► Fiat reveals Grande Panda
► Celebrates Fiat’s 125th anniversary
► Electric and hybrid versions
Fiat has officially revealed its new Grande Panda as a new baby crossover that kickstarts a new family of ‘Panda’ models due in the future.
No longer a tiny city car with limited appeal outside of Italy, the new Grande Panda is described as a ‘global’ model that uses the platform from the new Citroen C3 to open the car up to a broader audience. It will also be available as both a hybrid and EV.
Revealed to coincide with Fiat’s 125th anniversary, the Grande Panda is the first in a new line-up of ‘Panda’ models as Fiat aims to create a new sub-brand, similar to what it’s achieved with the 500 range.
Funky design
The production-spec Fiat Grande Panda uses many design cues first previewed by concepts revealed the day before the 2024 Geneva motor show, with a boxy and chunky look.
Clearly linked to the new Citroen C3, which it shares the low-cost STLA Smart underpinnings with, it’s similarly boxy in profile and gets chunky wheelarches and pixelated headlights. Roof rails add to its rugged look, while a new black panel at the front incorporates the new Fiat logo.
Spacious footprint for a small car
Like the Citroen e-C3, Fiat has aimed to create the most space from a fairly small footprint. At just shy of four metres long, it’s noticeably bigger than the outgoing Panda city car, but no longer than plenty of superminis.
Fiat says there are 13 litres of storage in the dashboard alone, with a similar ‘pocket’ dash to the original Panda. The 361-litre boot is also noticeably bigger than that of a C3 and is said to be able to ‘comfortably transport five people’
Clever integrated charging cable
If you get sick of carrying around charging cables with you, clogging up the boot, Fiat has the answer with an integrated charging cable.
It’s the first vehicle to have such a feature, with the long spiral charging cable tidying up the charging process, and quickly connects to 7kW charging units. There is a separate rapid charging port on the usual rear three-quarter panel.
Hybrid and EV power are available
Fiat says the new Grande Panda will be available as both a hybrid and electric version, with no mention of the cheaper petrol engine available on the Citroen C3.
The electric model will use a 111bhp motor paired to a 44kWh battery, with Fiat promising a 195-mile range. The hybrid model will be a 1.2-litre mild-hybrid producing around 100bhp, and paired to an automatic gearbox. Other European countries will likely sell the cheaper 1.2-litre petrol engine paired to a manual transmission.
Prices for the Grande Panda will start at ‘less than £20,000’ for the hybrid and ‘less than £22,000’ for the EV, according to Fiat.
Special edition 500e also launched
Fiat loves a special edition, and it wasn’t going to let its big birthday bash go by without launching another – the 500e Giorgio Armani. Working with the Italian fashion brand, the special edition of Fiat’s electric city car is available in two new ‘Armani’ colours.
Most distinctive are some wild alloy wheels designed to replicate the fashion brand’s logo, while the interior gets a stylish wooden dashboard. Sales of the 500e Giorgio Armani will begin in 2025.