Image: Cochespias1
The 2023 Abarth 500 EV is due to be revealed later this month but the model has already been leaked on social media showing an aggressive lumo-green electric hot-hatch. Here is what we know ahead of its launch!
Based on the latest Fiat 500 electric hatch, the new Abarth is the company’s first foray into electric power and will succeed the current petrol-powered Abarth 595 and 695, which are due to go out of production before the end of next year. Leaked images posted on Instagram by Cochespias look to provide an early glimpse of its more aggressive styling.
Fiat CEO Olivier Francois mentioned earlier this year that Abarth will still retain its wild styling cues for its electric vehicles. “The looks are the same, We just need to be a little bit more extroverted. Abarth is always a little bit over the top, with spoilers and wheels”.
Highlights of the new design include a sportier front end with body-coloured honeycomb lower inserts, a closed-off grille with Abarth badging, scorpion decals on the rear wheel arches, a black roof and black door mirror caps. Bespoke 18-inch alloy wheels that feature a five twin-spoke design, a duo-tone treatment and a large Scorpion on the centre caps. The rear spoiler is larger than the standard Fiat 500 while a sportier rear diffuser curtails the rear end with the same white accents as the front splitter.
Image: Cochespias1
The company says that the Abarth 500 EV will be “More Abarth Than Ever” hinting at a number of performance upgrades. Performance details have not been revealed yet but as the successor to the petrol-powered Abarth range, the new electric model will most likely match or exceed its predecessor’s performance, which currently produces 132 kW of power and 250 N.m of torque from a 1,4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. The Fiat 595 sprints from 0-100 km/h in 6,7 seconds with a maximum speed of 225 km/h.
Abarth will equip the hot hatch with a more focused chassis setup featuring a stiffer suspension, stronger brakes, and tweaked steering. From the leaked images, the new electric Abarth looks to be no-less exuberant than its petrol predecessor. The electric Abarth 500 will focus on performance rather than range, it’s likely this model won’t be able to match the 320 km range offered by the 500 EV. The brand could also give the model a synthetic engine sound or it could enhance the sound of the electric motor. The 2023 Abarth 500 EV will be unveiled to the world on the 22nd of November so we can expect all official stats on the model then.
Keyword: Upcoming 2023 Abarth 500 EV leaked ahead of launch