OPINION: The Abarth 600e might just be the most fun you can have driving an electric car

Abarth’s first effort at an electric hot hatchback was the 500e. Though it was fun in a slightly tortured way, it won’t exactly be remembered as a thoroughbred. The good news is that Abarth has done a much, much better job turning the slightly dull and worthy Fiat 600e into the Abarth 600e – and in doing so made what might be the first ‘proper’ electric hot hatchback.

There are a few cars that claim that title already, of course. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N comes to mind – but it’s the size of a large SUV and costs more than £65,000. The Volkswagen ID3 GTX and Cupra Born VZ offer plenty of power in a slightly more playful package than their regular variants, but still fall short of being truly enjoyable to drive. Then there are cars like the MG4 XPower, which prove that all the horsepower in the world doesn’t make for a hot hatchback if the chassis, suspension and brakes aren’t uprated to match.

The Abarth immediately stands out for two reasons. The first are the looks – the signature colours are a violent acid green or a rather lovely pearlescent purple shade. Both come with a square rear spoiler that’s verging just on the right side of absurd, a dramatic body kit with cross-hatched details at the front and rear, and 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels wrapped in sticky, grippy tyres. It looks brilliant.

The second treat is an auditory one – not something you can often say about an electric car. That’s because, to put it bluntly, Abarth has fitted the 600e with a whopping great speaker underneath the floor, projecting an artificial engine note out for the world to hear. It’s loud without being irritating, and unlike the one in the 500e can be switched on and off easily. But also unlike the 500e, it settles down to a low thrum at motorway speeds rather than a high-pitched squeal, so you don’t feel like a demented bee has flown into your ears. During my week with the car, I kept it switched on almost all the time and enjoyed it tremendously.

The 600e doesn’t have bags of power. The regular car gets 240hp, while the Scorpionissima model I tested has 280hp, allowing for a 0-62mph sprint of 5.9s. That’s not very quick by EV standards – you’ll be beaten off the line by even the slowest and cheapest Tesla – but outright speed has never been the point of a hot hatchback.

Once you start sticking the Abarth into corners you’ll see where the effort’s been expended. Thanks to a mechanical limited-slip differential – one of those features which sounds boring but isn’t – you can carry a frankly absurd amount of speed into the bends. Put your foot down mid-corner and you’ll feel the car squirm just a little before gamely pulling you in the direction you want – there’s almost no understeer, which is typically the thing that spoils heavy, front-wheel drive cars.

Quick steering, firm suspension and the mad throb of that engine noise speaker all combine to make the Abarth 600e hugely entertaining. Better yet, unlike most alternatives – even the incredible Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – the Abarth feels more analogue and like you’re driving the car yourself, rather than layers of computers doing the work for you.

Is it more fun than the Hyundai? Well, it’s less accomplished – not as powerful, and it doesn’t have the Hyundai’s brilliant artificial gearchanges or sophisticated drive modes. But due to the handier size, being able to use more of the power and yes, worrying less that you’re about to stuff up a near-70-grand car – I found it more enjoyable, and much more fun.

Nothing is without compromise and it’s fair to say that the Abarth 600e has more than most. An energy efficiency of around 3.2 miles per kWh isn’t actually too bad – but combined with this car’s small battery it means that the best range you’ll manage between charging stops is 160 miles, more like 140 if you’re allowing yourself a little bit of leeway. It doesn’t charge particularly rapidly, either.

The rock-solid suspension can be tiring on a long drive, too, and though the Sabelt bucket seats that come with the Scorpionissima are very supportive they’re also quite hard and uncomfortable, with great big ventilation holes allowing any kids in the rear seats to poke you right in the kidneys.

And you’ll certainly want to restrict the rear seats to kids, as they’re extremely tight for adults. It’s a shame too that Abarth couldn’t have added a bit more of a sheen to the 600e’s interior – there are just a few too many nasty plastics on the door cards and dashboard.

Sadly, the Scorpionissma model we tested is a launch edition only – limited to just 1,949 units. It’s about £2,900 more than the regular car, but I think it’s well worth it for the extra power as well as some additional equipment. I wouldn’t be surprised if Abarth introduces the more powerful motor as a regular addition to the range soon.

So should you buy one? Well, the range and the harsh suspension mean it’s a very difficult car to recommend as a daily driver. But if you want a secondary car and aren’t too fussed about going long distances, I’d buy one in a heartbeat. The Abarth 600e’s combination of eye-catching looks, a fun drive and absolutely hilarious character tick all my boxes. And at less than £40,000, it’s even reasonable value – and neatly dodges the expensive car supplement on its yearly road tax. Abarth’s difficult second (electric) album really deserves to be a hit.

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