After 75 years of existence, Abarth has announced that it will no longer launch new models with internal combustion engines in Europe. The information was confirmed by Gaetano Thorel, head of the European branch of the Fiat and Abarth brands.
Last year, the brand launched its first electric model based on the Fiat 500e, and recently the second, larger 600e, while the gasoline 595 and 695 were withdrawn from sale in August. The Italian brand will now focus exclusively on electric models. It is not in the spirit of the brand, but trends “today” are changing basic postulates.
According to the head of the brand, the reason why Abarth will no longer launch new models with conventional engines is the high costs for both the manufacturer and the consumer. Gaetano Thorel also stated that Abarth will not launch hybrid models either, as he believes that such engines would be too “compromised”.
“If you produce a hot hatch with a thermal SUS engine that emits 180 g/km and you are in Italy, you have to pay between 1,000 and 2,000 euros in road tax every year,” Gaetano Thorel told Autocar.
“Is it fair if we can offer customers an electric hot hatch that behaves the same way, offers the same level of enjoyment and equivalent performance? All for the same price? I think it’s better to offer electric cars,” added Thorel.
Asked about the possibility of launching a hybrid model based on the announced Fiat 500 Hybrid, Thorel replied: “We have to stay true to the Abarth DNA, because that engine in the new Fiat 500 is a micro-hybrid that doesn’t allow power extraction to create a real Abarth, so that it wouldn’t be possible.”
In the end, the head of the Italian brand confirmed that Abarth does not plan to produce its own models in the future, despite the fact that the competing company Alpine has decided on the stable development of its own models, instead of changing the designations of Renault products, starting with the A390. Alpine has also announced the launch of as many as seven electric models by the end of this decade.
Carlo Abarth, the founder of the brand, never created a car from scratch. Abarth’s business was based on reworking an existing car to improve its performance through reworking the engine, dynamics and exhaust system, to make it sporty and affordable.
“We want to stay true to that tradition so we won’t be launching our own Abarth right now,” Thorel concluded.
Source: Klix.ba / Autocar.co.uk
Photo: Autoblog.rs archive / Abarth
Source: autoblog.rs
