Abarth 600e – interior and tech

As you’d expect, there are many similarities to the ordinary Fiat 600e inside, but Abarth has spent a good amount of time adding its own touch. Opt for the Scorpionissima and supportive, sculpted Sabelt seats are standard-fit, with unique cut outs similar in style to the those seen in the F80 BMW M3 – while they do hold you in place in high-load corners, they suffer from the same ‘sat on’ feel as Sabelt seats in previous ICE Abarths. Regardless, we much prefer them to the alternatives in the standard car which are more basic in terms of design and support, and all seat options drop lower than you might expect to help you find the ideal seating position. 

In the range-topper, there are also numerous Abarth-specific touches throughout the cabin including a dashboard decal and (admittedly cringeworthy) ‘Mind the scorpion’ text on the Alcantara cover for the capacious central cubby. The standard car goes without many of these features, making it feel significantly more mundane inside – this is especially the case in the rear, where there are zero indicators that you’re sitting in an Abarth. That’s not to say you’ll spend much time in the back, with very little available leg room for average adults. The seats do feature knee cutouts for a bit of extra leeway, but long journeys in the back won’t be comfortable for most.

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While it shares a platform and powertrain with the Alfa Romeo Junior, the Abarth doesn’t suffer from some of the same ergonomic quirks. The 600e opts for gear selection buttons below the infotainment display as opposed to the ubiquitous notched selector in many other CMP models, and its central 10.25-inch display is mounted in a much more pleasant raised position. 

The twin-spoke steering wheel is upholstered in leather and Alcantara as standard, with a yellow 12 o’clock marker and stitching matching the rest of the cabin – frustratingly the Alcantara features only on the top and bottom of the wheel as opposed to where you ordinarily place your hands, but long-term owners will likely appreciate this decision from a wear perspective. The wheel doesn’t quite move low enough for my driving position, with less articulation than in some rivals.

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One of the cabin’s major letdowns is the seven-inch digital instrument display. While speed and remaining battery are front and centre, any other information is either minuscule, obscured or hidden behind complicated menus. While there are improvements over the 500e such as the ability to change exterior sound more easily via the infotainment display, the UI is inferior in many ways to even combustion Abarth models launched over a decade before. Abarth is also yet to develop an uprated speaker option for the 600e, and while the standard system is adequate, this will be a frustration for some. 

Overall, the Abarth 600e’s cabin doesn’t feel quite as well finished as its Alfa sibling, with more high-sheen, hard plastics on the upper levels and a few rattles to note. Nevertheless, it’s more than fit for purpose, and while we’d opt for the Scorpionissima for its extra standard kit, the Abarth touches also make a real difference to lifting the aesthetic of the Fiat on which it’s based.