Is Abarth the next BMW M, Hyundai N or VW R? The Italian performance brand's global marketing boss has no doubts

There’s nothing like some performance personality to lift the character of an otherwise conservative car brand, as the long-term success of direct subsidiaries like Audi Sport, BMW M and Mercedes-AMG will attest.

'Win on Sunday, sell on Monday' competition success morphing into focused road-going models that attract a loyal fan base and spread a warm glow over the rest of the company’s model range.

And over time, racy bits and pieces from the go-fast skunk works find their way onto everyday models to enhance their appeal in an even more direct way.

A humble Mercedes C-Class wearing big AMG rims shod with fat, high-speed rubber. Or a BMW 118i with the ‘M Sport’ option box ticked to add an upgraded suspension and aero package.

Not to mention Hyundai’s N Line, VW’s R-Line, Toyota’s GR Sport or Subaru’s STi Performance Parts enhancements.  

So, given Abarth is set to step up with its all-new pure electric 500e hot hatch arriving in Australia before the end of the year, could it become the next in-house sub-brand to extend its charisma, hardware and even its software to more down-to-earth models like the Fiat 500e, due in local showrooms from July this year? Or the five-door 600 EV SUV likely to follow it.

Carlo Abarth founded his eponymous tuning business in 1949, and the name carries heavyweight motorsport cred, yet Fiat and Abarth’s Senior Vice President for marketing communications globally, Laurent Diot told CarsGuide, “There will be no AMG for Abarth”.

The pure electric 500e hot hatch is set to arrive in Australia before the end of the year.

“Fiat represents joy, and Abarth is fun. Mix the two universes and you have confusion,” he said.

In confirming that there won’t be any Abarth styling kits or performance parts available for Fiat models, Mr Diot added, “Each brand has a mission. Fiat represents joyful, sustainable mobility, and Abarth is the pocket-rocket designed for fun, urban driving.”

However, he did leave the door slightly ajar for Fiat fans wanting something extra, noting that Stellantis parts and service specialist Mopar “will develop performance elements over time”.

And in a world of EV sound generators those could include a more aggressive synthetic soundtrack as much as racier rims or a stiffer suspension.