Abarth could soon reopen the door to gasoline engines. After going all-in on electric power and retiring the iconic 595 and 695 in the summer of 2024, the Scorpion brand is now seriously considering a new hot hatch based on the upcoming Fiat 500 Hybrid. The news was revealed by the brand’s European head in an interview with Autocar. Today, Abarth’s lineup consists exclusively of electric models, but market response has fallen short of expectations.
Abarth reconsiders gas power after electric-only sales struggle
It is precisely customer feedback on the 500e and 600e that has led the brand to rethink its strategy. “The Abarth customer wants a combustion engine not only for performance, but because Abarth buyers fundamentally purchase the car and then modify it with their own hands,” explained Gaetano Thorel. “With an electric car, that’s not possible, so for them it’s a limitation: they can’t get their hands on the engine or the fuel system, and that’s why the Abarth club is not very satisfied with us.”
The drop in sales recorded after the exit of the combustion models has confirmed that something has been broken in the relationship between Abarth and its most loyal customers. The new Fiat 500 Hybrid could serve as the technical base for a return to a true “old-school” Abarth, but not without challenges. The naturally aspirated 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine with 64 horsepower, designed for efficiency rather than performance, is not suitable in its current form for a sporty transformation. “It’s simply not capable of it,” Thorel admitted.
The platform, derived from that of the electric 500e, further complicates matters due to limited space and cooling constraints. Abarth therefore finds itself at a technical crossroads: significantly increase the output of the current engine or consider adopting a different power unit, with all the engineering and industrial complexities that such a choice would entail.
Despite these obstacles, the will to try remains. “We’re working on it,” Thorel confirmed, suggesting that the return of combustion power, at least alongside electric models, is more than just a passing idea. For Abarth, it could be a key move to reconnect with its identity and with that part of the audience that never truly identified with the electric Scorpion.
