The one that goes and the one that comes.
Abarth 500E (in yellow) and the outgoing 595 (in orange) (photo: manufacturer's website)
Abarth 500 is one of the oldest models in the car market.
How old is it?
Let's put it this way, since it was launched in Israel in 2010, the Toyota Corolla - the poster girl of conservatism in the automotive industry has replaced three generations.
And yet, precisely against the background of the general fatness that has fallen on the small and cheap (relatively) sporty segment - even today it is still one of the more enjoyable small cars to drive.
Not necessarily because it has gotten better over the years as much as the competition has moved away from the concept of big fun in a small package.
Why does it work so well for her and what did we like about it?
You are welcome to recall our last test specifically for its basic version.
Abarth 500E What will the weight do for fun? (Photo: Manufacturer's website)
But the world does not stand by and wait for us all to exhaust the small sports car experience and along with the regular Fiat 500 that gave way to the electric 500E, the Hubbart 500 also gave way to the Hubbart 500E.
The unveiling of the car in November is no coincidence, the month whose lucky symbol is a scorpion, which also appears in the car's logo and the birth month of the brand's founder, Carlo Abart (more on the logo in this article).
The Hubbart will be the brand's first electric car and will use an engine with 155 hp, which may not sound like a lot in relation to the abundance of horses offered by electric and sports cars today, but is 10 horses more powerful than the current Hubbart in the Scorpion version on the one hand but weaker than the 180 horses that the powerful versions achieved most of the model.
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Extends the wheelbase compared to the 500E (photo: manufacturer's website)
Nor will the performance exactly cause heart palpitations in comparison to the numbers demonstrated by electrics, not even really sporty ones.
7 seconds from 0 to 100 is a total of 0.8 seconds faster than the Scorpion, although the use of a single-ratio box will probably allow the average driver to jump better than the manual transmission.
Babbart say the fun road handling of the replaced car was one of the feats required in the case of the new model.
This is achieved through better weight distribution, a wider wheelbase and a lower center of gravity thanks to the location of the battery.
Three driving modes will determine whether the car will limit power in favor of range, be in neutral driving mode or cancel the restrictions and regenerative braking to maximum capacity.
By the way, this battery comes with a capacity of 42 kWh and a fast charging capacity of up to 85 kW from the DC position. At the same time, the manufacturer does not publish the official range or the weight figure. The normal 500E declares 320 km, they are just saying .
Passenger compartment similar to that of the 500E but with a twist (photo: manufacturer's website)
In the first phase and for the launch edition of the electric Abarth, the car will be offered in 1,949 units (as in the brand's founding year) and in two colors - acid green or poison blue.
The appearance is completed by blacked-out 18-inch wheels with 40-section Bridgestone Potenza tires. Other combative decorations include low skirts around the car, diffusers and a spoiler.
In the passenger cabin, sports seats with a combination of Alcantara and leather, a truncated steering wheel with three spokes and a "rally stripe" at the top, a 10.25-inch multimedia screen, wireless charging, a 7-inch dashboard, climate control, a JBL audio system, a panoramic roof, and more.
Speaking of an audio system, it will play its warning sounds in the sound of electric guitars and for those who miss the exhaust purr, one can be played through the speakers.
The Hubbart 500 electric is expected to arrive in Israel only in about a year.
In the meantime, a farewell edition of the 595 (photo: manufacturer's website)
And for those who still want their 500 buzzing and loud, the importer of the brand to Israel Semlat is launching the "Novulari" version named after the legendary racing driver who also competed in Abarth's single seater cars.
This version comes with the 165 hp engine (145 in the Abarth Scorpion) and with a manual gearbox. The increase in the power of the 1.4 liter engine comes from a larger turbocharger, the drive is of course front and the extra power resulted in shaving half a second from standing to 100 km/h and it will stand at 7.3 seconds and a few more km/h for those who dare to accelerate the little rocket up to the maximum 218 km/h.
Tezio Novolari drives the Abarth racing car (photo: manufacturer's website)
Other changes to the car include perforated front brakes with Brembo pads, Koni FSD shocks with progressive damping.
What has not changed here is the huge gap in the field of advanced safety systems, which this time also amounts to passive mobility.
The price: NIS 136,000, NIS 6,000 more expensive than the Scorpion, but still the best deal of fun for the NIS on four legal wheels for the public road.
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