Hot electric Abarth teased and leaked ahead of November 22 reveal

Fiat performance sub-brand Abarth has begun teasing its all-new, all-electric replacement for the Abarth 595 and 695 hot hatches based on the new-generation Fiat 500e micro-car ahead of its full unveiling at 2:00pm CET on November 22 (midnight that night in Sydney and Melbourne).

Officially previewed by an eight-second teaser clip on Abarth’s social media channels, the ‘Abarth New 500’ will be the first-ever battery-electric Abarth and parent company Stellantis says it will open the floodgates for “new places, new projects, new power” as part of the ‘Scorpion New Era’.

The short teaser clip actually reveals very little about the car beyond its lurid lime-green paint job, bladed alloy wheel design and revamped scorpion logo, but if you can’t wait another fortnight to see the vibrant little EV hot hatch in full you may be interested to know it’s been leaked online.

Yes, a single image of the Abarth New 500 has been posted to the Cochespias forum, the legitimacy of which is backed by the fact there’s a new-generation Maserati GranTurismo – a vehicle that hasn’t been released yet – lingering in the background.

It may not be as angry-looking as we’ve come to expect from Abarth, but the hot Abarth New 500 is defined by its lairy paint work and largely enclosed front-end.

A split headlight and daytime running light arrangement makes it look as if it genuinely has eyes.

The front bumper is taken up almost exclusively by body-coloured grille mesh and a lower intake that’ll undoubtedly be used to help cool the electric powertrain, which should up the ante from that of the standard Fiat 500e.

Nestled in the dimples of the bumper are a set of secondary but filled-in intakes that could be made functional in hotter future versions.

The fascia is then underlined by a subtle but contrasting front lip that’s sure to evolve into a full-blown splitter on higher-performance variants.

Recently captured spy images go a long way in filling in some of the gaps, especially at the rear where we find an integrated roof spoiler and a plumper rear bumper that’s sure to featuring some sort of corresponding (to the front) ventage or mesh.

Inside, expect a pair of sports bucket seats and unique Abarth graphics for the instrument panel and infotainment system, but for the cabin of the all-electric Fiat 500e to carry over largely unchanged.

There’s no word on how much power the Abarth 500 will pack, but we expect a healthy upgrade over the 87kW/220Nm single-motor powertrain in the standard Fiat 500e and the fastest versions could boast as much as 150kW.

As far as batteries are concerned, it's a safe bet Abarth will miss out on the new Fiat 500’s smallest 24kWh lithium-ion battery pack and bag the bigger 42kWh unit, which should provide for a range of around 300km.

Helping it cope with the bigger power output, the Abarth-fettled 500 will come with a stiffer sports suspension, bigger brakes and, potentially, torque vectoring to help gets its extra performance to the ground.

The good news is the Fiat 500e has already been locked-in for Australia, where it’s due on sale in the first half of 2023, so we expect the new Abarth range will follow it here at a later date, possibly in 2024.

It has not been announced, but it’s thought the new-generation Abarth will also be offered in both the new Fiat 500’s four-door 3+1 body style and the upcoming convertible version.

“The Brand team is so excited to present you the Scorpion New Era and to show you how the Abarth New 500 will be More Abarth than Ever,” said Stellantis in a statement.

Expect more to be revealed in the build-up to the Abarth 500’s world debut on November 22, which you’ll be able to watch via Abarth’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

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