A return to South Africa could materialise as Africa has been named as a key market.
A surprise showing last month, Fiat used its 125th anniversary celebration event in Turin on Thursday evening (11 July) to officially reveal the all-new Grande Panda in the metal for the first time.
Retro modern
The first new generation in 13 years, although not set to the replace the already renamed third generation Pandina that will remain in production until at least 2027, the Grande Panda adopts a boxy aesthetic similar to the 1980 original, while incorporating three elements Fiat claims will help aid its mass market appeal; design, relevance and a global platform.
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Based on Stellantis’ Smart Car platform that underpins the Citroën C3 and the new Opel Frontera, the Grande Panda measures 3.9 m long, 1.7 m wide and 1.5 m tall with its wheelbase being unknown.
Its boot capable of accommodating 361-litres of luggage, with an additional 13-litres available underneath the bonnet in the case of the EV derivative, the retro-styled exterior touches carries over, slightly, to the interior not seen until now.
Retro touches inside
A design unique to the Grande Panda, the steering wheel adopts an almost quartic appearance with a touch-sensitive buttons and four diagonal slashes below the central hub on the right as an indirect homage to the logo used on the original Fiat Uno.
Along with rectangular vents, the Grande Panda’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) switches remain a physical affair, while the dashboard has been redesigned in a concave manner and the side vents in a vertical fashion.
Likely to the standard on higher-end models only is a dual display comprising a 10-inch instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment system, both with a round outer shape claimed to resemble the Lingotto test track famously found on the roof of the former Fiat plant in Turin.
The same layout applies to the centre console, which the smartphone charger pad, a pair of cupholders and the toggle switch gear selector.
Hybrid or EV
Conforming to Fiat’s Dolce Vita value introduced with the 600e last year in which so-called vibrant colours have selected in favour of the usual silver and grey – in this instance white, brown, black, red, green, blue and yellow –motivation will come from two drivetrain options headlined by the EV.
Shared with the ë-C3, the 44-kWh lithium phosphate battery pack drives a front mounted electric motor producing 83 kW, the most of any generation Panda.
Similar to Citroën’s sibling, the EV hardware translates to a top speed of 135 km/h and a range of 320 km on a single charge.
While no charging details were divulged, expectations are that the battery supports DC charging up to 100 kW, which will require a waiting time of 26 minutes from 20 to 80%.
The standard inclusion is expected to be a 7.4 kW charger or an optional 11 kW outlet, which will require the same wait times as in the ë-C3, namely four hours 10 minutes using and two hours 50 minutes.
Due out later, the combustion engine Grande Panda will utilise a 48-volt mild-hybrid version of the stalwart 1.2-litre three-cylinder PureTech engine rated at 75 kW and paired to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission that serves as the housing for the 21 kW electric motor.
Possible return?
Already confirmed for the United Kingdom where pricing will start at £20 000 for the combustion variant and at £22 000 for the EV, the Grande Panda, for now, remains an uncertainty for South Africa despite Fiat having identified Europe, the Middle East and Africa as key markets.
Should approval be given, expect it to arrive only next year in hybrid specification only.
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