Grande Fiat Panda gets boxy looks, electric and hybrid power
After what seems like donkey’s years, the new Fiat Panda – now called the Grande Panda because, yes, it is bigger – has been revealed, with electric and hybrid powertrains and underpinnings shared with the new Citroen C3.
It's best to start with the styling, the strongest suit of any small Fiat, and it’s fair to say the Panda gets off to a characteristically strong start. The offset ‘Fiat’ badge is a clear hat-tip to the original Panda that went on sale in 1980, as is the entire car’s boxy demeanour.
Not wanting to miss a trick, Fiat calls its new city car a UV – or utility vehicle, and has the big bumpers and body cladding to prove it. It’s slightly less engineered than in other cars, given Fiat has a rich heritage courtesy of the Panda 4x4. Whether there will be an actual Grande Panda 4x4 has yet to be confirmed.
The icing on the retro-styled UV cake comes in ultra-modern touches like the car’s intricate matrix LED headlights and exposed rectangular tail lights. The interior remains a mystery for now, but you can expect it to feature click-on modular features that have been heavily teased on the (many) concepts that have preceded the launch proper.
Under the Grande Panda’s blown dimensions (at 3,990mm it’s 30m longer than the old Panda), you’ll find Stellantis’ Smart Car platform, which also finds a home under the new Citroen C3. Fiat hasn’t confirmed engines, but expect electric models to get the same 44kWh battery as the Citroen, which will translate into a range of up to 200 miles from a charge.
Meanwhile, hybrid models are expected to get a PureTech three-cylinder petrol boosted by a small electric motor that allows for a few miles of pure-EV running.
As we learned earlier this year, the Grande Panda is just one of five models set to carry the ‘Panda’ name tag, along with others, including the Pick-Up, Fastback, SUV, and Camper.
The Grande Panda is expected to be very keenly priced, starting from around £15,000 for a hybrid or £22,000 for the EV. Expect more information soon and an on-sale date sometime next year.
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