The Abarth 600e lands in the UK with a scorpion badge, a slightly unhinged exhaust sound generator, and a price tag that will make you pause mid-signature at the dealership. I spent a week with one on a mix of North Yorkshire A-roads, a stretch of the A1(M), and the kind of slow urban crawl that any honest road test should include. The question I kept coming back to: does the Abarth 600e justify costing roughly £6,000 to £8,000 more than the equivalent Fiat 600e it is built on?
What is the Abarth 600e and how does it differ from the Fiat?
At its core, the Abarth 600e uses the same 54 kWh battery and 156 bhp electric motor architecture as the Fiat 600e. But Abarth’s engineers have not simply bolted on a bodykit and called it a day. The motor output is bumped to 240 bhp in Scorpionissima trim (the top variant), with a torque figure of 345 Nm. That is a meaningful step up. Abarth has also reworked the suspension tuning, stiffening things considerably compared to the softer Fiat setup, and the steering weight has been increased to give a more direct feel. You also get wider front and rear tracks, Brembo brakes, and 18-inch alloys as standard on most UK specs.
The sound system deserves a mention here because it is genuinely unusual. Abarth has worked with Focal to create an artificial exhaust note that plays through external speakers, simulating the rasp of a traditional hot hatch. You can turn it off, and I did for about twenty minutes before quietly turning it back on. It is theatrical, yes, but it actually adds something to the experience on a fast B-road. Whether that feels worth paying extra for depends entirely on how seriously you take yourself behind the wheel.
How does it perform on real UK roads?
On paper, 0-62 mph in 5.97 seconds looks brisk. In practice it feels faster than that, particularly in the mid-range where the electric motor’s instant torque delivery is most apparent. Joining a motorway slip road or overtaking a lorry on a single-carriageway A-road, the Abarth pulls hard and cleanly. I found myself using the Sport mode most of the time on open roads, which sharpens throttle response and weights up the steering further. In Turismo mode, it is genuinely comfortable enough for longer runs.
The suspension tuning is where the Abarth 600e earns its badge and also where it splits opinion. On smooth tarmac it is engaging and sharp, with noticeably less body roll than the Fiat sibling. On patchy British roads, which is most of them in 2026 if I am being honest, it can feel choppy. The 18-inch wheels and low-profile tyres do not help. UK pothole damage is already a growing problem for modern cars, and the Abarth’s firmer setup means you feel every poorly-repaired surface rather acutely. It is not uncomfortable by hot hatch standards, but it is not something to ignore if your daily commute includes significant urban mileage.
Range and charging: the honest numbers
Abarth quotes a WLTP range of around 186 miles from the 54 kWh battery. In real-world conditions, driving with some enthusiasm in mixed weather, I averaged closer to 155 miles per charge. On the motorway at a steady 70 mph, the range dropped further, which is consistent with what you would expect from a smaller battery pack. The 100 kW DC rapid charging capability means you can go from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes at a public rapid charger, which is acceptable for a car of this size.
I would not call the range a deal-breaker, but it does require some planning for longer trips. If the majority of your driving is within 100 miles of home and you can charge overnight, this is a non-issue. If you regularly drive from Manchester to London and back in a day, this is not the car for those journeys. For context on how the broader EV market is moving, the UK government’s EV charging infrastructure statistics show rapid charger availability is improving, which helps the ownership case for shorter-range EVs like this one.
Interior, equipment, and whether the badge adds up
Inside, the 600e and Abarth 600e are largely identical in terms of the basic architecture. You get a 10.25-inch infotainment screen running a reasonably intuitive system, a digital instrument cluster, and decent quality materials for the class. Abarth adds its own steering wheel, sportier seat designs with carbon-look trim, and some red stitching throughout. The Sabelt sports seats in Scorpionissima spec are a genuine highlight: supportive, well-bolstered, and comfortable over longer distances in a way that cheaper sports seats rarely manage.
Rear seat space is snug for adults, as you would expect from a supermini-sized car. The boot is a reasonable 360 litres, which is usable. This is not an everyday family estate, but it functions perfectly well as a primary car for one or two people.
UK pricing starts at around £36,000 for the base Abarth 600e. The Fiat 600e starts from approximately £28,000. That gap is significant, and it is the central question of this Abarth 600e review UK 2026. For the premium, you get the power upgrade, the chassis revisions, the Brembo brakes, the sound system, and the scorpion badge. If those things genuinely matter to you, the value case holds. If you mostly want a stylish, efficient small EV and the performance is secondary, the small EV market at sub-£30,000 offers increasingly strong alternatives.
Who should actually buy the Abarth 600e?
I think the Abarth 600e makes most sense for someone who would previously have bought a hot hatch like the Fiesta ST or Polo GTI, is ready to move to electric, and wants the brand story to come with the car. Abarth has always sold emotion as much as horsepower, and the 600e continues that tradition in a credible way. The performance is genuine, the chassis is better than the standard car’s, and the whole package hangs together well enough that I would not call the premium unjustified.
What I would say is this: go and drive one back-to-back with the Fiat 600e before you commit. The difference is real and tangible, but whether it is £6,000 to £8,000 of tangible depends on how much you weigh driving pleasure against pure practicality. Given the current pressure on dealers to shift EVs under the ZEV mandate, there may also be room to negotiate more than the sticker price suggests. I would ask the question.
The Abarth 600e is not a perfect car. The range is modest, the ride is firm, and the price is high. But it is genuinely fun, properly quick for a supermini, and distinctly Italian in the best possible sense. In a class where most electric small cars try hard to be sensible, this one makes a reasonable argument for being anything but.