Fiat will celebrate its 125th anniversary on July 11th. Next month, a grand celebration will be held, marking the occasion with the debut of the new “Grande Panda.” Initial images of this iconic small car are already available. According to Fiat CEO Olivier Francois, the new model embodies the values of its predecessor. The Grande Panda signifies the transition to universal, globally applicable platforms suitable for every region in the world. The new Panda will be marketed in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa within the anniversary year. It comes with both electric and hybrid powertrains. Measuring 3.99 meters in length, it qualifies for the B-segment. The body, designed by Fiat in Turin, retains only distant references to the original Panda of 1980. Among these is the large, three-dimensional Fiat logo on the tailgate, paying homage to the historic model.
Fiat is still holding back on technical details, but since the brand now belongs to the Stellantis group, which includes Peugeot, Opel, and Jeep, and the “STLA Smart” platform is being used, there will be significant similarities, for example, with the brand-new Citroen E-C3, which also uses this base. With a 113-PS electric motor and a 44-kWh battery, a range of 320 kilometers is expected. Like the C3, the Panda will also be offered with a conventional engine, likely the same 100-PS petrol engine. It is anticipated that the electric Grande Panda will cost around 25,000 euros. The Citroen is priced at 23,300 euros, with the petrol version being 8,000 euros cheaper.
In 1980, the Fiat Panda, with its minimalist design, was a major hit, continuing the tradition of simple yet extremely practical and lovable cars established by the Citroën 2CV and Renault R4. The first Panda (slogan “The Great Little Box”) was produced over four million times until 2003. Its successor was initially meant to carry a different name, but Fiat reconsidered and chose to stick with the original.