2023-07-05 12:30:00
Discover the Abarth 500 E, the new nugget from Fiat, which has managed to combine the electric and the ardor of this small car that smells of Italy.
It’s always when you believe that all is lost that the light arises. And often, it comes out of where you least expect it. Frankly, when I stopped at Fiat, I didn’t think I would have a revelation, and then… I was handed the keys to the new Italian nugget, the electric 500 Abarth. For those who land, Abarth, before becoming a brand in its own right, is a famous transalpine tuner, who made a name for himself by tinkering with Porsches (yes, before jumping on Fiats) and above all by producing control systems. exhaust enough, how to say, voluble… That we found on the 500 Abarth, pretty little moths with a character as well tempered as their enjoyable backfires.
So, as much to tell you that Abarth and electric in the same sentence, it’s as credible as string and convent, or joy and hemorrhoids. But at Fiat, they insisted, with a small smile.
The cabin of the Abarth 500 has made great progress, in quality, in ergonomics, in everything. For thermal enthusiasts, the 180 CV petrol version is still in the catalogue, not more expensive, but more authentic! NR – CHRISTIAN VINES
Admittedly, the chip is even more crisp with its widened shields, its large rims and above all very suggestive colors, even in their name: Adrenaline red, Antidote white, Venum black, Poison blue or Acid green. Marketing? Perhaps, in any case, it slams hard.
But not as much as the exhaust. Yes, the exhaust. In an electric? Yes ! Before you think I’ve abused substances, let me tell you that electric cars are so quiet they’re dangerous for pedestrians who can’t hear them. Below 20 km/h, the law requires them to produce a sound, generally an unpleasant hum like a dishwasher or a coffee grinder.
But, for that matter, at Abarth, we decided to give this buzz the sound of the famous “Monza” exhaust which brilliantly equips the petulant thermal Abarths. Bel canto, my friends, even though it’s virtual, the system developed by JBL seems so real that when I drove off, I got out of the car to check that I hadn’t been played a joke. And this sound, we hear it both inside and outside, the revving is perfectly tuned. Childish? Yes, but it’s good! Even in an electric.
Yes, because beyond the soundscape and the bodywork, the Abarth 500 e has taken on muscle compared to the Fiat 500. On the menu, the same 42 kW battery, but sharper management allows the engine electric to send 155 CV, or 38 more than in the Fiat 500. Even if we are still far from the 180 CV of the thermal Abarth 695, there is something fun. Really.
To the point of returning at times to adolescence. And make express starts at a red light, just for fun! Better still, there is a “drag race” function, which allows you to time yourself on the 0 to 60 and 0 to 100 km/h. I might as well tell you that I’ve played it a few times… Well, precisely, performance issue, what does that say?
We are far from the lap times of the nasty thermal 695, but it’s far from being ridiculous, the chip leaps, in a roar of thunder, behind the wheel you feel as if you had been put a scorpion in your pants. Yes, the scorpion is the emblem of Abarth, and behind the wheel of their little moths, you don’t wonder why…
Autonomy? You can imagine that with a handful of extra horsepower, and this temperament that pushes you to do anything, the Abarth won’t take you far. But the smallest part of the way with her turns into a moment of pure delirium. Listen, making a racket, starting like a fool at every red light, while not burning a drop of gasoline, admit that it gives you a banana. Like what, the ecological transition is not necessarily punitive. Grazie mille, Abarth!
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#car #test #Abarth #real #electric #battery
