Fiat is hoping to create some “pandamonium” this summer. Apologies, but it’s hard to escape the portmanteau puns when you’re being spammed with them at a press conference, while videos in the background show 1990s singer Shaggy rapping about being “pandtastic”.
It’s exceedingly cheesy but beguiling. As is the revival of the Panda – or in this case, the Grande Panda.
We’re in the midst of a retro wave. In a world nostalgic for the 1980s, cold war realpolitik is the order of the day, Ford is flogging the Capri, Tom Cruise has top billing on our movie screens, and Renault’s 5 is receiving accolades. Even Liverpool FC are getting in on the act.
It’s only fitting that Fiat should join in the fun – and do so with a small car.
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There is no question: the Grande Panda styling ticks all the boxes for cute charm. It manages to carry through the silhouette of the ageless Panda, but adds enough modern features – such as LED lighting clusters and interior touchscreens – to keep up with the tech.
Inside, it still reflects the ethos of a cheap small car, but there is enough personality to make you forgive any hard and brittle plastics, and nice little touches such as the Bambox dashboard, partially made from recycled bamboo (another panda link).
All in, it’s a happy car that’s hard to dislike. That’s also the way it drives.
The Grande Panda hybrid is not fast. Its body rolls a little in the corners. Its steering is light – a little too light at times. Each one of these is a trait of the original Panda and what combined to make it a charming small car that people still adore.
First unveiled as an EV earlier this year and built on parent company Stellantis’s Smart Car platform, it’s now also coming as a petrol-electric hybrid, powered by a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine combined with a 48-volt battery pack powering a 29hp electric motor. It’s all mated with a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. That all adds up to 108bhp and 205Nm of torque, delivering a 0-100km/h time of 9.8 seconds.
It’s also surprisingly spacious inside – well, for a supermini from Fiat anyway.
With no underfloor battery pack, you can sit in the back seat without losing feeling in your feet. There’s an extra 50 litres of boot space as well in the hybrid, giving it a decent 412 litres, expanding to 1,666 litres with the rear seats folded down.
Fiat pulled off a retro masterstroke with the 500, and it looks set to repeat that success with this Grande Panda.
For all its charm, the Grande Panda is a serious statement of intent. This is Fiat’s global entrant, sold in more than 60 countries and built in three global plants. It will hit showrooms from Rio to Roscommon and maybe even Riyadh by the end of this year.
Fiat boss Olivier François is the first to admit that it will need to sell in big volumes, given the very tight profit margins in the small car market. But Panda’s history of derivatives will help with that – already he’s revealed the new 4x4 version.
The Panda 4x4 was a cult classic, a go-anywhere supermini launched in 1983, making it one of the first affordable off-roaders. And it wasn’t just another faux SUV – that car could really tackle the rough and tumble.
[ Humble Fiat Panda is the one-off Italian classic you wantOpens in new window ]
The new revival will feature the same option of 111hp all-electric or the 1.2-litre mild hybrid powertrains. While we don’t have details on how the 4x4 system will operate, Fiat refers to it as an “electrified innovative rear axle”.
Irish prices have yet to be confirmed, but it looks like we won’t be able to match the sort of special launch prices of the main European markets, where Grande Panda hybrid is arriving in showrooms at €18,900. More likely, the EV will come to Ireland close to €24,000, with the hybrid slightly more expensive due to emissions taxes.
Emissions are just under 120g/km, which means an annual motor tax of €190, and a higher rate of Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) than the EV version.
Yet, Fiat still reckons the hybrid will be the volume seller, given the reticence many buyers still have about opting for fully electric cars.
The Grande Panda isn’t perfect, but Fiat has managed to capture the character of the original car while adding enough modern touches to make it fresh and appealing to a new generation.
