The Fiat Panda has been modernised… with new retro looks.
And a new name. The Fiat Grande Panda replaces the leggy Panda as the Italian brand’s rugged and affordable supermini, sitting alongside the 500.
The new car is now available to order, with first deliveries scheduled for spring.
New Fiat Grande Panda prices and specifications
Grande Panda customers can choose from three trim levels initially: Icon, La Prima and RED. The hybrid-only Icon is the cheapest, starting at £18,975, but even so the equipment list includes pixel-like LED headlights, 16-inch black alloy wheels, roof rails, air conditioning and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen. Quite an upgrade on the old Panda which came with features such as ‘windows’ and ‘wheels’.
The EV-only RED edition costs £20,975, making it the cheapest electric supermini on the market. It undercuts the mechanically related Citroen e-C3 by around £1,000. The Grande Panda RED stands out with white steel wheels and a RED logo between the doors. Once again, the RED is a partnership between Fiat and the RED charity.
Top-spec La Prima costs £20,975 for the hybrid (£3,000 more for the EV) and gets 17-inch alloy wheels and a greater focus on recycled materials, including a glovebox partly made from bamboo fibres. Well, it wouldn’t be a Panda without bamboo…
Fiat is continuing to push back against grey cars (usually the most popular car colour in the UK) with a bold colour palette: yellow, bronze, turquoise, blue, red, black and white.
Interior and practicality
The new Grande Panda has been brought right up to date with a pair of 10.25-inch screens, encased in a bright plastic loop that’s meant to recall Fiat’s iconic Lingotto test track – which was on the roof of its high-rise factory in Turin.
A wireless phone charger is available, and there’s a wide range of safety tech on board too, such as cruise control, lane-keep assist, auto emergency braking and ‘danger alerts’.
Just like Starbucks’ naming policy, Grande means small here. It’s 3.99 metres long and, although that’s a good few centimetres longer than the outgoing Panda, it’s still pretty compact by modern car standards. Despite its shoebox proportions, the Grande Panda provides a 361-litre boot and some thoughtful interior storage.
Engines and range
The Grande Panda shares the same Stellantis-sourced powertrains as the likes of the e-C3 and Vauxhall Frontera. The fully electric version combines a 44kWh battery and a 113hp e-motor, for stats of 199 miles and a 0-62mph time of around 11 seconds. Those stats don’t look phenomenal, but the modest range and performance keep costs low – and they’re still plenty for most drivers’ needs. Especially as the Grande Panda offers 100kW fast-charging for a top up to 80% in 27 minutes.
Rather than having to stash cables under the boot floor or take up precious luggage space, the Panda has a built-in charging cable that wriggles out, snake-like, from behind the grille area. This is for slower charging, such as if you have an untethered home wallbox, as it maxes out at 7kW.
Hybrid versions get a 1.2-litre petrol engine with 100hp and a six-speed automatic gearbox, which includes the motor and inverter. This powertrain allows the Panda to start up on electric power, and relies on the motor for parking and stop-start traffic. The engine can shut down for around half a mile at a time at speeds of up to 18mph, or if you’re coasting downhill.
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