Fiat Grande Panda

The Panda is a bit of an icon in the shadow of the 500. Less mythical than the latter, it is nevertheless a historic model at Fiat. The Panda has changed a lot since the first generation. While the current generation, which has been in the running since 2012, is still in the catalogue, at the same time, the Italian city car is being renewed for a fourth generation, taking the name Grande Panda.

The look and dimensions of the Fiat Panda

The Fiat Grande Panda marks a bold return with a modernized design while retaining the iconic spirit of the original Panda from the 1980s. On the outside, the Italian city car has a cubic silhouette, giving it a more imposing look than previous generations. And as proof, it grows by 34 cm in length, from 3.65 m to 3.99 m and widens by nearly 10 cm to 1.76 m. Its rectangular grille incorporates pixelated LED headlights, while off-centre lettering replaces the traditional logo. The more pronounced fenders as well as the plastic protections on the rocker panels and wheel arches reinforce its adventurous character, like the famous Panda 4x4. Finally, a full "PANDA" inscription at the bottom of the doors completes the panoply. With this neo-retro look, the Grande Panda is aimed directly at Renault and the new electric R5.

Inside, the Fiat Grande Panda stands out for its original furniture, far from the more sober presentation of its cousin the Citroën C3. The oval dashboard is embellished with recycled or natural materials, such as bamboo veneer in front of the passenger, and surrounded by cubic air vents. Essential controls and information are distributed between a 10.25-inch diagonal central touchscreen and a 10.5-inch digital instrumentation. As for the trunk, the Granda Panda claims 361 dm3 of cargo volume, 51 dm3 more than the C3.

The micro-hybrid powertrain of the Fiat Grande Panda

Under its hood, the Italian city car shares the engines of its cousin with the Chevrons. In combustion engines, the Grande Panda makes do with a 1.2 PureTech three-cylinder petrol engine developing 100 hp, combined with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, in which a small electric block is housed for micro-hybridization.

The electric version of the Fiat Grande Panda

Just like its cousin the Citroën C3, the Fiat Grande Panda offers a 100% electric version. The latter is equipped with a strong 113 hp electric motor powered by a 44 kWh battery, for an announced range of 320 km according to the WLTP cycle. With a charging capacity of up to 100 kW at fast charging stations, the electric variant of the small Fiat promises to "fill up" from 20 to 80 percent in just 26 minutes.