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Overview
The Grande Panda is an excellently low-cost and practical supermini – petrol or electric – with pretty special design. In a world where superminis are getting very little love from manufacturers, that's a win.
The general aspect nods towards crossovers, and the detailing is heartwarming and original. All of which applied to the original Panda in 1980. This is a return for Fiat to doing what it has always done best.
It comes in as the cheapest electric supermini you can buy in Britain, starting at £20,975. There will soon be a version with the very usable Stellantis system of turbo triple petrol engine and six-speed electrically assisted twin-clutch auto transmission. It starts £2k below the pure-electric.
The electric is the first one we've tested. That gets you 111bhp, and 199 miles of WLTP range, or 150 miles on our test route that included city, suburbs and motorway on a cold day.
Talk about the design.
Here's a thing. It was done by Fiat's design chief Francois Leboine. Immediately before coming to Fiat he was in Renault's advanced design team and made the model that became the Renault 5. Quite a talent then.
The Grande Panda isn't retro but does have the vibe of Giugiaro's original 1980 Panda: a boxy outline, flat surfaces, practical plastic protection, and inside a shelf-like dash.
Fiat thinks you'll love this car for its Fiat-ness, so has embossed its name and monogram (four diagonal bars) all over the place: seats, door trims, rear pillar. It's even stamped the letters P A N D A into the doors, which isn't pointless as it makes those panels more rigid.
Inside, the binnacle surround is the same shape as the banked track on the roof of the historic Lingotto factory. The pixel-like lights and square vents are supposed to remind us of that building's windows. Which is a stretch.
Right, so it looks fun. Is it fun for the driver?
Not really. It's horribly uncomposed on a twisty road and the ride is too firm. Usually if a car misses one, it nails the other – this achieves the worst of both worlds. Boo.
Still, it's more likely to be used for local running on mostly towns and B-roads, which in turn means potholes and bumps. Although the body control is lacking the suspension is absorbent enough that they don't slow you down or upset your equilibrium.
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COMMENTS
- you guys never disappoint me with your designs,thank god you don't give karens neat and clean lines.- The way this Fiat Grande Panda ad perfectly synchronizes its scenes with the 'Felicità' lyrics is absolutely brilliant! It's such a clever detail, though it's a real shame non-Italian speakers might miss out on that subtle layer of genius.
What really stands out, though, are the beautiful, subtle hints of LGBTQ+ inclusivity. Did you notice the two women lovingly touching each others hand as they go to open the car door? And then again, later, when they're lying together in the meadow? Both moments are clear, heartwarming signs of representation. Well done, Fiat, for creating such an inclusive and thoughtfully crafted commercial!
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