A GRANDER PANDA (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Fiat reimagines what a small five-door city car should be with this Grande Panda. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 35

With this Grande Panda, Fiat re-invents its iconic Panda city car for a new era. There's something old and plenty new here. Plus something borrowed (the Stellantis Smart Car platform) and plenty that's ecologically blue.

Backgroundword count: 305

Almost every car you can think of can be pigeonholed into a specific market segment. And even if it can't be, it's likely to appeal to a very specific group of customers. In many ways, the Fiat Panda has always been different. And it still is in this modern-era Grande Panda guise. The Panda has been with us since 1980, an original model which lasted over two decades until it was finally replaced 2003, before the current third generation model arrived back in 2011. We say 'current' because that old MK3 Panda is still continuing (apparently until 'at least' 2027) - hence his fourth generation model's 'Grande Panda' tag. In many ways, the launch of this Grande model for the 2025 model year is the biggest evolution in Panda history - and not just because it's the first car in this model line to be available with a full-EV drivetrain, or a proper Hybrid engine. Just as significantly, this is the biggest Panda yet. And it's far more of a global model, rather than just a peculiar Italian confection slightly limited on appeal in other markets. And, just as the smaller 500 model has become effectively a Fiat sub-brand, with different model variants, so the Grande Panda will be too, with all kinds of variations planned for it over the coming years. All though, aim to replicate the versatile, class-less attributes which have always set Pandas apart. This car can be eco-conscious transport for Friends of the Earth. Perhaps a second vehicle for older empty-nesters. Or the sole car for a rural family. Less a city car. More an 'essential' car, it is, in the words of one top Fiat executive 'the official car for doing whatever the hell you like'. Let's take a closer look at the Grande Pande interpretation of this strong-selling formula.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 214

Like many small Stellantis Group models, the Grande Panda was originally envisaged as an EV-only product, then hurriedly reconfigured in later development so as also to be able to include a combustion hybrid offering too. The EV version is the one Fiat most wants to sell you, with a battery smaller than the one in the only slightly larger 600e model because the Grande Panda sits on different architecture. The Smart Car Stellantis platform (shared with the Citroen C3) is designed in EV form for use with a 44kWh battery, which in this case offers a range of 195 miles and is paired with a 111bhp motor. Expect 62mph in around 11s en route to 98mph. If you'd rather have the mild hybrid 48V option, you'll find it's the usual three cylinder 1.2-litre Stellantis petrol unit paired with a 28bhp motor. That motor is energised by a tiny 0.4kWh battery and, Fiat reckons, should be able to power the Grande Panda around town for up to 50% of the time. Total system output is 100hp, with 120Nm of torque. In case you're wondering, there's sadly little chance of this powerplant being paired with AWD to create a successor to the iconic Panda 4x4. The Smart Car platform isn't smart enough to accommodate that; pity.

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