Fiat unveils its new Grande Panda a little early

While we were expecting it on July 11, the Italian manufacturer Fiat decided to get ahead of the game by revealing images and information on the new Panda. By the way, don't call it a Fiat Panda any more. Fiat Grande Panda. This new name differs from the smaller Fiat Pandinaand marks a significant evolution.

Fiat presents the first images of the new Grande Panda, the first model in the new family inspired by the Panda of the 1980s. This compact family vehicle is designed to meet the needs of customers all over the world. The Grande Panda is the first model in the new global range based on a multi-energy platform. With this model, Fiat begins transition from local production to a global offering via a common global platform STLA Smart (also called Smart Car).

The Grande Panda will first be launched in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and will be available from in electric and hybrid versions. This B-segment vehicle, measuring 4 meters in length, stands out for its optimized habitability thanks to a compact volume. Capable of carrying five people, the Grande Panda is ideal for both family comfort and contemporary urban mobility.

Olivier Francois, CEO of Fiat and CMO Global of Stellantis, said, "The best way to celebrate 125 years of Fiat is to start writing the first pages of our future, starting with the new Grande Panda. Designed in Turin, Italy, at Centro Stile, this new Fiat creation embodies the values of its predecessor while adopting a global platform to extend our global reach."

At the front, the Grande Panda has a distinctive personality. Horizontal lines characterize the front grille, with LED signature unique. The daytime running lights turn into blinkers, illuminating certain pixels to form a horizontal shape.

The side profile is reminiscent of the Panda of the '80s, with well-defined body lines. The Panda" letters are directly printed in three dimensions on the bodywork on the lower part of the doors, a tribute to the classic Panda 4×4. At the rear, the Grande Panda is distinguished by prominent wheel arches, a rear window incorporating a spoiler, 3D rear headlamps and a three-dimensional Panda logo on the tailgate.

The Grande Panda is the first newcomer to this new family and will be followed by the launch of a new vehicle every year until 2027. Fiat's plan is to produce vehicles on the global, multi-energy STLA Smart platform, suitable for all regions of the world.

With this new Grande Panda, Fiat marks a transition towards a new style and a new identity, introduced by the concepts presented a few months ago. Using the Smart Car platform, this 4-meter-long B-segment car promises to offer an attractive price, similar to its Citroën ë-C3 cousin, around €23,000 for the all-electric version and €15,000 for the internal combustion version. This new Grande Panda will probably be produced at the Stellantis plant in Serbia (ex-works of the 500L).