Scorpion King! 2024 Abarth 500e electric car gains new Turismo flagship, but will it be a proper Mini Cooper or Cupra Born rival?

A new variant has been added to the top of the range for Abarth’s new electric ‘hot hatch’, with the 500e Turismo variant coming in hatch and cabriolet body styles.

A quick catch-up on the technical specs of the Abarth 500e, which shares the same outputs and drivetrain across the range, is that it’s powered by a single 114kW/235Nm electric motor mounted to the front axle, which the brand says should deliver a 0-100km/h time of 7.0 seconds.

An 85kW battery allows a claimed range of 320km, while charging should provide 80 per cent after 35 minutes of charging from empty when using an appropriate charger.

Three drive modes are featured - Turismo lowers outputs to 100kW/220Nm; Scorpion Street for maximum performance with regen braking, and Scorpion Track to use minimal driver aids.

The first of these drive modes shares its name with the just-revealed top-spec variant, the Turismo coming with additional features like a set of unique 18-inch wheels, an Alcantara interior with leather steering wheel, heated front seats, a wireless charging pad, a rear-view camera and a blind spot warning system.

It features the Abarth Sound Generator as standard, a system which mimics the sound of the Abarth’s older petrol engine and inspired by the ‘Record Monza’ exhaust which its ICE models were fitted with.

Fiat and Abarth CEO Olivier Francois said upon the electric hatchback’s initial reveal that the move to electric is in the best interests of driving enthusiasts and the performance of the model.

“You may ask ‘why electric?,” he asked. “Well, basically, performance made us do it. In fact, every change made in the Abarth is about getting the best driving performance. 

The 500e's 85kW battery allows a claimed range of 320km.

“That’s exactly how our founder, Carlo Abarth, always went at it. So, from that point of view, let’s say that nothing has changed: better acceleration, better handling, more fun. And then there’s Abarth’s legendary signature: its sound.”

In the Turismo specifically, that sound should be even more visceral than its stablemates, as it’s pumped through a sound system featuring seven JBL speakers: two tweeters, two mid-woofers, two rear-door full-range speakers, and a trunk-mounted subwoofer.

The sound system is integrated “without any major impact on the interior or trunk space” but specifics will be clearer when, or if, the car lands in Australia with the rest of the range, expected later this year.

CarsGuide has contacted Stellantis Australia for further clarification.