Abarth 500e Convertible review: what's this EV hot hatch like as a soft top?

What's this?

This is Abarth’s take on the electric Fiat 500e that went on sale mid-2023, and arguably the first example of what is hopefully a long line of attempts at an electric hot hatch. It’s this or the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N at the moment, so at least there’s no chance of them getting same-y.

The 500e is also arguably the only production electric convertible (remember the Mini Electric Convertible came and went in the blink of an eye?). If you can call it that: it’s got a fabric roof that goes back almost all the way, and it’s cold inside when it’s open. So that counts, surely?

What’s the point of the Abarth?

An excellent question. I'm not really sure. What Abarth has done is take a small, expensive, range-limited convertible electric city car and turn it into a small, even more expensive, even more range-limited convertible electric hot hatch. It’s got the same 42kWh battery, but the 94bhp motor has been ramped up to a heady 152bhp.

That means the race from 0–62mph has been slashed, taking seven seconds flat instead of nine. It also means that the range has sunk from a reasonable 186 miles to a more nerve-inducing 150. And that’s if you tread carefully: you’ll get much less if you drive this thing as intended.

It charges at the same speed as the standard 500e: 85kW capability means it’ll get from zero to 80 per cent in 35 minutes.

So what else is different to the Fiat 500e Convertible?

On the outside you get Abarth branding, an aggressive looking bodykit and some Abarth-specific colours, winningly themed along the company’s scorpion branding: Antidote White, Venom Black, etc. The Liver Failure Green (it might not be called that) is a heinous shade, but I quite liked the Poison Blue of the car I drove.

On the inside you get chunky sports seats that still don’t quite go low enough, plus swathes of Alcantara trim across the dashboard. You also get the decent 10.25in infotainment display of the 500, along with an impressive standard kit list that includes 17in alloys, rear parking sensors, climate control, LED headlights and JBL sound system.

Upgrade to Turismo trim and you get heated sports seats, wireless phone charging, 360-degree parking sensors and rear camera plus keyless entry.

I can’t hear you over that terrible noise.

Sorry, let me just go into the display screen settings in the digital dashboard… there. For some reason that’s where the synthetic engine noise is turned on and off.

Mostly just turned off, because once you’ve embarrassed yourself with ice cream van levels of petrol engine noise pulsating from the speaker at the back of the car, you’ll never want to turn it back on again. Except maybe occasionally, just to check it’s as bad as you remember.

Is it fun to drive? 

It is, as far as its heavy electric setup will allow. It’s a hoot around town with the roof down, knocked into Scorpion Street mode to unlock the full power (the standard Turismo drive mode only offers 134bhp, which pegs 0–62mph at eight seconds). You can dive for gaps, race away from the lights and show everyone your scorpion stinger.

Head as far into the countryside as you dare and it’s surprisingly satisfying to punt down a flowing country lane, but for something that’s supposed to emulate the best of the petrol hot hatches the admittedly sharp steering lacks feedback. The regen is too aggressive to get into a rhythm and the brake pedal by itself a bit spongy.

The ride is firm in that sporty way (to keep the car’s 1,435kg in check), but damped well enough that you’re not cursing every jolt and ripple in the tarmac along the way. There’s not much travel in the suspension, which can catch you out if you take a bump too fast. Still, bit of excitement never killed anyone.

And is it a practical hot hatch?

The great thing about most hot hatches is that you’ve got all the practical benefits of the donor car rather than being lumped with an impractical two-seater sports car that’s fun to drive but useless to live with.

The Abarth 500e remains consistent in its lack of practicality: this Convertible version has a meagre 185-litre boot with a tiny opening. Imagine trying to get your weekly shop in and out of your letterbox. The rear seats are essentially unuseable, but great if you need somewhere to stash your rucksack on the move.

Should I get one? 

Are you sitting down? The base-spec Abarth 500e Convertible is priced at £37,195 - a three grand premium over the hard top - while the Convertible Turismo goes for £41,195. You could get a petrol hatchback and a secondhand Mazda MX-5 for that.

Then they’ve got the nerve to charge you £600 for the paint, as if they’d have let it leave the factory with naked bodywork otherwise.

Meanwhile standard Fiat 500e Convertible has longer range and is far more suited to the sort of dolce vita that the Italian carmaker is pushing these days. Oh and it's cheaper than the Abarth, again to the tune of £3k.

No, you want the Abarth 500e's extra pep or the Fiat 500C's summery open-air vibe. But both at the same time? Nah. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite glad Abarth's had a go at rooflessness... I just can’t think of a good enough reason to buy one.