New Grande Panda undercuts its Citroën ë-C3 sibling to become one of the UK’s cheapest EVs
The new Fiat Grande Panda EV will cost just £20,975 when it arrives in spring – making it one of the UK’s cheapest full-sized electric cars.
Undercutting the closely related Citroën ë-C3 by £1000, the new electric Panda – outpriced only by the Leapmotor T03 and Dacia Spring – comes as standard with a 44kWh battery for 199 miles of range, a 0-62mph time of 11.0sec and the ability to charge at up to 100kW.
The entry-level Grande Panda Red is equipped with 16in white steel wheels, LED headlights, a 60/40-split folding rear bench, a 10.25in touchscreen with smartphone mirroring, cruise control and rear parking sensors.
Upgrading to La Prima trim gets buyers 17in alloy wheels, automatic air conditioning, sat-nav, front parking sensors, a wireless charger and heated seats.
Both versions come with a 7kW charging cable integrated into the front end – a first for a full-sized electric car.
The petrol-engined 99bhp Grande Panda Hybrid is cheaper still, at £18,975 in entry-level Icon trim or £20,975 in La Prima trim, with broadly comparable levels of equipment to the two versions of the EV.
Called the Grande Panda to reflect a footprint that is larger than that of its predecessor, the new hatchback shares its powertrains and Stellantis’s value-minded Smart Car platform with the new Citroën C3 and Vauxhall Frontera.
The production car stays true to the blocky, retro proportions of the Panda concept that Fiat revealed last year, 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 a five-strong line-up of Panda-based EVs that’s due over the coming years, including the pixel-style headlights, 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 4×4, it has not hinted at plans for a four-wheel-drive version of the Grande Panda.
It’s some 0.3m longer than the previous Panda, at 3.99m, but that’s still “below the 4.06m segment average”, claims Fiat.
The five-seat cabin is as funky and vibrant as its exterior, with a colourful 10.25in infotainment screen and 10in instrument display enclosed in a Lingotto-inspired design.
Ovals are the prevailing theme, in a nod to the 1920s building’s famous rooftop test track, and efforts to reduce the weight and cost of various elements will lend an airier, more spacious feel.
Although minimalistic in its design, Fiat says it is “perfect for comfortable family living and contemporary urban mobility”.
After the Grande Panda, Fiat will expand the Panda family with a new derivative every year until 2027.
This will begin with a Dacia Duster-rivalling SUV and a Ford Puma-sized coupé-crossoveer, both of which Fiat has confirmed it is readying for production.
Importantly, the Panda family will be distinct from the rest of Fiat’s portfolio, which has the 1950s-inspired 500 at its heart, although the brand hasn’t indicated plans for any additions to that family beyond the 600 crossover and the hot Abarth versions of each.
Source: Autocar
