Abarth 600e Scorpionissima long-term test: too grown-up for its own good

Verdict

There’s no denying that the Abarth 600e is a competent fast EV, however it lacks the mischievousness and charm that earned the Italian’s old petrol-powered firecrackers a special place in our hearts. The purple menace handles well and looks the part, but in my eyes, to be a proper Abarth this car should be able to make me laugh like an idiot when I’m simply going out for a pint of milk.

• Mileage: 8,114
• Efficiency: 2.7 miles/kWh

Despite my desire to form a bond with the Abarth 600e over the past few months, I have to admit it hasn’t quite grown on me as much as I had hoped. I’ve yet to overwhelm the hot hatch’s 360-litre boot, however the almost non-existent rear-seat space is a problem when I’ve had to ferry family or friends about. 

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At least I was pleasantly surprised that my average efficiency reading didn’t plummet too much during that ferrying around in the cold winter months. Getting almost 80 per cent of the official 3.8 miles per kWh isn’t too bad, and my 3.0mi/kWh average only dropped to 2.7mi/kWh when the temperatures plunged. 

My spine and I have also accepted how firm the ride in this car is, so while it’s not comfortable, I have been trying to enjoy the tuned suspension as much as possible on twisty country roads. That and the benefits of having a Torsen limited-slip differential, which helps provide grip through the corners and put the power down when exiting them.

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However, while I have mixed feelings about many aspects of this car, my opinions about the special ‘sound generator’ system are universally negative. All it has managed to do is make me pine for the Abarth’s incredibly charming, loud-mouthed, petrol-slurping versions of the Fiat 500. 

The Abarth 595 and 695 (which the Italian brand sadly no longer builds) weren’t the best hot hatches ever made, but they were so full of character they could worm their way into almost anyone’s heart. Indeed, the noises they made were a huge part of their appeal. 

The 600e tries to do the same, using a speaker located under the rear bumper to imitate the exhaust racket. Unfortunately, the digitised warbling noise not only doesn’t sound like Abarth’s old hot hatches, it’s simply unpleasant on the ear. This is partly because there’s no virtual gearbox or similar tech as pioneered by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. So instead of a soundtrack that builds the faster you go and you climb through the ‘gears’, the Abarth’s becomes little more than a dull drone that’s more akin to a vacuum cleaner.

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Sound isn’t the only area where the 600e fails to live up to its adored ancestors though, as I discovered after borrowing my aunt’s Abarth 595C Turismo. Obviously, the driving experience is immediately more engaging when you have a five-speed manual and a comically large gear lever to play with. And the 1.4-litre T-Jet turbocharged four-pot engine that thrums and pops is infinitely more entertaining than any electric motor. 

But more than that, the brake pedal in the 600e is lacking in feel and bite, so you have to press rather firmly before the car really starts to slow. Clearly Abarth still needs to work on how it blends the EV’s regenerative braking and physical discs, whereas the 595 doesn’t have to bother with that.

The steering in the 600e does have a decent amount of weight and is quick, but the 595’s has a properly meaty feel to it which, frankly, is just better. I will say I like the deep, body-hugging Sabelt bucket seats in our 600e, however on the whole the interior doesn’t feel special enough. The 595 gets an enormous analogue speedo and a fat turbo boost gauge that sits on the dashboard, constantly egging you to rev the car to its 6,000rpm redline and illuminate the giant shift light. It feels great.

The Abarth 595 is by no means perfect – for instance, the fairly cramped driving position isn’t really designed for anyone approaching six-feet tall – however it reminded me how a car’s personality can allow us to forgive its flaws – and a sense of humour is precisely what the Abarth 600e is lacking.

Abarth 600e Scorpionissima: first fleetwatch 

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A short break from the Abarth highlights just how stiff its suspension really is.

After a short break from the Abarth over the Christmas period, I’m frankly amazed I had forgotten how stiff the suspension and ride are in our Abarth 600e. I know it’s a focused handling machine, but driving home on average-quality roads, I was being jostled and bounced around like a baby on their overly excited aunt’s knee. Hopefully after a few hundred miles my spine will become accustomed to life in the sporty Abarth once again. 

Abarth 600e Scorpionissima: first report

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Our new Abarth 600e Scorpionissima hot hatch is fast, but has a sting in its tail

• Mileage: 7,012
• Efficiency: 3.0 miles/kWh

I was among the first people to drive the Abarth 600e when it was launched late last year, and I came away from the experience with a huge amount of respect for this cartoonishly evil-looking electric hot hatch and the engineers who created it.

It may use the same platform as run-of-the-mill family cars including the Vauxhall Mokka and, of course, the Fiat 600, but around Abarth’s test track in Balocco, Italy, the car felt genuinely agile and responsive. Not to mention capable of enduring the punishment my colleagues and I inflicted while trying to push the Abarth EV to its limit.

However, as impressive as its ability and fortitude on track were, I wasn’t sure the Abarth 600e was practical or refined enough to be the kind of hot hatch you would want to live with day-to-day. But now I have the chance to find out, because I’ll be running this Hypnotic Purple beast for the next six months.

Abarth has been making go-faster versions of Fiat cars for 76 years, and threw all its hot-hatch know-how at the 600e. So there’s a mechanical limited-slip differential, a new brake system, stiffer suspension and anti-roll bars. Plus the car’s track has been widened by 30mm up front and 25mm on the rear, and its 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres.

However, our car is the top-of-the-range Scorpionissima version. So the electric motor driving the front wheels produces 278bhp for 0-62mph in 5.8 seconds, plus it has heated Sabelt bucket seats, extra driver-assistance tech, keyless entry and a ‘sound generator’.

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That’s a fancy name for a speaker that pumps out a synthesised imitation of a petrol hot hatch’s exhaust note that you can hear from outside the car. It’s the most gimmicky of gimmicks and the sound it makes isn’t even that good, but it does make my friends laugh when I start ‘revving’ my EV.

Personally, I find the ‘mind the scorpion’ slogan dotted around the cabin far more amusing. ‘Beware the scorpion’ or ‘fear the scorpion’ could have got passengers excited for the ride of their life, whereas ‘mind the scorpion’ sounds like something you say when your pet scorpion is loose in your house and you don’t want someone to tread on him.

Anyway, when you get moving, the sound generator becomes more of a continuous drone, and with no virtual gearbox like you get in a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the driving experience isn’t that much more engaging. I guess it’s better than nothing, because without it, driving the Abarth feels like being in a racing simulator – as do many fast electric cars.

At least the steering is quick and direct, plus the upgraded brakes deliver plenty of stopping power and there’s a solid feel to the pedal when you start leaning on it.

Unsurprisingly, the ride in the 600e is very firm, which is great for controlling body roll and the car’s weight. However, the car just will not stop fidgeting, even on what look like relatively smooth roads. On a bumpy, uneven B-road, the Abarth starts to bounce around.

Unfortunately for the 600e, I spend a lot of time on the motorway, where the car still feels unsettled, and going over joints or cracks in the road causes a loud thud. Even worse than that is the road noise coming into the cabin.

Finally, there’s the range. Abarth says our 600e can cover up to 199 miles on a charge, which already isn’t the best. But I’ve averaged just 3.0 miles per kWh so far and that means a real-world range of about 160 miles – although not according to the car’s trip computer, which seem to be as delusional as the politicians who enter Strictly Come Dancing.

It keeps claiming I have 207 miles of range with a full charge, and doesn’t start providing realistic estimates until I’ve drained the battery to about 50 per cent capacity. I almost admire the optimism, but not being able to trust the car’s range estimates could prove to be a serious problem on long journeys.

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*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.