Abarth 600e Scorpionissima long-term test: playful SUV with supervillain looks

Verdict

Despite its comic-book supervillain looks, the Abarth 600e is a rather serious car that I already knew was capable on track and has proven it works well on the road, too. However, for me, the hot hatch’s sharp handling is overshadowed by the very firm and unsettled ride, an excessive amount of road noise and poor real-world range. Living with this car is going to be interesting.

• 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.

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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.