Return to Gasoline Engines
Abarth might be ready to make some noise again. After completely abandoning gasoline cars in Europe and switching to electric 500e and 600e models, the brand with the scorpion emblem is considering a return to classic gasoline hatchbacks.
Reasons for Dissatisfaction with Electric Vehicles
Why? Because fans are not impressed by electric powertrains, regardless of their speed.
Abarth’s European boss, Gaetano Thorel, told Autocar that customers want internal combustion engines not only for performance but also because modifying electric cars is practically impossible. Owners cannot interfere, tune, chip-tune, or install additional parts under the hood. For devoted Abarthisti, this is part of the pleasure.
Sales Problems
Sales numbers confirm the dissatisfaction. According to SMMT, Abarth sold only 273 cars in the UK this year, compared to 954 in the same period last year and a significant drop from 5,631 sold back in 2018.
Future Plans
The brand is under significant pressure, so it is exploring the possibility of creating a new gasoline Abarth based on the new Fiat 500 Hybrid.
You might recall that this is the electric 500e, re-engineered for an internal combustion engine, as Fiat discontinued the old ICE 500, but the EV turned out to be a sales failure. Do you see a pattern?
Technical Limitations
In theory, the platform can handle more power. In practice, things get complicated quickly. For starters, the 1.0-liter naturally aspirated three-cylinder engine in the 500 Hybrid produces only 64 hp (65 PS) and needs 16.2 seconds to accelerate to 62 mph – 17.3 seconds if you choose the convertible.
Thorel acknowledges that the engine also lacks the character needed for an Abarth, delivering torque at low revs rather than encouraging high-revving antics.
Platform Complexities
A bigger problem? The platform wasn’t designed for engines at all. The 500e uses a tiny electric motor, leaving very little room for anything more powerful, and even less space for its cooling. Squeezing a larger internal combustion engine inside without causing Italian electric chaos sounds like a packaging nightmare.
Financial Aspects
Then comes the business case. The idea of developing a dedicated gasoline Abarth for a niche audience would make Stellantis accountants sweat like brake pads on the Stelvio Pass. But despite these headaches, Thorel told Autocar that the brand is “trying.”
Development Prospects
If Abarth revives gasoline power for Europe (it’s still available in Latin America in the Abarth Pulse), it wouldn’t just transform the 500. It could open the door for a gasoline 600 Abarth or even future models with real engine noise, not synthesized whirring.
This Abarth situation illustrates a broader trend in the automotive industry, where the balance between innovation and tradition is becoming increasingly difficult. The shift towards electrification, while necessary from an environmental standpoint, faces resistance from consumers who value mechanical interaction and the possibility of personalization. The success of future Abarth models may depend on the brand’s ability to find a compromise between modern requirements and the emotional aspects of driving that made its cars so popular among enthusiasts.