So Much Fun, But There's A Catch (Abarth 500e 2024 Review)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
- Detailed review and test of the 2024 Abarth 500e hot hatch, including EV range, handling, performance, pricing and more.
The new Abarth 500e is a high-performance variant of the Fiat 500e. Despite being an EV, it's remarkably lightweight (1410kg) which retains much of the handling characteristic of the outgoing petrol Abarth 595 and 695 models.
Rivals to the Abarth 500e include the MG4, BYD Dolphin Sport, and the incoming Mini Cooper SE.
Time codes:
0:00 - Intro
0:08 - History of the Fiat 500
1:11 - In this video
1:44 - Pricing and rivals
2:31 - Styling
3:50 - Interior
7:08 - Back seats
7:13 - Boot space
7:41 - Driving
13:27 - Range problems
13:42 - Real-world range test
14:45 - Verdict
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Coming from an admirer, 60k is a bit of a joke.
Great review and a superb script. Thank you.
For the money, if I had room in the garage, I’d rather buy a manual MX-5 with soft top.
I hate fake engine noises in EVs. Between this and the new Charger, Stellantis acts like they're ashamed, like a parent trying to apologize for having a gay child. It gives off the same pathetic energy. Double down and stand behind your EVs 110% and stop making them pretend they're something they're not. Tell your customers this is how it is and if they don't like it they can kick sand.
It appeals to some people, in Abarths case its a very good thing. A LOT of people like the noise, having some EV's with engine noise helps the transition
Better looking than a Mini or Honda E, in the flesh it looks absolutely stunning. Given Fiat will not be making petrol vehicles any longer this is a modern take on the previous Abarth. I have a Competizione Cabrio but can tell you it feels old school and dated in comparison. One drive in the 500e was enough to call it a day and get this one on order. Of course it has shortcomings such as range and limited top speed but it’s a nicer car all round and just oozes style. I’ll be sorry to see my current one go but can’t wait to take the new one out for a spin in the country. I’m from the UK, so sadly don’t enjoy the weather you guys have (bloody awful by comparison) but this is the closest you’ll get to a no nonsense electric sports car with heritage and charm to boot. By the way don’t even think this is the same quality build as previous Abarth - it’s a different league altogether and so it should be at the price.
G'day, good review.
As for the 0-100 times I'd take that with a grain of salt. It's probably faster.
I own the Fiat 500e (awesome little car) and Fiat claim 9.0 seconds 0 - 100. But it felt much faster than than around the town.
So we took the car out past Dalby Qld, which is super flat and ran some times - two way and averaged both runs. It was also hot and breathless - if you've been out there you'd know what I mean.
Yeah, I'm from regional Queensland which is a wasteland for EV infrastructure and yet I haven't experienced range anxiety....yet!
Once I learned to measured out the power to stop any wheel spin, I was regularly clocking 8.0 - 7.8 secs to 100km/h.
Ok, 20 years ago that would have been a hot hatch but that's not the point of the 500.
Even clocked a 7.4 sec but I'm pretty sure we fumbled the stopwatch that time.
I am curious to see how fast that awesome looking new new new Abarth 500 really is.
I like the analysis for most of this video, but the range stuff really shows a lack of understanding. For a 400km trip in this car, which is probably twice what is needed for a fun half day out in the twisties from most capital cities you would need two sub 10 minute stops to keep the battery topped up. Maybe less than ideal with our current charging infrastructure, but that is rapidly changing. And you cant really fault the car for that. Especially a lightweight city car.
I tell you what, we certainly don't need more overweight petrol or electric SUVs in our cities.
Similar story with the 3 phase AC charging requirement you mentioned. This car will charge up 50% comfortably overnight on a standard 240v outlet. No need for expensive electrical installs if you are lucky enough to have a driveway. Especially as most peoples daily driving needs are comfortably less than 50kms. Even more so in urban environments that this car is designed for.
You have the same criticism for the Ionic 5 which charges 3 times faster than the Abarth and has close to twice the range. This indicates that you guys just don't understand EVs and what they are actually like to live with. All this range anxiety but you never actually test it. I really like your reviews otherwise so id like to see you improve on this front.
Furthermore, we must consider the dimensions of the 500e which certainly do not allow the installation of larger batteries unless sacrificing the trunk or rear seats. Probably with technological evolution of batteries the current limitations will be overcome, but it will take a few more years.
Wayyyy too expensive for what it is
Why would I plug it in every night? Lunacy. I have owned the classic Ioniq for the past 5yrs and NOT once I have plugged it in every night. It may only have 28kWh but gives me about 200-220km which for commuting is fine I charge maybe 2x a week on a 15A outlet using a 10A granny charger overnight as I sleep and I've even gone on longer trips around my state and there is plenty of fast charging and my car charges at less than this at 68kW peak and usually I do other things while I charge that I would do anyway even if I was driving a Dinosaur car. Yes it does need probably about 150kW peak charge rate but in the end it's not the peak that matters but the charge curve.
Hey, I have seen this car few years ago…
It’s call Zoe! I thought they have discontinued!
Yes price is ridiculous. We have the non-Abarth 500e. Much better value EVs to be had than the Fiat. The stated charging time of 25 mins from 20-80% is correct. Not convinced about the stated 20-100% time of 80 minutes, but I have seen test results of 52 minutes for 20-99% which is fairly reasonable for occasional road trips.
Why a car that small needs to be electric is beyond me. I had one and it was economical and a hoot.
Combustion engines are fuelled by Satan, apparently... And we can't have any of that heathen behaviour.
In italy they ve selled 14 of this “cars” in 2024 … 90% of them to carsellers …
14 cars this year?))
Who are buying these cars at these prices????
Okay. When you got to the downsides, you showed just how owned by media you are. The price is an obvious fail for what you get. Abarth might as well have just pulled the plug on Fiat 500e because it doesn't offer the opportunity to create a performance machine. Putting lipstick on a pig doesn't make it a cheetah. Range was never in it for this car and it never should be. This car was purpose-built as you mentioned at the onset. Isn't that reason enough to leave it alone and let it do its job? It really is a go-kart for fun loving adults. Because of this, it has a market. Raise the price significantly and the performance only modestly and you now have a VERY NICHE product for only the kind of people who think that the iPhone is a good product for the money. Leave it stock and I'll buy one when they become common among used cars. Until then, it's still overpriced. Mine cost me $5250. Need I say more?
What a rip off what happened to affordable fun small cars ?
This is a joke....when will we stop electrifying every fck car. What sense would it make to electrify a fiat 500 abarth, it's the biggest stupidity, I'm not saying it's not a little rocket, but it will never be a real abarth
Sorry not in the same league as the Mini Cooper S Electric, hey but they’re the same price….what a joke!
Different car segment.
Look how you are constantly being wobbled in this car, even on smooth surfaces : the problem is that the heavy batteries on the bottom are a torture for the suspension and cabine. They pull the car so hard and fast down after each little bump, the suspension is being stressed all the time. That's why most EV SUV's are built so strong and heavy, the whole car needs to be able to cope with those heavy batteries in order to provide ride comfort. That's why materials need to be upgraded, parts need to be built stronger, safety needs to improve and luxury needs to be upped. The whole of an electric car is more than the sum of its electric components. On top of that, governments are already installing taxes based on the weight of the car, specifically designed to tax the heavy electric vehicles. So there you go : electric vehicles are a new lemon for the government to squeeze. Electric vehicles will never safe the environment, are way more expensive and way more unsafe. They destroy the surface of the road faster, they can't park (or load) underground everywhere because too dangerous for fire or too heavy for old car parks (engineers have this researched). They overload the local net and cities already are applying non loading curfews to save electricity. The subsidiary fraudulent story of electric vehicles saving the planet is another one of the big hoaxes global government (at least European) is pulling on the tax payers.