Whatever woes some Fiat cars visited on their owners in the distant past, the company’s small cars were what it built best.
Cars like the Panda were rudimentary, often fun to drive, and if they did break down, they were easy to fix, at least, with seemingly the entire population of Italy kept mobile by them.
These days, Fiat is part of the massive Stellantis Group, which also owns companies like Citroen and Opel, meaning an inevitable sharing of mechanical and other components. It does, however, have its own design department – still based in Turin – which has managed to give the latest Grande Panda model a decidedly Italian flavour.
There are a few other elements in the mix, too. Fiat’s chief of design, Francois Leboine, was in charge of designing the new Renault 5, and there are hints of that car with the Grande Panda, the pixellated front lights being one example.
Unfortunately, fuel protests cut short our brief test drive with the Panda, and only a relatively short drive in the hybrid version was possible on the day. There are two versions of the car – the hybrid and an all-electric version.
Both are big enough cars, with a length of just under four metres. The EV has a 44 kWh battery with a claimed range of 320 kilometres. When adjusted for real-world conditions – do follow previous advice on claimed ranges – this means the Panda might be a little bigger than your average city car, but a city car is what it is.
The hybrid has a three-cylinder 1.2 turbo engine with a small electric motor that Fiat says will deliver around 5 litres per 100 kilometres consumption, but, again, we will wait to see what it delivers in average conditions.
The Panda has some very strong points of appeal – design, interior space, the finish of the interior and price. It manages to move away from the bland designs of other manufacturers and has both flair and a funky profile.
The car I drove even had the Panda logo embossed on the door panels and plenty of other little touches, such as the neat light units at the rear.
Because the car is tall, the interior space is generous, and headroom is good. And that interior is also well designed. Fiat deserves credit for making the effort it has with contrasting colours for the seats and the dashboard area – one version of the car even has a bamboo material glove compartment.
The price is keen too. The EV version starts at €22,995, after grants, and the hybrid begins at €25,800.
Basic standard equipment includes 16″ steel wheels, a 10″ information screen and electric front windows, but you’ll have to rely on your phone for mirroring things like navigation. As you move up grades and price points, you get things like a 10.25″ infotainment screen and a rear view camera for approximately another €1,000.
We’ll have a more detailed look at the Grand Panda in the near future.
Read more: Toyota moves towards budget EV motoring
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
