The extra power, shorter gearing and stickier tyres do hurt the range noticeably. The standard Fiat 500 is (very optimistically) rated for 199 miles. For the Abarth, that drops to 164 in the base hatchback and 150 in the Convertible Turismo.
The good news is that from my experience, in good weather, if you drive it even somewhat conservatively, you will see miles per kWh economy in the high-3s, making it possible to actually get those 150 miles. The bad news is that 150 miles is still not very much, and it will soon become much less if you drive it at all like a hot hatch.
Do so, though, and you will discover that this Abarth is great fun on a UK road. It’s one of the smallest cars you can buy, which gives you more road to play with. That’s true of the Fiat as well, but the Abarth has a useful amount more power, so you’re not to the boards all the time.
Compared with the Fiat, the Abarth’s responses are even more immediate, and the steering has both slightly greater texture and a little more weight to it. It’s a noticeable improvement on one of the Fiat’s main weaknesses and gives the driver a good sense of front grip levels.
Of which there’s a decent amount, but I wish Abarth had been a bit braver with the handling balance. It’s always the front that runs out of grip first, while the rear stays firmly in line. There’s not much sting in this scorpion’s tail, then. When you attack a twisty road, you’ll also wish for some more lateral support from the seats.