The Abarth 500e electric hot hatch looks set to cost nearly twice as much as the outgoing petrol version – or $60,000 – when it arrives in Australia later this year, if UK prices are a guide.
The 2023 Abarth 500e – the hot-hatch version of the Fiat 500e electric car – has been priced in the UK, giving Australian buyers a better indication of how much they can expect to pay for the city car when local deliveries begin later this year.
Based on calculations by Drive – using UK prices as a guide – the Abarth 500e could start from almost $60,000 before on-road costs when it arrives in Australia later this year, about $7000 more than the standard Fiat version.
This projected price would also make the electric Abarth 500e almost $20,000 more than the petrol-powered Abarth 695 it will eventually replace, which is priced from $36,400 (manual) and $38,400 (automatic).
The prices above are extrapolated by comparing UK and Australian pricing for the Fiat 500e – which is due in local showrooms between July and September 2023 in a sole top-of-the-range ‘La Prima’ variant, priced from $52,500 plus on-road costs – to the Abarth 500e’s prices in the UK.
MORE: 2023 Abarth 500e electric hot hatch revealed
In the UK, the Fiat 500e La Prima is priced from £34,195 ($AU63,620) for the fixed-roof hatchback, while the convertible starts from £37,195 ($AU69,200).
Last week Abarth revealed the top-of-the-range 500e ‘Turismo’ hatch will be priced from £38,195 ($AU71,060) in the UK, with convertible variants beginning at £41,195 ($AU76,650).
While there is an entry-level Abarth 500e in the UK, it is the same price as Fiat’s La Prima grade and is not as well equipped in order to match the Fiat’s price, given its higher performance.
Applying this price difference of approximately 11 per cent between the Fiat 500e La Prima and the Abarth 500e Turismo in the UK, the estimated Australian price for the electric hot hatch is $58,600 plus on-road costs – or more than $60,000 drive-away.
The Abarth 500e is powered by a 114kW/235Nm electric motor on the front axle – up from the Fiat’s 87kW/220Nm outputs – and a 42kWh battery pack.
Abarth claims the 500e can accelerate from 0-100km/h in seven seconds – 0.3 seconds slower than the 695 – though it is said to 40 to 50 per cent faster than the turbo petrol-powered hatchback when accelerating from from 20 to 40km/h, and from 40 to 60km/h.
The hot-hatch version claims 265km of driving range on on charge, compared to the Fiat 500e’s 320km rating in European WLTP testing.
The 2023 Abarth 500e is due in Australia later this year, with pricing and local specifications due to be confirmed closer to launch.
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