After releasing images of a rather misleadingly styled Panda concept car back in 2019, and telling us to expect it some time in 2023, Fiat has finally released more representative pictures - plus more details - of its new Grande Panda, the car that will take the iconic Fiat Panda name into the future in 2025.
Here’s what we know so far about the new car…
2025 Fiat Grande Panda: Price, specs and release date
- 2025 Fiat Grande Panda: styling and dimensions
- 2025 Fiat Grande Panda: interior design and practicality
- 2025 Fiat Grande Panda: motors, batteries and dynamics
- 2025 Fiat Grande Panda: price and release date
2025 Fiat Grande Panda: styling and dimensions
Unlike Fiat Panda cars of the past, which have sat in the city car class - or A-Segment in automotive-speak (think Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10) - the new Grande Panda will be a B-Segment car, or supermini (hence the ‘Grande’), so roughly the size of a Vauxhall Corsa, Toyota Yaris, Peugeot 208, Hyundai i20, Suzuki Swift, Citroen C3 or Renault Clio. The dimensions of the car are given by Fiat at 3.99 metres long, 1.57 metres tall, and 1.76 metres wide.
Designed in Turin, Italy, the Grande Panda has the retro-modern styling that Fiat has become rather famous for with its small car offerings. As is becoming almost monotonously mandatory, though, the new Fiat Panda model will have an SUV-inspired spin to its design (rather like the current Fiat Panda Cross or City Cross), which you’ll see immediately in its upright two-box design. This will mean rivals include the Nissan Juke and Volkswagen T-Cross, among many, many others.
Fiat 500 models over the years
There are some very funky and unique details, too. The LED lights on the front end have an interesting pixelated design that blends into the matching design for the horizontal plastic panel across the front of the car that sits where a front grille traditionally would. What’s more, the daytime running lights turn themselves into the indicator lights when you flick on a signal. There’s also a hint of a skid plate at the bottom lip of the front end to accentuate the SUV-inspired look, and the the entry-level model even has white steel wheels.
Down the sides of the car, the most prominent feature is the word Panda stamped into the bottom half of the doors in large letters (just in case you forget the name of the car you’re driving, presumably). The the off-road-esque theme is continued by the roof rails, and by the squared-off plastic-clad wheelarches that frame the cross-motif alloy wheels and chunky tyres.
At the rear of the Grande Panda, the Fiat name is embossed into the left-hand side of the metal tailgate, while on the right, the Panda name protrudes outwardly from the horizontal plastic strip that connects the pixelated rear lights. Another decorative skid plate sits at the bottom of the rear end.
Expect a pallet of seven mainly bright colours - including red, white, black, green, brown, blue and yellow - as well as numerous personalisation options including contrasting roof colours and painted alloy wheels.
2025 Fiat Grande Panda: interior design and practicality
Despite its modest dimensions, the Grande Panda’s upright design should afford it a decent amount of interior space. Indeed, Fiat claims that its teeny Italian hatchback is roomy enough to transport five people in comfort in its front- and rear seats, although the firm doesn’t specify how large - or otherwise - those people need to be.
Boot space stands at 361 litres - which is a figure that’s larger than the class average - and Fiat claims a further 13 litres of storage space in the front of the cabin, shared between a variety of cubbies and compartments including the glovebox.
The new Panda is available as a hybrid version or as the Grande Panda Electric, with the latter having an interesting design touch of its own. It’s the first mass market car to feature an integrated charging cable for AC charging up to 7kW, and it’s spiral in its design to keep it tidy and clean. Once the charging is done and dusted, it tucks away into its own dedicated storage area behind the front bumper. Charging from 20% to 80% on a 7kW hookup takes four hours and 20 minutes. If you’re using a DC rapid charger, there’s an additional port at the rear end of the car that allows a charging rate of up to 100kW, delivering the same charge in 27 minutes.
At the helm of the new Fiat Grande Panda, you’ll find a 10.0-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, along with the customary central infotainment touchscreen, which is a 10.25-inch item delivering all the functionality you’d demand. Expect DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Fiat’s official pictures suggest that there are physical air-con controls that work independently of the central screen (thank heavens!) plus a very funky wood-effect storage box - made with real bamboo fibres - on the passenger side of the dashboard of high-spec models.
2025 Fiat Grande Panda: motors, batteries and dynamics
The Panda is built on a new platform that’s already in use in another car from within the Stellantis stable, the recently launched Citroen e-C3. As we’ve already said, the Grande Panda is offered in both hybrid and fully electric zero-emissions format.
The former is the same mild hybrid powertrain found in its Citroen sibling, which comprises a 99bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine, a 48-volt lithium-ion battery, and a six-speed electric dual-clutch transmission (eDCT) gearbox with integrated 21kW e-motor. We’re still awaiting official figures, but we’d expect fuel economy of around 55 mpg.
The all-electric version, which uses a 111bhp electric drive motor fed by a 44kWh battery pack. Fiat claims this is good for a driving range 199 miles on the WLTP combined cycle. Expect a 0-62mph time of around 11 seconds and a top speed of 82mph.
Other than on the powertrain, any comment we could make on the Panda’s driving manners would be pure guesswork at this point. However, we can’t wait to take a test drive and find out what it’s like, whereupon we’ll bring you a full car review.
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We don’t expect Fiat to offer a four-wheel-drive version like with the previous Fiat Panda 4x4 that has something of a cult following, and there’s no word yet on whether a sportier Abarth version - or even a prestige Alfa Romeo version - will become available in the fullness of time.
2025 Fiat Grande Panda: price and release date
The trim levels available on the Grande Panda depend on which power source you go for. The hybrid range starts with Icon trim, costing from £18,975, while the higher-spec La Prima version costs from £20,975 before options. Go for the EV, and your choice starts with the Red at £20,975, followed by the La Prima at £23,975.
That pricing makes the EV version one of the cheapest electric cars on sale, behind only the Citroen Ami and Dacia Spring. Interestingly, the Grande Panda undercuts its Citroen e-C3 sibling by a useful amount. PCP and leasing costs are yet to be announced. We expect the warranty to be the same three-year arrangement as found on other Fiat models.
All versions of the Panda come with all the styling goodies we already mentioned, plus the full infotainment setup. Expect the standard equipment on basic versions to include alloy wheels, privacy glass, full LED lighting, air conditioning, rear parking sensors, cruise control, powered mirrors and a height-adjustable driver’s seat. Expect La Prima trim to add a bunch of interior styling enhancements - such as the bamboo-finish storage box - plus front parking sensors and a reversing camera.
Also expect a range of active safety systems, such as automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, speed limit information and driver attention alert, plus the usual collection of airbags. There’s no Euro NCAP score for the Grande Panda yet, but we hope that when there is, it’ll be an improvement on the alarming zero-star rating bestowed on the previous Panda in 2018.
Orders for the new car will open very shortly, and expect the first cars to arrive in dealers in the next couple of months, certainly by the end of Spring 2025. Until then, read our review of the current model to see if it might suit you as a used car buy.
