July 11th was the big day for the Fiat Grande Panda, the new addition to the Italian brand’s range, developed on the Stellantis group Smart Car platform. The proposal for the Grande Panda is a versatile vehicle suitable for every situation and type of customer. The compact 5-seater crossover with an original design is positioned in the B segment, which is currently on the rise after the decline in appeal for large SUVs.
Fiat Grande Panda offers an original design reminiscent of the first generation from the 80s
The Fiat Centro Stile in Turin, Italy, curated the exterior design, which immediately captures attention. With its compact dimensions, 3.99 meters in length, 1.57 meters in height, and 1.76 meters in width, the Grande Panda stands out for its excellent compactness and well-equipped interior. The trunk offers a capacity of 361 liters, while the storage compartments in front of the front passenger contain a total of 13 liters. A truly special touch is the compartment with bamboo opening located on the passenger side.
The Fiat logo is embossed on the hard plastic door panels. A fascinating detail, a nod to nostalgia that only a name like this can convey, depicts a classic Panda in motion, visible on the dashboard. The dashboard is characterized by distinctive elements such as the 10-inch digital clock and a 10.25-inch multimedia screen, surrounded by a polycarbonate frame that recalls the shape of the Lingotto track. A detail like this perfectly pays homage to the historic plant where cars were once tested. A combination of references and callbacks that make this new Grande Panda a blend of memories and innovations.
Customers can choose between an internal combustion engine with a mild hybrid system or a fully electric propulsion. The base is a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine from the PureTech family, which delivers 100 HP. The electric version, powered by an 83 kW (113 HP) engine, is ideal for both daily city use and out-of-town trips. The 44 kWh battery offers a range of over 320 km in the combined WLTP cycle, and a maximum DC charging power of 100 kW.
In the electric version of the new Panda, a distinctive feature will be the spiral charging cable, easily concealable in a dedicated space in the front. This solution makes charging simpler and more agile, avoiding contamination of traditional cables. Fiat also states that the Grande Panda is the first vehicle on the market to have an integrated charging cable that works with alternating current with a power of up to 7 kW.
