Abarth 600e Competizione (2026) Review

MODERN cars, eh? Aren’t they great? Easy to drive, easy to live with and easy to buy.

And that keeps the majority of owners happy as they ply their trade, going from A to B, in less than spectacular fashion. Tin boxes, full of seats, a means of transport, driven with little thought and zero passion.

But some would say there is a flip side to this shiny coin, that they are banal, samey, lacking in character. One looks very much like the other, inside and out, and you could swap the badges over and basically still have the same car.

Some of us still like to drive for driving’s sake and we demand more. We want dynamics, entertainment, spirit, character – soul.

I once said this within earshot of an associate while bemoaning changing my own Abarth for a Japanese hybrid. “Soul?” he said. “It’s a flipping car!” Except he didn’t say flipping.

After all, how can an inanimate piece of metal and plastic possess anything at all? Perhaps ‘el truculento’ had a point. But Abarth would argue differently, particularly with the latest 600e, resplendent in Competizione trim.

Shiny ‘Venom’ black livery, a spoiler on the back imprinted with the telltale Abarth scorpion moniker, rear scorpio-etched valance, deep front airdam and fluorescent green scorpions on the front wings and in the centre of each large alloy wheel – ooh lovely.

This is never going to be an also-ran, a clone, a facsimile of others. This is an Abarth, built by people who love cars and driving, for people of a similar mindset. Oh yeah!

The ‘e’ on the end of 600 means that this particular Abarth is electric, so there’s no snarling turbo-charged internal combustion engine to tingle the spine like my previous three Abarths used to, in the good old days, when carbon emissions were good for you.

It’s a shame really as one of the key stimuli is invariably missing, that of sound, but that still leaves your other four senses, well three, unless you plan to chew on the wheel.

So let’s go through them. Sight? Well it is quite a sight. Abarth have taken the Fiat 600 from a girlie, eyelash fluttering SUV – I’ve even seen them sporting lash extensions atop the headlights before anyone goes on the attack – to a jet black, sultry, beast of a car any self-respecting crime-fighting chiropteran (bat) would be proud to take into battle. It is mean and moody and oozes road presence. It’s almost unrecognisable as a 600 and I love it.

Moving on to smell? Well, Abarths do have a certain perfume. It’s the trim you see and I believe if you blindfolded me and sat me inside I could even tell you what model it is – yes I’m that nerdy.

Then there’s touch; that’s lovely too, especially the chunky flat bottom Alcantara steering wheel, with carbon fibre inserts, and awesome scooped out, Sabelt bucket sports seats. There’s even a suede, magnetic concertina-ing flap thingy which covers the centre storage. Then there are buttons galore – for park, drive, reverse and neutral, the heating controls and a knob for the radio – glorious and the perfect antidote to the current obsession with fiddly touchscreens. Magnifico.

So there’s no sound but there is plenty to stimulate the senses. The 54.0 kWh electric motor is exhilarating with 280hp of instant power and 345Nm of thrust making it truly rapid – in a safe and responsible way of course. It will sit at the legal limit on the motorway but that does bite deeply into the range which is only 208 miles to start with. Sit at 70mph and an 80 mile jaunt uses 120 miles of battery charge so don’t get caught out.

On the twists, which is where it belongs, the range is better as speeds are reduced and the battery benefits from brake regeneration.

Truth is, the handling of the Abarth is so good you are going to plan your route to avoid tedious motorways every time. It’s firm and sporty but that’s a good thing as it makes you feel alive and in control.

The delightful 20" diamond cut alloy wheels are shod with super slim and wide 225/40 94V tyres and attached to sporty, sophisticated suspension. There’s also a Torsen limited-slip differential so handling grip and ride are peerless, involving and heaps of fun.

So replace the engine sound with your favourite tunes and all your sense will remain intact, heightened even, as you drive along in a car that will stir your soul. Aren’t modern cars great? Well, some are more than others.

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