When you think of Jeremy Clarkson, it's easier to imagine a supercar costing hundreds of thousands of euros or a huge British SUV than a little Fiat green pistachio. However, in recent weeks, it has been a Fiat Grande Panda hybrid that has accompanied the former Top Gear and The Grand Tour host on the roads of the UK.
And against all the odds, this quirky-looking city car has managed to do what even some prestigious cars fail to do: seduce Jeremy Clarkson.
A Fiat and an Aston Martin for a million euros
In his column in the Sunday Times, Jeremy Clarkson recounts how he was testing two radically opposed cars simultaneously. On one side, a 1,000hp Aston Martin Valhalla worth around £1 million. On the other, a pistachio-colored Fiat Grande Panda hybrid.
As a joke, he even posted a photo of both cars on Instagram, explaining that one was used much more than the other. And against all logic, it wasn't the British hypercar. The reason is simple: Jeremy Clarkson currently spends a great deal of time travelling across the country to meet with veterinarians, scientists, farmers, politicians and various personalities as part of his research into bovine tuberculosis. These trips involve a full film crew. But transporting four adults, a professional camera, microphones, batteries, cables and all the other equipment needed for a TV production is no easy task in an Aston Martin Valhalla.
The Grande Panda is surprisingly spacious
One of Clarkson's biggest surprises is the space on board. The original Fiat Panda was known for its compact dimensions and light weight. The new generation, renamed Grande Panda, is a completely different story. According to the British journalist, his entire film crew was able to climb aboard without difficulty, with plenty of room for their equipment.
The trunk also surprised him with its volume, despite a relatively high load sill. This versatility quickly silenced the criticisms of his team, who would have preferred to travel in their Range Rover.
Italian design that leaves no one indifferent
Jeremy Clarkson also devotes a significant part of his essay to the Fiat's styling. He particularly appreciates the original details that distinguish the Fiat Grande Panda many of today's models. Among them, a glove box inspired by a bread box, materials incorporating bamboo, and the use of components made from recycled beverage cartons.
The British journalist also points out a particularly successful nod to history: the digital instrumentation adopts a shape reminiscent of the famous test track installed on the roof of the Fiat Lingotto factory in Turin. For Jeremy Clarkson, this visual personality is a breath of fresh air in an automotive industry where many models end up looking the same. He compares this approach to that of the new Renault 5, which he also considers a successful example of modern automotive design.
A dispassionate engine, but convincing fuel economy
Not everything is perfect, however. Jeremy Clarkson admits that the three-cylinder, 1.2-liter hybrid engine is nothing to get excited about. He misses the days of small, more demonstrative Italian engines, and feels that overtaking sometimes requires a little patience.
On the other hand, he praises the car's overall comfort and fuel economy. The claimed fuel consumption figures seem credible to him, and he notes that the fuel gauge drops very slowly on long journeys. He also mentions a technical curiosity on the electric version: its integrated retractable charging cable, a solution he humorously compares to the vacuum cleaners of the 1980s.
The price that changes everything
But it was the price tag that impressed Clarkson the most. He and his team estimated that the Grande Panda Hybrid should cost around £30,000, a price that would have seemed reasonable given its performance.
The reality is quite different. The hybrid version starts at £18,995 (approx. €22,000) in the UK, while the top-of-the-range model Clarkson tested came in at just £21,995 (approx. €24,500). It was precisely this price that gave rise to the phrase that became the title of his column. He recounts how many passers-by scoffed when they saw him driving around in a pistachio-colored Fiat Grande Panda hybrid. But when he told them the price, the laughter stopped immediately. Some even asked him where they could buy one, possibly in another color.
A Fiat that won over Jeremy Clarkson
The conclusion of the test is unambiguous. Jeremy Clarkson considers the Fiat Grande Panda to be an engaging, comfortable, economical car, original enough to stand out from the competition. Even more surprisingly, it managed to win over a film crew accustomed, in his words, to getting excited about nothing. For a motoring journalist who has spent his career testing the fastest, most exclusive and most extravagant cars on the planet, seeing a simple Fiat Grande Panda receive so much praise is without doubt one of the highest compliments the new Italian model could hope for.
To find out more about the test, Jeremy Clarkson's full anecdotes and his impressions of the Fiat Grande Panda, go to the original version published by the Sunday Times.
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