Tiny Car, Big Price Tag: Driving The 2024 Abarth 500e

The Abarth 500e is proof that electrification doesn’t have to kill a car’s personality—but it also shows that personality alone doesn’t come cheap.

Over the last couple of decades, the Abarth 500 has carved out a reputation for being small, loud, and scrappy. It was never about force but about character, cornering, and making a whole lot of noise while doing it. Now, the 500e brings that same energy into the EV world… or at least tries to.

This test car, finished in bright Acid Green with 18-inch alloys and chunky styling cues, grabs attention in traffic like few cars at this price point. The front end of this test car is angrier than that of the standard Fiat 500e, and little Abarth scorpion logos are placed everywhere to remind you that this isn’t just a fashion EV.

Under the hood, a 42 kWh battery and a single front-mounted electric motor generate 153 horsepower. That’s enough to get it from 0 to 100 km/h in about 7 seconds, which is zippy enough for city driving and backroads fun. The steering is quick, the grip from the Potenza Sport tires is impressive, and the short wheelbase makes it feel like a caffeinated go-kart in corners.

But, it’s expensive. In Australia, the 500e Turismo starts at nearly AU$59,000 before on-road costs. That’s roughly $38,000 USD, which puts it in the same price range as bigger, faster, and more practical EVs like the MG 4 X Power, Cupra Born, or even the Tesla Model Y. Additionally, the petrol-powered Abarth 695 is available for AU$20,000 less and offers more raw performance along with the same cheeky charm.

Inside, Abarth has gone all-in on sporty styling. There’s Alcantara on the dash and steering wheel, blue and green stitching, and snug bucket seats that look excellent but sit far too high. Headroom is tight, especially if you’re tall, and the sunshade does little to stop the cabin from turning into a toaster oven on sunny days. Still, the layout is clean, and the 10.25-inch infotainment screen looks sharp, even if wireless Android Auto was frustratingly unreliable during the test.

The rear seats? Let’s be honest—they’re more decorative than functional. There’s just enough space for a couple of kids, but adults will struggle, and you’ll be better off using the space for extra storage. It would actually make more sense if Abarth let buyers delete the back seats altogether to free up room in the tiny trunk.

Driving it is genuinely fun, though. Despite weighing nearly 1,340 kg, the car feels light on its feet. It corners flat, bites hard on turn-in, and has enough torque to make city driving a blast. The ride is stiff—surprisingly so. It’s more punishing than hot hatches like the Renault Megane RS or even a Hyundai i20 N. While that firmness helps in corners, it makes daily driving less enjoyable, especially over rough roads.

Then there’s the sound. Abarth spent 6,000 hours developing an artificial engine noise for the 500e, pumped through an external speaker to simulate the ICE experience. It’s a neat idea, and it sounds more organic than the fake noises in some other EVs, like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. But it’s far from perfect. The sound doesn’t taper off when you’re cruising, so it ends up droning like you’re stuck in second gear. Worse, you can only turn it on or off when the car is parked, and the setting is buried deep in the menu system.

Still, credit where it’s due—the 500e is remarkably efficient. Abarth claims 253 km (157 miles) of range, and we saw figures that came pretty close. During test drives, this tiny car averaged 13.3 kWh per 100 km, which is impressive for something this punchy and fun.

There are three drive modes: Turismo for calm, energy-saving driving; Scorpion Street for more punch with one-pedal control; and Scorpion Track, which dials back the regen for a more traditional feel. Each adds a slightly different flavor, but even in its mildest mode, the 500e feels like it’s ready to party.

So, where does that leave us? The Abarth 500e is a blast to drive, turns heads, and brings real personality to the EV space. It feels more like a weekend toy than a daily driver, and for almost 60 grand, that’s a tough pill to swallow. If you’ve got the cash and want something different, you’ll enjoy it.