Used Abarth 500e 2023-present review

This is the Abarth 500e, a small electric car (EV) that doubles as a hot hatch. Now, to many, mixing those two types of car will sound like a recipe for disaster, like pouring Jack Daniel's into an Innocent Smoothie. To some, it might come as the kind of crazy they've been longing for in an EV.

In essence, the 500e takes the character of the petrol-powered Abarth 595 and makes it plug-and-play, rather than fuel and go. And, when we say character, that includes the 595's signature, raucous exhaust note – you read that correctly.

Performance & Range: Press the starter button and you'll hear the 500e's 'engine' come to life: by that, we mean the external speaker hanging from its bottom. At a standstill, it burbles away, more loudly than some combustion-engined hot hatches. When you accelerate, the burbly idle remains present – for some strange reason – but is joined by a muscular roar.

At least initially, we suspect most people will find the noise amusing, even if it's quite clearly contrived. As well as adding a layer of drama to an otherwise silent (bar a bit of wind and road noise) driving experience, it also gives you a good sense of speed – certainly more so than a lot of EVs do.

The system is far from perfect, though, and it can soon transition into an annoyance, particularly at higher speeds. You see, the 500e's speaker doesn't hush down at any point and it doesn't mimic gear changes, meaning a steady cruise at 50-70mph ends up sounding like you're ringing an imaginary engine's neck and constantly so. Sifting through a set of menus (and only when stationary) and unticking a box is your sole means of turning it off and, for the vast majority of journeys, we can see a lot of owners leaving it as such.

Speaker on or off, though, the 500e is fun to drive and more so than any other front-wheel-drive EV. In many ways, it feels like a traditional hot hatch, with its pint-sized dimensions and lively acceleration making it positively a laugh around zig-zagging city streets and country roads. Putting a smile on the driver's face is the key mark of a good hot hatch and we believe the 500e achieves that.

We admit that 150bhp and 0-62mph in 7.0sec might sound puny by Tesla standards, but the 500e still feels suitably quick. It'll even outrun the standard 595 and, if you're not careful, a hearty right foot can result in a bit of wheelspin. This is accompanied by a (perfectly manageable) dose of torque steer – where the steering wheel is tugged left and right as the front tyres fight for grip – that feels reminiscent of old-school pocket rockets.

While it has the same battery as the mechanically related Fiat 500 Electric, the Abarth can't match that car's 199-mile official figure. Instead, your official range is 157 miles and, as shown in our summer real-range test, it'll return an underwhelming 138 miles on a good day.

Ride & Handling: With its heavy 37.8kWh (usable capacity) battery working against it, the 500e never feels as agile or playful as the sharpest petrol-powered hot hatches, such as the Ford Fiesta ST. However, the 500e feels decently pointy and composed on a fast, twisty road, while the steering, a particular highlight, is accurate and has a good amount of natural feel. All in all, the 500e is fun to drive, as we previously mentioned.

The sacrifice for all this fun is a firm, fidgety ride, but it's nothing a traditional hot hatch enthusiast won't be used to. It's tolerable and, in fact, the 500e actually has a slightly more settled and better-cushioned ride than the 595.

Interior & Practicality: The interior is largely unchanged next to the Fiat 500 Electric, which is to say it's cheap but cheerful. Plus, the Abarth gets a healthy selection of sporty touches to help set it apart. There are figure-hugging yet comfortable seats and flat-bottomed steering wheel, while range-topping Turismo cars add aluminium brake pedals and lovely swathes of Alcantara.

The driving position isn't especially sporty, because you sit up rather tall and upright – the 595 is a little bit worse for this. The upside is good all-round visibility – the convertible version's tiny rear windows and fabric sliding roof seriously reduce your view out of the rear, though, especially when you have the roof down.

Every 500e comes with a DAB radio, built-in sat nav, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. You have a 7.0in instrument screen that sits behind the steering wheel, as well as a 10.25in infotainment touchscreen high up in the middle of the dashboard: the icons are a bit small and fiddly to prod on the move, but it's otherwise a crisp, responsive and logical system – it's easier to use than the rather confusing setups found in the Cupra Born and VW ID 3.

With no rear doors and just two rear seats, the 500e is far from spacious in the back. The odd, short trip involving a couple of six-foot individuals in the back should just about be fine, but that's the extent of its abilities.

If you go for the regular hardtop, the hatchback tailgate lifts to reveal a 185-litre boot. You have more space at your disposal than the Honda e does, but the Born and Peugeot e-208 offer much more – in excess of 300 litres.

Trims & Equipment: If you discount the short-lived Scorpionissima (that was effectively a launch edition of Turismo), there are two trim levels to choose from: entry-level 500e and top-spec Turismo. The standard car comes reasonably well-equipped, with 17in alloy wheels, cruise control, automatic wipers and lights, climate control and a JBL sound system.

Turismo introduces 18in wheels, those aforementioned Alcantara touches and aluminium pedal covers, as well as heated front seats, heated door mirrors and keyless entry.

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You can buy a used Abarth 500e for around £25,000 and, for the money, expect a 2023 Turismo car. Considering a new 500e Turismo will set you back upwards of £38,195, that's both an incredible saving and a worrying look into 500e deprecation.

For the convertible version, you'll need around £30,000.

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Charging: Charging the 37.8kWh (usable capacity) battery from empty to full takes around six hours with 7kW home wall box. A 0-80% top-up can be grabbed in just over half an hour if you can find a CCS charger capable of delivering the 500e's maximum charging speed of 85kW. You can also plug it into a three-pin socket, although a 10-80% charge will take nearly 20 hours.

Insurance and servicing: The 500e belongs to a fairly tame insurance group (for a hot hatch), that being 23. The convertible rises just a few groups, so it shouldn't prove much more to insure.

For a service of a 2023 500e, we were quoted a reasonable £199 via Abarth. Every Abarth gets a three-year/unlimited-mileage warranty from new, too, so you'll have whatever is left of that with a used one.

With just one power and battery option, there's no debate to be had there. Similarly, at least for now, there's no debating what trim to get: choose Turismo. It's the range-topper, yet it's your cheapest option when used.

While the wind-in-your-hair convertible is an enticing prospect, we don't feel it's worth the £5000 premium over the hardtop.

Our favourite Abarth 500e: Turismo Hatchback

While we've seen a fair few quick electric hatchbacks, none have sought out quite the same hot hatch appeal that the Abarth 500e has. That said, the Mini Electric is the closest in terms of concept, because it too is a small, stylish, three-door, front-wheel-drive EV.

The Mini is almost as quick and fun to drive, but its focus is more on luxury, so it lacks a lot of of the Abarth's flair and exuberance. What's more, the Mini is even worse off for range – officially, it'll do 145 miles on a full charge – than the 500e is. Mind you, it is a cheaper used buy at roughly £20,000 for a 2023 model.

If old-school thrills isn't what you're after – perhaps you're after breath-taking acceleration above all else – then have a look at the MG4 XPower, because it's similarly priced to the 500e, yet it'll see off the 0-60mph sprint in just 3.8sec.

Oh, and be sure to check out the Fiat 500 Electric. If you like the Abarth 500e but don't mind sacrificing some performance in favour of range, it's easy to recommend. It's around £10,000 less expensive to buy used, too – it gets even cheaper if you opt for an early example from 2021.

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Interested in buying a used Abarth 500e? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.