Abarth abandons petrol power for EV future

Abarth has announced it has no plans to launch any more combustion-powered cars and is now solely focusing on producing fast EVs.

Speaking to British magazine Autocar, European Fiat and Abarth boss, Gaetano Thorel, said the performance brand will follow up its 500e and more recently launched 600e with more performance-focused EVs, ruling out hybrids.

“If you make a combustion sports hatch that emits 180g/km and you are in Italy, you have to pay between €1000 and €2000 road tax every year,” he said.

“Is it fair when I can give customers an electric sport hatch that behaves in the same way, has the same level of enjoyment and equivalent performance? All at the same price? I think it’s better to offer electric cars.

Abarth stopped manufacturing its last combustion-powered 595 and 695 hot hatches in August and now seems content to turn its back on combustion power, with the Abarth boss ruling out a hotter take on the inbound Fiat 500 Ibrida, that will use a range-extender petrol engine, declaring the tech “compromised”.

“We need to stay true to the Abarth DNA, and the engine that goes in the new 500 is a micro-hybrid engine that does not allow you to extract the power to make a real Abarth, so it wouldn’t be possible,” the senior Stellantis exec said.

Thorel went on to confirm future Abarths would remain based on existing models, with the Italian firm ruling out bespoke models – unlike rival Alpine that produced the A110 sportscar which shared little with core Renault models.

“Carlo Abarth never made a car from scratch. Abarth DNA is to take a conventional car and stretch its performance through engine, dynamics and sound in order to make it sporty and accessible,” he said.

“We want to remain true to this DNA, so we will not launch a bespoke Abarth for the time being.”

The Abarth boss hinted that the next car to be introduced would be a hotter version of the Fiat SUV concept due in 2027, a car as a giga or grand Panda set to blend practicality with the original hatch’s cute looks.

“To me, Abarth can be developed on anything as long as it has Abarth DNA,” he said.

“I personally don’t see a limit on Abarth cars just being A-segment or B-segment hatchbacks. If the SUV is possible, then why not?"

Back in Australia, Abarth has still to officially confirm the arrival of the 600e here, although it did green light the petrol-powered?2024 Abarth 695 75° Anniversario?that will act as a swansong for the combustion-powered hot hatch, with its trick Koni dampers, big Brembo brakes and a black and gold colour giving the pint-sized raucous performance car an appropriate send-off.

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