Road Test of the Year: Abarth 600e

When it comes to EV scepticism, there are always two complaints that petrol heads will keep putting forward as an argument against electric cars – they’re boring and they’re all the same.

While in this world of shared platforms that can often be true, there are still some EVs which at least try to be different. To this end, I was pleased when I found out I’d be driving the 600e Scorpionissima up to Wales for Road Test of the Year.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the slightly mad way that Abarth does things – the prime example of which came on the original 600, which was sold with the bootlid bolted fully open as that was the only way to keep the engine cool. Not having an engine, that necessity was spared this time round, but that Italian free spirit certainly lives on in this modern car.

First up, the looks. The Abarth looks like it was designed by a teenager absent-mindedly sketching away in a school exercise book. It has flamboyant gills, way over the top ‘Abarth +’ motifs plastered down the sides and an absurdly unnecessary rear spoiler protruding over the back end. There are also lairy-looking Scorpion badges all over the pace – many of them in a flamboyant shade of lime green – which only add to the wonderfully immature appeal of the car. Our model even came with a particularly garish purple paint job, which appeared to change colour ever-so-slightly in certain light. I get why these appearances may not be to everyone’s taste, but personally I love that a car like this can still exist in a world dominated by bland SUVs and hatchbacks.

I also liked the interior. The suede racing seats look amazing with diamond patterning and sporty gaps in the headrests. There are plenty of cubby holes and, despite a few cheap-feeling plastics, everything is well bolted together and robust.

Another constant criticism of EVs is charging and range. I took delivery of the Abarth around a week before we set off on our adventures in Wales and used that opportunity to drive the car from Portsmouth to Somerset for a family wedding. From 100% charged, the Abarth made it to Taunton with around 25 miles of range to spare, and a rapid charge back to maximum capacity took around 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, on the way to Road Test of the Year itself, I made it to a charger in the South Wales ‘beauty spot’ of Cwmbran Lidl – a distance of 143 miles – with just four miles of range left on the clock. If you’re looking for an EV for long journeys then I’d look elsewhere, but it did at least hold its charge better than the Alpine A290. The only real charging headache came at our overnight stop – the eighth Wonder of the World which is the Travelodge, Merthyr Tydfil – where the Abarth point blank refused to connect to the rapid chargers outside the hotel.

Away from the bonkers looks, the main test of this car was always going to be how it drives and handles. Overall, I was impressed with the Scorpionissima, which stuck to the roads well and shot off the line like a rat up a drainpipe. It had no problems at all on the bendy mountain roads and cornered well enough, without offering anything amazing to write home about.

Given that hot EVs of this nature are often criticised for being boring, Abarth’s attempts to improve the driving experience have to be applauded. As a result, I have no problem (in theory) with the fake engine noise, which the Italian brand hopes will bring a bigger sense of occasion to the whole affair. While miserable old men will poopoo this, and say this sounds like a PlayStation game, I would applaud Abarth for having a go. Hot hatches are all about driving pleasure and any attempt to improve that gets a thumbs up from me.

Having said that, the fact that the engine noise is not connected to any type of gearbox means that what you end up with is something of a monotone grunt. It actually sounds like when you used to put a Coke can on your bicycle tyre as a child, which is very funny but does begin to wear a little thin after a while.

Up on the mountain roads, the Scorpionissima performed well and was fun to drive overall. However, it does just lack the precision and poise of the Alpine, which is a specular little car in those conditions. For all its outlandish boy-racer style charms, the Abarth does feel more unrefined than its French rival. Having said that, in the real world it is more economical and, personally, I prefer the interior of the Abarth.

Overall, the 600e is a really good effort and I am pleased that a car like this can still exist. However, as a pure driving machine it does fall short of its competitors, and on those country roads I’d plump for the Alpine every time. With the car costing around £40,000, it probably doesn’t quite do enough to justify its cost, but as an exercise in bringing a smile to your face, it delivers in spades.