Latest news with #GrandePanda
The Independent
7 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Fiat Grande Panda EV Review – Nostalgia, Recharged
Fiat brings back an icon — but does the new all-electric Grande Panda live up to the legend? Steve Fowler gives his full verdict after a hands-on review and test drive. In this episode of Drive Smart, The Independent 's EV Editor Steve Fowler takes the all-new Fiat Grande Panda EV for a spin. With its retro-inspired design and compact practicality, this modern remake of the iconic Panda aims to blend nostalgia with next-gen city driving. But is it just style, or is there substance too? Watch more from Drive Smart on Independent TV.
Auto Express
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Supermini of the Year 2025: Fiat Grande Panda
When we first drove the new Grande Panda, we declared Fiat had played a blinder with a car that's both affordable and loaded with character – just like the original. Available as a petrol hybrid car or an electric car, the Fiat Grande Panda is a worthy bearer of an iconic name that has been around since 1980 in various forms. On the outside the Grande Panda uses that heritage intelligently from a styling perspective, but still has enough clever fresh touches to be very much the modern supermini. Advertisement - Article continues below The cabin is proof that an inexpensive car doesn't have to feel cheap. Although it's not loaded with plush soft-touch materials – this is a car kicking off from around £19,000 in hybrid form and £21,000 for the EV, after all – the interior is stylish and clever, and has as much character as the Italian supermini's chunky exterior. Front seat and boot space are both great for such a small car – although we'll gloss over the rear-seat room – and the Grande Panda is great to drive in its natural urban environment, where the cosseting low-speed ride defies the short wheelbase. And you're looking at an official figure of 52.3mpg for the 99bhp 1.2 hybrid, or a 199-mile range for the 111bhp electric model. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The Grande Panda is everything a great little car should be. It's practical, sensible, comfortable, cheeky, fun, well priced and proof that Fiat still knows how to make a great small car. Our Find A Car service has the best deals out there on a new car from stock or top prices on used cars ... Fiat Grande Panda La Prima BEV (£23,975) Given that it's an urban runaround, we've plumped for the electric version of the Grande Panda, although the hybrid is almost as recommendable, and cheaper. LaPrima spec is worth the extra cost if you can afford it, although the entry Red, which is £3,000 less, retains the car's charm, just with less equipment. Our 2024 Supermini of the Year, and outgoing overall 2024 Car of the Year, has been relegated by its Panda sibling, but the Citroen C3 is still a cracking little car. Groundbreaking for what you get for the money, in both petrol and particularly electric form, the C3 is spacious for the class, comfy and easy to drive. Making sure retro is as cool as ever, the new Renault 5 has made a huge splash. Instantly recognisable as an R5, yet modern and fun to drive, the French hatchback has a sound, sensible foundation beneath it, thanks to its strong pricing and, with the larger battery fitted, an official range of 249 miles. Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: 717bhp BMW M5 Touring super-estate on a tasty lease deal Car Deal of the Day: 717bhp BMW M5 Touring super-estate on a tasty lease deal The BMW M5 Touring is M car royalty, with a thoroughly impressive PHEV powertrain. It's our Deal of the Day for 29 June Electric car appeal is at its lowest since 2019 Electric car appeal is at its lowest since 2019 From poor electric car sales to crashes in F1, Mike Rutherford thinks its been a crazy few weeks in the automotive world New Skoda Epiq vRS to headline brand's hot-SUV onslaught New Skoda Epiq vRS to headline brand's hot-SUV onslaught Every future Skoda will get the go-faster treatment, with the brand also working on making cars sharper and more engaging
Auto Car
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Tiny car, huge win: Grande Panda wins Best Small Car Award
Fiat will offer the Grande Panda with two combustion powertrain options: the Hybrid tested here and a pure-ICE version driven through a six-speed manual – although the latter has yet to be confirmed for the UK. As an aside, Fiat has also shown off a 4x4 concept, which is set to go into production and will probably use a version of this hybrid powertrain. The T-Gen3 hybrid powertrain comprises a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine that's linked to a 48V battery and a six-speed e-DCT dual-clutch automatic transmission. A 29bhp electric motor is integrated into the e-DCT system, along with an inverter and central control unit. Fiat claims the unit enables the car to run on electric power alone during low-speed manoeuvres, with up to 0.6 miles of EV-only driving at speeds below 18mph. So we're talking a pretty mild system here, basically. The hybrid clearly can't match the EV when it comes to smooth power delivery or instant pick-up, but it's closer than you might expect for a small three-cylinder unit. In fact, it's actually quicker than the Electric version on the 0-62mph sprint, although we're talking 10sec rather than 11sec here. Still, the engine delivers its 109bhp pretty smoothly, with the hybrid unit working nicely to both smooth the gaps in power delivery and for a bit of electric-only running at lower speeds. The e-DCT box syncs reasonably well with the powertrain and it'll rarely feel short of shove in real-world use, and it doesn't feel out of its depth at motorway speeds. The powertrain isn't the last word in refinement and, like Shaggy, it can get a little raspy and gruff if you ask too much of it. Hard acceleration can leave the wheels scrabbling for traction, especially in wet conditions, but for untroubled daily use, it's a decent package.
Scottish Sun
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
World's THINNEST car measuring just 19in wide that's skinnier than a motorbike is unveiled… & it works if you can fit in
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE world's thinnest car has been unveiled, measuring up at just 19 inches wide - making it more narrow than a motorbike. Shocking footage showed the unprecedented vehicle being driven around town slowly by its creator as stunned bystanders walked alongside it. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The world's thinnest car has been unveiled Credit: NEXTA 3 It came in at just 19 inches wide Credit: NEXTA 3 The car has been dubbed Panda for one Credit: NEXTA The model - which is the same width as a standard pillow - and has been dubbed Panda for one for its tiny capacity. The light blue car almost appears like a 2D cartoon due to how astonishingly thin it is. It has just one headlight at the front, and what appear to be two tiny indicator lights to either side of it. The car does, however, have four wheels - despite how narrow its body is. The vehicle measures at just a third of the width of the Panda 141, the first rendition of the iconic car, and around a quarter of the new Grande Panda. Its wheels are also extremely thin - but are no match for the incredibly tiny interior. Inside the record-breaking car there is one front seat, but behind that is an extra back seat which could bring the bizarre car's total seat count to two. There is only one door for the driver though, so anyone wanting to squeeze in the back will have to enter through the front door and climb in the rear. The back seat would probably be big enough to only hold a child, and not another full-sized adult. A black Fiat steering wheel sits ahead of the driving seat, while the car also features wind-down windows. The car also has two poking out wing mirrors - which probably account for nearly a third of the car's total width. Dubai billionaire businessman slammed for gifting baby daughter £500,000 bright pink Rolls Royce for her first birthday In the viral video of the car, its owner jibed that his mum had put his car in the wash, causing it to shrink. He said of his groundbreaking motor: "Look at this perfection." But he proceeded to give tour of the incredible car with chairs the size of skis, a minuscule ventilation unit and a boot the width of a small microwave. Unfortunately, the car cannot reach very high speeds - possibly due to its small electric engine. Although its inventor did take the car for a ride to prove that it actually works, its top acceleration is limited. Marazzi said: "Obviously it works, electrically it goes forward, backward, steers, brakes. Does everything." It was unveiled as part of Panda a Pandino, the seventh rendition of the event which celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Fiat Panda from June 19 to 22. Fiat Panda enthusiasts from Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal came to Pandino in Italy to participate and display variations of the model. The mechanic who built the one-of-a-kind car is named Andrea Marazzi - who has created oher "extreme" models like this in the past. One viewer commented on his YouTube video, calling the car a "work of art". Meanwhile another said: "Fantastic idea but above all it seems to me to be excellent workmanship."
Telegraph
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid review: forget electric, this is the acme of the modern small car
When you think of utility motoring, which cars come to mind? A battered Land Rover Series 1? A Dacia Logan of indeterminate age with peeling paintwork, somewhere on the road to Marrakech? Or perhaps an original Fiat Panda from the Eighties in the Alps or Appenines, all bare-metal interior and Giorgetto Giugiaro's folded-paper lines gently rusting? Certainly, like the original Renault 4 or Citroen 2CV from France, the first Panda from Fiat, a previously undisputed master of the small car, has a utilitarian appeal. Sandra Howard, novelist and wife of former prime minister Michael, drove a battered first-generation Panda 4x4 for years until it was terminally vandalised at a railway station. Italy is the last redoubt for these extraordinarily basic but fun and frugal models, but this January it extended the idea and name on a larger Grande Panda, launched initially as a politically correct battery-electric model priced at £21,035. My verdict was that it was a pleasant enough family car, but it didn't dispel nagging doubts about a sub-200-mile range and ownership costs for the perhaps impecunious families being targeted. The idea that the petrol-hybrid version would be a more practical prospect for more people, more of the time, took root. Well, I finally got my hands on the petrol hybrid; as utility goes, the new Grande Panda Pop at £18,035 is right up there. Competitors include the Dacia Duster and Sandero, the related Citroën C3 and Vauxhall Frontera, along with Renault's Clio. There will be an even cheaper pure internal combustion-engined version with a six-speed manual gearbox, although it hasn't been confirmed for the UK yet, while a 4x4 concept has been shown recently. A new Panda – but the old one continues Of course, utility motoring is a very different prospect to what it was in the Eighties. The bare minimum these days, even in the most basic Panda, is air-conditioning, a 10.25in infotainment touchscreen, rear parking sensors, adjustable steering and a plethora of annoying Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). If you are determined on alloy wheels, roof rails, skid plates and so on, go for the middling £19,035 Icon version. The top-spec La Prima costs £21,035 and has heated front seats, 17-inch wheels, parking sensors at both ends and a rear-view camera. For those having an attack of the vapours, the pre-existing Panda isn't going anywhere. As an Italian friend put it: 'They haven't made the streets in Florence any wider…'. That current Panda (also known as Pandina), the tiny, 3.68m-long four-door A-class car, is manufactured in the old Alfa Romeo plant at Pomigliano d'Arco in Italy. It continues for now at least. This new Grande Panda, by contrast, is built in Serbia at the Stellantis plant at Kragujevac, although it will also be made in Algeria and Brazil. It's based on the Stellantis low-cost Smart Car 199 platform originally developed with help of Jaguar Land Rover's owner Tata – Vauxhall's new Frontera and Citroën's C3 share the underpinnings. If this all sounds vaguely familiar, then think of Renault's Dacia brand, which is targeted at a similarly utilitarian market and built in Romania and Morocco. Under the skin The Grande Panda is 3,999mm long, 1,763mm wide (2,017mm with mirrors) and 1,586mm high with a 412mm ground clearance for when grass is growing up the centre of the road. The boot volume is 412 litres (51 litres larger than the electric version) with the rear seats up and a total of 1,366 litres with them folded. The resulting load bed is distinctly stepped, so there's no sliding in that Billy bookcase without help. This, the cheapest version of the Grande Panda, has 16-inch steel wheels, slows with all-round disc brakes and has MacPherson-strut front suspension and a twist-beam set-up at the rear. It weighs 1,315kg. The T-Gen3 drivetrain is a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine and a 28bhp electric motor and 48V battery, which can drive the car on its own for short periods at under 18mph. With the battery lending a hand, total power is 109bhp and torque is 107lb ft, driving the front wheels via a six-speed, twin-clutch semi-automatic gearbox. The top speed is 100mph and 0-62mph is despatched in 10sec. The Pop version emits less CO2 than the fancier Icon or La Prima versions, although its 113 instead of 115g/km still means a first-year VED of £440. Fuel consumption is quoted at 56.5mpg; romping around the hilly roads surrounding Turin, I achieved 48mpg. Inside job While the inclusion of bamboo fibres in the facia upholstery for the top model is a jokey addition (bamboo being a Panda's favourite food), the Pop has its own stripped-out charm. Like the original Panda, the main functions and switches are grouped in a curious oval-shape binnacle which includes the main touchscreen. If it seems familiar that's because it echoes the shape of the test track on top of the famous Lingotto factory in Turin, star of The Italian Job (all together now: 'Now, as you go round look for that bloody exit, we can't go round here all day…'). Similarly, the PXL pixel headlights recall the windows of the famous multi-storey car factory and the stamped-out swaging of 'Panda' and 'Fiat' in the bodywork are reminiscent of the original Eighties Panda. While it could be fussy and contrived and in places it verges so, there's a sense of history and pride in these additions, without being overtly retro. The seats seem quite thinly upholstered, but as I discovered they are comfortable for long periods. In the back the rear bench accommodates a couple of 6ft adults, who get a bit more leg room than in the electric version. The touchscreen works well enough, with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although switching between the car's infotainment and phone services can be tricky. On the road The electric motor takes the strain of pulling away and unless you are driving flat-out the experience is smooth and refined. The warbling three-cylinder petrol engine chimes in quickly and again it's reasonably quiet and has decent pulling power. The six-speed gearbox changes smoothly and the electric motor fills in where the engine is lacking, so this is an easy car to drive. Push harder, though and the drivetrain gets quite noisy and unnecessary, but for urban and suburban uses the hybrid drivetrain works well and efficiently. Unlike the Citroën C3 with its soft ride quality, thanks to hydraulic bump stops in the suspension, the Grande Panda has conventional damping so although the ride quality is busy, there's a directness and simplicity about the way it tackles the streets of Turin. Yes, it will clatter over train tracks, potholes and bumps, but it isn't uncomfortable. The steering has good weighting and the body control is positive and firm so it doesn't roll like a ship in a gale. There's a fair bit of wind noise from the square-set body, but on a motorway it settles down and covers ground quickly and efficiently. And if this Panda hybrid isn't the last word in dynamic ability, it moves along pretty well and is quite fun to drive con allegro. The brakes are strong, with a progressive pedal that delivers a decent initial bite at the top of its travel. The Telegraph verdict Engineering cheap and profitable small cars is a lot harder than it looks, as we're seeing with some of the lacklustre Chinese fare that is making its way onto our streets. Fiat is a past master of the art and, in many senses, the Grande Panda shows the rest of the industry how to do it. It is attractive (although highly sensitive to colour) being reminiscent rather than retro, along with being fun to drive while offering the minimum levels of equipment and space the market demands. The Pop version is probably the most appealing at the moment, although the mooted 4x4 version could well be a surprise hit. A return to utility? Not really, but back to basics, certainly. The facts On test: Fiat Grande Panda hybrid Pop Body style: Five-door B-segment crossover On sale: Summer How much? £18,035 How fast? 100mph, 0-62mph in 10sec How economical? 56.5mpg (WLTP Combined), 48mpg on test Engine & gearbox: 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, front-wheel drive Electric powertrain: AC permanent magnet synchronous motor with 0.9kWh battery (gross), no external charging capability Electric-only range: 0.6 miles Maximum power/torque: 109bhp/107lb ft CO2 emissions: 113g/km (WLTP Combined) VED: £440 first year, then £195 Warranty: 3 years/unlimited mileage The rivals Citroën C3, from £18,305 Based on the same platform and drivetrains as the Grande Panda, the C3 targets space and ride quality and is a soft but relaxing drive. There's also the larger Aircross version. Dacia Duster, from £19,380 Prices go over £20,000 quickly as you travel up the trim levels, but the entry-level Duster Essential is surprisingly good to drive for a stripped-bare model. It's also attractive.
