New Abarth 600e: a sporty 276bhp electric SUV for £37k

• Up to 276bhp in range-topping form
• Performance upgrades over Fiat 600e
• Limited-edition ‘Scorpionissima’ launch model

You’re looking at the new Abarth 600e, an aggressive – and very purple – variant of the Fiat 600e electric SUV. Following in the footsteps of the performance brand’s first EV, the Abarth 500e city car, the 600e aims to provide the same feisty character in a larger, family-friendly bodystyle.

Abarth has now confirmed specifications for its hot SUV, which is set to be the most powerful Abarth road car ever. One of the most expensive too, with pricing of nearly £42,000 for the range-topping Scorpionissima – something a little motorsport know-how and hot hatch-baiting performance should go some way to justifying.

What do we know about the Abarth 600e?

Abarth has a long history of tweaking and tuning Fiats, ramping up horsepower, adding aggressive bodywork and throwing in a few scorpion badges for good measure. Changes to the Abarth version of the otherwise sensible 600e family SUV follow a similar path to that taken by the smaller Abarth 500e: more power, more aggressive styling, some incredibly vivid paintwork hues, and a series of suspension upgrades.

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Gone is the cute and cheerful styling of the Fiat 600e upon which the Abarth is based, replaced by a new muscular look. There’s a squared-jawed front bumper with bold ‘Abarth’ lettering across the nose, designed to mimic some of the square-jawed classic Abarths, along with a set of 20-inch alloy wheels and a new rear spoiler.

In case the front lettering isn’t enough to remind you, you’ll find large ‘Abarth’ decals along the 600e’s flanks, plus a smattering of bright yellow scorpion badges on the wheel centre caps and above the front whee larches. Scorpionissima versions get a gloss black body kit, painted brake calipers, and extra exterior decals to differentiate them from regular versions, plus a colour unique to the special edition – the Hypnotic Purple seen in these images. Regular Abarth 600e models get white, orange, and black options, while Acid Green, as found on the 500e, is available on both versions.

Sharing its platform with the Fiat 600e, which in turn uses the same guts as the Jeep Avenger and Peugeot E-2008, the Abarth 600e carries over the front-mounted electric motor layout. While the regular Fiat produces 154bhp, the souped-up Abarth 600e makes 237bhp, while a limited-run Scorpionissima gets a full 276bhp, the latter also making up to 345Nm of torque. That’s enough for some brisk acceleration figures, the regular car covering the 0-62mph sprint in 6.2 seconds, and the Scorpionissima slashing that to 5.9 seconds, on par with a Volkswagen Golf GTI.

That’s in the most potent Scorpion Track driving mode, anyway – drivers can also run the car in smooth-driving, range-friendly Turismo mode which gives the regular car 148bhp and the Scorpionissima 188bhp, or Scorpion Street mode, with 201bhp and 228bhp respectively, and limits to both torque and top speed. Uncorked, the 600e will unleash its full power figures, and a 124mph top end.

Helping to control this power, the Abarth 600e gets a Torsen limited-slip differential as standard, which improves traction out of corners. The car’s uprated brakes come from specialists Alcon, while Michelin Pilot Sport tyres have been developed specifically for the Abarth model. Suspension is stiffer than on the regular 600e, and battery cooling has been upgraded too.

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Inside, a set of Sabelt front seats are specific to the Abarth, and Scorpionissima models get an even racier seat design. Widespread use of Alcantara trim differentiates the Abarth from the regular 600e, as does contrasting stitching on the seats, and specific Abarth graphics for the instrument display (and dedicated performance menus in the infotainment system).

Like the smaller 500e, the Scorpionissima gets a sound generator, also audible from outside, to mimic the sound of the old petrol Abarths. Unlike the 500e, you can finally switch this on and off while you’re on the move, rather than having to stop the car.

How much does the Abarth 600e cost and when can I order one?

As well as all the juicy mechanical details, Abarth has also confirmed pricing for both the regular Abarth 600e, and the Scorpionissima. The range starts at just under £37,000, and tops out at nearly £42,000 for the special edition – which is limited to 1949 units, to celebrate the year Abarth started. Order books open in mid-November.

Fancy a sporty SUV? Read our list of the top 10 best performance SUVs on sale…