The upcoming fourth-generation Fiat Panda will be one of the cheapest electric cars on the market when it arrives next year, Fiat has confirmed.
Called the Grande Panda to reflect a footprint that is larger than that of its predecessor, the new hatchback, which is closely related to the recently launched Citroën C3 and with which it shares Stellantis’s value-minded Smart Car platform, will be priced from “less than £22,000”.
This means the electric Panda will likely match the £21,990 starting price of its Citroen e-C3 sibling undercutting all but the £14,999 Dacia Spring and £8945 Citroen Ami.
At launch, the Panda will be offered with a set-up comprising a 44kWh battery and 111bhp single electric motor. It will be good for 199 miles of range.
A hybrid powertrain, priced from under £20,000 will also be offered. Although not yet confirmed, it is expected to use the same 99bhp mild-hybrid set-up as the C3.
The production car stays true to the blocky, retro proportions of the Panda concept that Fiat revealed in February, even retaining the prominent Panda branding along its sides – a nod to its bare-bones 1980s namesake.
The minimalist, rugged look reflects Fiat’s new brand values of “strength and uniqueness” and sets the tone for the design of all upcoming models in the Panda family, including the pixel-style headlights, which were supposedly inspired by the windows of Fiat’s old Lingotto factory in Turin.
A number of cues nod to the Panda’s utilitarian roots and emphasise what Fiat calls its “UV [utility vehicle] attitude”, including the chunky front skidplate, roof rails and black lower-body cladding.
However, while the brand acknowledged the influence of the original Panda 4x4, it stopped short of hinting at plans for a four-wheel-drive version of the Grande Panda.
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STLA EU is on a roll. Great looking Grande Panda will be the makers 9th (!) new model to hit the road in H2 2024 (3008. 5008, C3, C3 AC, Yp, Junior, Frontera, Grandland). During the Grande Punto presentation, folks could see 2 other brand new FIAT's, a fastback and 7-seater.
Good looking, modern, appealing car that will succeed. It's not in the slightest retro.