Review
The Fiat Grande Panda is entering the growing small EV segment with a bold design, practical features, and competitive pricing.
Aimed at rivals like the Renault 5 E-Tech and Hyundai Inster, the Grande Panda marks the beginning of a new era for Fiat’s Panda lineup, built on Stellantis' Smart Car platform. It's about time too, as the Fiat brand has suffered in the UK and now the pressure is on to increase its relevance to city car and supermini buyers who've previously loved Fiat so much.
The Grande Panda Electric is available in (RED) and La Prima trims, with starting prices of £20,975 and £23,975, respectively. Fiat ensures that even the base model isn’t stripped down, offering impressive value. Cheaper, more basic versions of the Grande Panda Electric, with a small battery, may follow down the pipeline but these are not confirmed for the UK.
For now Fiat reckons a 44kWh battery, supplying a 113PS motor, offers the right driving range for the right value - the Fiat Grande Panda has an official WLTP range of 199 miles.
When it comes to charging, the Grande Panda is the first modern EV to include an integrated charging cable. Curled up behind what would havepreviously been the front grille, this is suitable for 7kW AC connections only. Standard DC charging is also available, via a port at the back, which allows for up to 100kW rapid charging.
The (RED) trim also comes with LED headlights, cruise control, rear parking sensors, lane keeping assist, autonomous emergency braking and manualair-conditioning. The La Prima gets climate control, satnav, front parking sensors, rear-view camera, wireless phone charger and front heated seats.
For some buyers, near £24k still seems a lot for a supermini, particularly if they want one as the second car of the household, but the quantity of kit onboard, plus its styling, helps to make the Fiat Grande Panda attractive.
Both cars will come with a 10.25-inch infotainment screen, and the up-spec La Prima gets an upgraded ‘Bambox’ dashboard made of 33% bamboo.
The sustainable theme continues with plastics made from recycled beverage containers, adding an eco-friendly touch to the interior, and it has a design that gives a nod to the original 1980 Panda, with a storage shelf.
The Grande Panda is a hugely important car for Fiat – as to the brand it represents the first proper assault on the B-segment since the death of the Punto, an area of the market that used to be fundamental to Fiat dealers and their sales success.
It’s entering a tough arena, too, which is already bristling with appealing competitors.
For franchised dealer groups with multiple Stellantis businesses, the challenge may be that the Vauxhall Frontera and Citroen e-C3, with which Grande Panda shares its platform, might seem tempting to customers too.
Nevertheless, Fiat has a desirable small electric car at an aggressive price that’s packed with clever features and interesting details. Fear not, this is no small-scale Multipla headache.
An award-winning journalist and editor, with two decades of experience covering the motor retail industry, and accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) plus the National Council for the Training of Journalist (NCTJ)
As editor of AM since 2016, Tim is responsible for its media content, planning and production across AM's multiple channels, including the website, digital reports, webinars, social media and the editorial content of AM's events, Automotive Management Live and the AM Awards. His focus is on interviewing senior leaders of franchised dealer groups and motor manufacturer national sales companies to examine latest developments in UK motor retail.
Factsheet
Fiat Grande Panda Electric
Price: from £20,975
Engine: Single electric motor, 83kW (111bhp), and 44kWh battery
Performance: 0-62mph 11.0-11.5secs, top speed: 82mph,
Efficiency: 199-mile WLTP range, 0g/km CO2
