Abarth’s first pure-electric car, the 500e “pocket rocket” is a sportier version of the Fiat 500 electric, said Sunday Times Driving.
It comes in five bright colours, including Acid Green and Poison Blue, and in standard or range-topping Turismo spec with 17in and 18in wheels respectively; there are hard top and cabriolet versions of each. Abarth has even added a sound generator to mimic a petrol engine for city “poseurs”.
Abarth is out to prove that electric cars can be as much fun as their petrol counterparts, said What Car?. The 153bhp 500e can do 0-62mph in 7secs – just below the top-of-the-range petrol Abarth 695 (6.7secs). But bespoke suspension gives this hot hatch better agility; wider wheels and tyres maximise grip; special rear disc brakes increase stopping power; plus it has sharper steering and better body control than the 695 too.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Range is comparatively meagre at 164 miles WLTP and a 0-80% charge takes 35 minutes at a 85kW “rapid” charger, said Top Gear Magazine. The interior is more muted than the exterior, with hard plastics. The bolstered seats steal space from the back, where there’s only room for two (children ideally). Boot space is equally limited. On the plus side, the central touchscreen is easy to use, with smart graphics.
-
Why recognizing Somaliland is so risky for IsraelTHE EXPLAINER By wading into one of North Africa’s most fraught political schisms, the Netanyahu government risks further international isolation
-
Crossword: December 30, 2025The daily crossword from The Week
-
What have Trump’s Mar-a-Lago summits achieved?Today’s big question Zelenskyy and Netanyahu meet the president in his Palm Beach ‘Winter White House’
-
The best food books of 2025The Week Recommends From mouthwatering recipes to insightful essays, these colourful books will both inspire and entertain
-
Art that made the news in 2025The Explainer From a short-lived Banksy mural to an Egyptian statue dating back three millennia
-
Nine best TV shows of the yearThe Week Recommends From Adolescence to Amandaland
-
Winter holidays in the snow and sunThe Week Recommends Escape the dark, cold days with the perfect getaway
-
The best homes of the yearFeature Featuring a former helicopter engine repair workshop in Washington, D.C. and high-rise living in San Francisco
-
Critics’ choice: The year’s top 10 moviesFeature ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘It Was Just an Accident’ stand out
-
A luxury walking tour in Western AustraliaThe Week Recommends Walk through an ‘ancient forest’ and listen to the ‘gentle hushing’ of the upper canopy
-
Joanna Trollope: novelist who had a No. 1 bestseller with The Rector’s WifeIn the Spotlight Trollope found fame with intelligent novels about the dramas and dilemmas of modern women
