Retro-rooted Fiat Grande Panda Debuts With Both Hybrid And EV Power

Say hello to the new Fiat Grande Panda supermini-sized crossover SUV.

Italian carmaker Fiat unwrapped its radically rugged and retro-styled new Fiat Grande Panda recently. Much to everyone’s surprise, said new fourth-generation iteration of its celebrated ‘Panda’ nameplate debuts not as a concept, but in production-ready state instead.

Unsurprising here though is the fact that the Grande Panda debuts with two electrified powertrain choices available, those being petrol-electric hybrid alongside an all-electric choice. It’s renaming as ‘Grande Panda’ reportedly stems from Fiat’s emphasis of its larger footprint over the current Panda model.

Surprisingly many here is how production-ready this Grande Panda appears. Crucially, Fiat intends to make this its first "true global offering" as well.

Underneath, the Grande Panda underpins the same Stellantis Smart Car Platform as the new Citroën C3/e-C3. Fiat is poised to roll out the Grande Panda into Europe, Middle East, Africa, and other markets worldwide, signalling its intent to turn this nameplate into its first true global offering too.

Set to be positioned closer to the subcompact or ‘supermini’ segment, the new Fiat Grande Panda dons a neo-retro design inspired by the Fiat Concept City Car that was shown earlier this year. A key touch here is its pixelated X-pattern on its LED headlights, taillights, and four-spoke 17-inch wheels.

A lot of elements inspired by the original Panda 4x4 are evident too, namely the lifted and rugged stance, squared fenders, plastic cladding, and rood rails. Another ‘legacy’ Fiat design touch here is the Fiat brand script badge positioned on the tailgate.

Underneath, the Fiat Grande Panda shares the same Stellantis Smart Car Platform base as the Citroën C3/e-C3. It does measure 25 MM shorter in length than the latter French offering.

In terms of size and dimensions, the Fiat Grande Panda sits 3,990 MM long, or roughly 337 MM longer over the current-gen Panda model. It also reportedly sits roughly 25 MM shorter than its Citroen-badged twin with the same underpinnings.

Fiat didn’t release any images of the interior, but the automaker did note its ability to accommodate up to five occupants, and that it is “perfectly suited for families and urban mobility in every country.”

Under the hood, Fiat elected to endow the Grande Panda with both a hybrid and all-electric powertrain choice, and it is likely expected to mirror what’s planned for its Citroën C3/e-C3 twin.

Both a petrol-electric MHEV and hybrid, plus a full-electric powetrain choices will be available, the latter offering up to 111 HP and 320 KM range.

Key amongst which is a 1.2-litre 3-cyl mill primed with mild-hybrid (MHEV) tech rated at 100 HP. This is set to be augmented by a 28 HP e-motor plus a 48-volt battery pack. Drive, on the other hand, will be managed by a 6-speed dual-clutch (DCT) automatic box.

As for the all-electric (EV) version, the Grande Pande is expected to harness a front-mounted e-motor juiced by a 44 kWh LFP-type battery pack. This setup promises to output up to 111 HP and offer up to 320 KM of WLTP-rated range in the Grande Panda, according to Fiat.

No interior images were released, but Fiat promises the Grande Panda to offer a highly practical cabin befitting the needs and demands of many markets.

Notably, Fiat intends to market the new Grande Panda alongside the current-gen Panda model it supposedly succeeds, the latter now rebranded as the ‘Pandina’ and set to remain on sale until 2030. Also, the Grande Panda will reportedly be built in Serbia instead of Italy.

With its impending market entry, the new Fiat Grande Panda is set to position the Italian automaker better in the face of Chinese-made budget-friendly EVs entering the European marketspace.