The new Abarth 500 EV will be presented in the upcoming weeks. However, leaked images posted to Instagram by Cochespias look to give an early peek at its styling, as per Autocar.
It seems the Mini Electric rival will be distinguished from the regular Fiat 500 by a revamped front end with a flat upper fascia and a more prominent air dam.
In addition, a neon green paint job with side striping and low-profile turbine-style alloy wheels aid in differentiating it from the regular supermini. Additionally, spy shots of a camouflaged test car, which arose last week, showed a chunky rear spoiler.
Abarth 500 EV’s official reveal
The car, which will be revealed officially on 22 November, will mark the start of Abarth’s shift into an electrified, go-faster sub-division of Fiat.
Notably, other models will get the treatment on a case-by-case basis. Brand boss Olivier François told Autocar earlier this 2022 that he anticipates having between one and three Abarth models at any one time.
“A year and a half ago, I said it can’t be that hard [to make an Abarth version of the electric 500]. Electric cars are so fun to drive already. The good news is that we are actively working on it, and once it’s confirmed, it will be relatively quick.” said François.
“The bad news is that it’s more complicated to deliver than I thought. If you want to do a real Abarth, it’s not the same electric powertrain. Once it has the power and torque you want, it’s no longer the same drivetrain, nor the same transmission or brakes… The whole thing has to be adapted.”
He stated that final test drives were ongoing ahead of official confirmation of the car.
“It’s going to be fantastic. The sound is going to be very interesting. There will be a choice to be silent or not.”
The Abarth fan community will play a key role in shaping the upcoming models’ development.
“When it comes to marketing, it’s a totally different brand to Fiat. These [Abarth fans] would not buy a Fiat, and vice versa. It’s basically one car [the 500] and two totally different targets. We are going to leverage the community, involve them in the development. Social media is ideal for that.” continued François.
Abarth version: 100mph top speed, 199 miles
The electric Fiat 500 has a 0-62mph time of 9.0sec, 93mph top speed, and a range of 199 miles (320 km). The upcoming Abarth version will possibly aim for that sprint in under 7.0sec with over 100mph top speed, but at the cost of some range.
“The looks are the same. We need to be a little bit more extrovert. Abarth is always a little bit over the top, with spoilers and wheels,” François said.
Since the downfall of the 124 Spider, the Abarth model range is limited to the 595 models related to the old petrol-powered Fiat 500. With this new electric vehicle model replacing the old one, Abarth will no longer have any internal combustion-powered models.
In addition, there will be another all-electric Abarth by 2025.
