ON THE ROAD- IAN LYNAS PREVIEWS THE NEW FIAT GRANDE PANDA

The Fiat Panda has been around for some 45 years, a small hatchback penned by Giorgetto Giuiaro and Italdesign’s Aldo Mantovani and through the generations, the city car has notched up some eight million sales.

With the arrival of the 600 on the motoring scene in 2024, and now yet another offspring so to speak with the launch of the Grande Panda. It’s worth noting this contender will be in the B segment of the market where Fiat has been a major player with sales in this sector at over twenty three million. The Grande Panda is built on the global multi-energy platform and Centro Stile in Turin can take the credit for the design work which has drawn inspiration from the popular Panda of the 80s.

Two power units are available, providing the customer with choice; an EV or a hybrid. The EV has a 44kWh battery and a 113bhp 83kW e-motor providing a range just shy of 322km (200m), while the hybrid has a turbo 1.2 litre three cylinder engine with 100bhp and a 48 volt Li-ion battery and has eDCT easy drive transmission. One of the stand out features of this latest generation Panda, the PXL LED, a series of pixel-like elements which extend from the centre of the grille to the headlights, this adds character to this small Fiat. Yet another two firsts from the Italian carmaker, aluminium and plastic components from drink cartons are recycled and mixed into blue plastic interiors of the Grande Panda with each car containing the recycled material from one hundred and forty cartons. While Bambox bamboo fibre tex containing real bamboo fibres are used in the dashboard wrapping. Trim choice and the EV version will offer two, La Prima and Grande Panda while the hybrid version also will have two levels of trim, Icon and La Prima. With this new addition to the Fiat family comes a comprehensive suite of advanced driver and assistance systems, key specifications include, Parking Assistance with rear sensors; La Prima versions have front sensors and a rear view camera, as well as cruise control, speed limiter, Active Safety Brake and Lane Keeping Assist. In addition, danger alerts provide speed limit information and driver attention warnings, while there are safety systems alert for open doors or the boot. This level of equipment is very much on par with much larger vehicles. There is a ten inch digital cluster, a 10.5 inch touchscreen with wireless mirroring enabling phone functions on the central screen; there is a wireless phone charger combined with up to four USB-C points. Two packs are available to aid a safer drive, Connect ONE is the standard providing services such as SOS help call while the plus pack comes with services including the Vehicle Finder and the Connected Navigation and there is in the latter pack the e-ROUTES service which can guide to an electric charging point.

Now to the practical side, and Fiat claim that the Grande Panda can transport five in comfort thanks to a very clever use of space and it boasts the best shoulder room in its class. Storage is important with any vehicle and there is no disappointment here with 13 litres in the dashboard area and 316 litres in the boot (EV version).

Fiat has mastered the art of producing small cars, the 500 being the perfect example and no doubt the Grande Panda will further add to the success story.

Ian Lynas