four-cylinder engine delivering 180 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. (250 Nm) of torque. Compared to the third-generation 500e, which features 117 horsepower (87 kW) and 162 lb.-ft. (220 Nm) of torque-rated e-motor and 42kWh battery can complete the same run in about 9-seconds. So there is a lot of room for improvement.
Over the summer, the Scorpion brand held several online polls across its social media accounts asking fans to vote on their favorite things like propulsion sound and launch color.
Earlier this weekend, an image appeared on the Facebook group “Abarth Italia Forum” appearing to show the front of the upcoming vehicle. Wearing one of the voted launch colors (Acid Yellow), the car wears a completely restyled front fascia with a new lower front intake that is much larger than the current 500e. It also features an underbody air intake integrated into the front splitter area.
The most drastic change to the Abarth model is the addition of A-B-A-R-T-H text across the front of the vehicle. The Scorpion badge is still there, but now sits center atop the hood and is significantly smaller than the current models.
Looking at the picture it clearly looks as if the photo was taken inside a Stellantis facility. In the background, we can see several other Stellantis vehicles including a brand-new GranTurismo, confirming that the picture is a real deal.
According to several sources on the interwebs, it looks as if Abarth will show off the vehicle in November. Those same sources have stated that the production vehicle would not be reaching dealers until mid-2023.
