Abarth 500e prices confirmed
All hot hatches are getting expensive - the same is definitely true for the electric ones
A decade and a half ago, the Fiat 500 Abarth - as it was known then - launched in the UK. Back then it had a 135hp 1.4-litre turbo, and cost £13,500. Really keen buyers could buy an EsseEsse package, with new suspension and more power, for another £3k. Seems a long time ago, right? Now it feels like ancient history: the Abarth 500e Scorpionissima launch edition is £38,695.
Abarths have been expensive for a very long time - remember the £53,615 Biposto - but this looks a lot even for an EV hot hatch: the Mini Electric starts at £29,000, and even the range-topping Resolute is £35k. Of course, this is the first one, loaded up with the 18-inch inch wheels, Acid Green or Poison Blue paint, heated seats as well as loads of safety kit, and more affordable ones will no doubt follow. But that’s Golf GTI Clubsport money.
Not that Abarth will be too concerned about what the naysayers want to contribute, as 1,500 of the 1,949 launch editions are spoken for already. Given the price, and the niche audience an electric Abarth must be catering for, that’s not a bad return. Abarth says the current sales situation is a ‘rewarding result for a car which represents one of the most exciting launches in the history of the brand and a great new addition to its line-up.’
For UK customers, deliveries of the Scorpionissima are expected from June, presumably with details of the regular range - hopefully closer to £30k - to follow in due course. And if that’s still rather a lot for an Abarth 500, we all know how popular the cheap and cheerful original was, which means there are plenty still available used: this red 2011 car is low mileage and looks in great condition, with £500 recently taken off the sticker price. It’s for sale at £6,995…
king-eight grand? The world has gone absolutely mad. FWIW that £53k Biposto was if you went full race-car specification on it, the price in the linked article as standard was actually £33k. And that was a properly engineered upgrade over the regular Abarth with a race spec engine amongst other things, not some cosmetically "enhanced" - and I use that word loosely - launch spec.And just look at this thing. The original Frank Stephenson styling was at least an interesting cutesy interpretation of the original 500. This looks massive and awkward; I guess batteries in the floor as ever, so it looks far too tall. It might be perspective in the photos but it also looks like it has a massive arse.
Who the hell is buying this rubbish?
For fun I'd rather have the "Ferrari" 500. I'd love a little EV runaround but cost matters in that bracket, at least to me. 50K Minis and 40k 500s do not make sense for just popping about.
It’s almost like it is designed to maximise OEM’s revenues - whilst reducing the number of transportation devices available to the gen-pop…
Like a kind of ‘double whammy’…
It cobblers. It’s a con, and it’s happening right under everyone’s noses…
I feel sorry for the Gen zedders - you are being had, and mostly, seemingly, lapping it up…
It’s almost like it is designed to maximise OEM’s revenues - whilst reducing the number of transportation devices available to the gen-pop…
Like a kind of ‘double whammy’…
It cobblers. It’s a con, and it’s happening right under everyone’s noses…
I feel sorry for the Gen zedders - you are being had, and mostly, seemingly, lapping it up…
1- We live in Central London and she commutes in between hospitals within London, so small and electric is a must for physical and financial reasons.
2- She is able to buy it through her company which means any purchase needs to realistically be an electric car.
3- She wants to have fun in any car but needs reasons 1 + 2 fulfilled first.
I suggested the Abarth as she loved our 500 Riva, which I hated for more than our previous dinky 2011 500 with 63bhp in Greece whose life was cut short by botched repairs after terrorists bombed it during the financial crisis.
By all means if you can think of any other new car that fulfils that mandate please let me know.
Finally as to past prices, as a kid I used to hear my parents and grandparents moan about this all the time.
We in the West love to hide our overconsumption/overspending through printing money; chart the pound value vs money supply if you wish to get a sobering reminder. I do not like paying for things anymore than anyone else on this forum, but I cannot live in a bygone era either.
Case in point: this 11 Abarth mentioned in the article at £7k that is being pedalled as “good value”, where would that put like for like new at???
Anyway speaking with the sales guy the electric Abarths they have on trial, not for demo use purely staff use struggle to achieve 100 miles range……
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