Fiat has previewed the new electric Panda as one of five radically styled concepts that look ahead to a range of new affordable cars due on sale worldwide by the end of the decade.
Fiat's new concepts have been revealed on the eve of the Geneva motor show – from which the Italian brand will be absent, along with each of its Stellantis sibling brands.
Notably, the headline unveiling at Geneva will be the production version of the Renault 5, a similarly conceived retro electric supermini that will be a close rival to the new Fiat Panda.
In a new video released by Fiat, CEO Olivier François takes to the streets of small Italian town dubbed 'Ginevra' in a current Panda as he presents his company's alternative take on the international motor show.
"Today I want to take you all with me to one of the biggest appointments of the year: the Geneva auto show. In Italian, 'Ginevra'," he says.
"It's a very big deal for us car makers. Loads of people will be there: French, Chinese, Japanese, and they all will spend big money displaying the future of their business, because it's a press event so everyone wants to impress. It makes sense.
"But for today, even if you are not a journalist, just come on board. There's plenty of room in my little Panda."
The first of Fiat's new-era models – which are all described as "children of the Panda" – will be revealed in July as part of the brand's 125th anniversary celebrations, followed by one new car every year until 2027.
They will share a common architecture, which can accommodate combustion, hybrid and electric powertrains.
This platform is expected to be the cost-effective Smart Car platform used by the latest C3 from sibling brand Citroën, which was originally designed for the Indian and Latin American markets but has since been adapted for European sale.
The Panda, expected to be the car Fiat will show in June, has been previewed by a retro-futuristic concept dubbed the City Car, which takes obvious inspiration from the 1980s Panda 4x4.
Join the debate
Add your comment
As it is with MINI, the 500, 600, Panda and Giant Panda take the brand everywhere that it needs to be competitively. Other Stellantis Italian brands, and the rest, complete the picture entirely. In any case, all that markets want today are real or phoney SUVs, with the occasionally 5 door supermini, and these sub-brands can provide an interminable supply of those. It makes one wonder, though, if there is any meaningful market position and space for Lancia and DS, amid Alfa Romeo, Opel, Citroen, Peugeot, JEEP and, of course FIAT. The two outsiders offer little that is not available from the better-established brands, unless Maserati wanted to expand its brand values downwards, Alfa Romeo and JEEP notwithstanding. Maybe a single, combined Lancia-DS brand could create a Volvo/Polestar/Lexus/Chrysler-type niche. I doubt it, though. Volkswagen does it quite well already.
Someone had a bumper Lego set for Christmas.......
Interesting that this is no longer paired with the 500. Will the 500 platform just be used for that model only?