Abarth has announced that its performance-enhanced version of the Fiat 600e crossover is now on sale in the UK, which the manufacturer says is the most powerful Abarth road car ever made.
Based on the standard Fiat 600e but with a more powerful electric powertrain and more sporty exterior styling, the Abarth 600e range consists of two different trims from launch – the entry-level 240hp ‘600e’ and the top-spec 280hp ‘600e Scorpionissima’.
Abarth says that the latter is the most powerful road-legal model it has ever produced, which can complete a 0-62mph sprint in 5.9 seconds. While the 600e ‘Scorpionissima’ is more powerful, the now-retired Abarth 695 hot hatch in its limited-edition ‘Biposto’ guise could also complete the same sprint in 5.9 seconds. The standard ‘600e’ is a bit slower off the line, reaching 62mph in a reported 6.2 seconds.
Making its first public appearance in Milan, Italy more than a year ago, the Abarth 600e’s exterior alterations include muscular bumper cladding in the front and rear with a large front splitter, larger 20-inch alloy wheels and a spoiler above the rear window.
The wheels also house high-performance brakes and are wrapped in Hankook performance tyres. The suspension has been lowered and the car has a mechanical limited-slip differential, which Abarth claims to guarantee “excellent driving stability, improved handling, and traction.”
Now on sale in the UK, pricing for Abarth’s biggest model starts at £37k, rising to just under £40k for the ‘Scorpionissima’. Abarth says it had originally priced the top-spec model at £42k, but lowered UK pricing before launch so that buyers are not impacted by the expensive car supplement tax that comes into effect in April on new cars worth over £40k.
