When Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Peugeot Citroën merged to create Stellantis, some of us had concerns about certain brands that might face extinction. Abarth is certainly on that list, but the world’s fourth-largest automaker has pledged to keep all brands and invest in them for 10 years. Yes, that also includes Lancia and DS. True to its promise, Stellantis has spent money on Abarth for a performance version of the new Fiat 500.
After a series of spy shots, Abarth took to social media to announce the premiere is scheduled for November 22 at 14:00 CET (1pm GMT or 8am ET). The news comes less than a week after the Italian company simplified its lineup of petrol-fueled hot hatches for 2023 by introducing the 595 and 695 with Turismo or Competizione specs with a luxurious and sporty personality.
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Details about the battery-powered model are shrouded in mystery, but we’re anticipating a healthy boost from the Fiat 500 and its 117 hp and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) electric motor. It remains to be seen if it will be Abarth’s most powerful production car to date. Meanwhile, the 695 Biposto holds that title with a turbocharged 1.4-liter petrol engine that makes 190 hp in a pint-sized car that weighs just 997 kilograms (nearly 2,200 pounds).
The new electric Abarth will be much heavier considering the Fiat-badged EV weighs a little over 1,400 kg (nearly 3,100 lbs). That weight limit is for the version equipped with the larger 42 kWh battery pack that the sporty electric derivative is likely to use. Recent spy shots suggest the styling tweaks won’t be drastic but expect a redesigned bumper, different wheels, and a bigger rear spoiler. A new logo is also in the works, as are sporty seats with greater support later on and other minor revisions in the cabin.
The amped-up version will obviously be much faster than the Fiat 500, which takes nine seconds to 62 mph (100 km/h) and is electronically regulated to 93 mph (150 km/h). Logic tells us bigger brakes and suspension upgrades are also in the pipeline along with chassis tuning to cope with the extra power from the electric motor being sent to the front axle.
