After what seems like donkey’s years, the new Fiat Panda – now called the Grand Panda because, yes, it is bigger – has been revealed, with electric and hybrid powertrains and underpinnings shared with the new Citroen C3.
Grand Fiat Panda gets boxy looks, electric and hybrid power
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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 Grand 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.
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Under the Grand 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 Grand 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 Grand 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.
