Unveiled a few days ago, the future of the Fiat Panda has already been written. The small Italian car will continue to be offered in an electrified version (mild hybrid), produced at the Pomigliano d'Arco plant in Italy. The real revolution is expected on 11 July, when the all-new Panda makes its debut as the electric Panda.
It is a completely new model based on a common platform with other models from the Stellantis Group, but what will the new electric Fiat Panda look like? As always, we try to find out with our rendering.
A blast from the past
The first images of the new Fiat Panda, still in concept form, were published by the manufacturer in the hours leading up to the 2024 Geneva Motor Show. They show a crossover-like shape, with square lines and larger dimensions than the current model.
Of course, it's hard to say how long the new Panda will be, but to help us, there's the Citroën ë-C3, with which it will share the 'Smart Car' platform. The French car is 4.01 metres long, a measurement that could be taken, centimetre for centimetre, from its Fiat counterpart.
Fiat Panda (2024) render by Motor1.com
Coming back to the design, it should recall in part the square shapes of the very first generation, dating from 1980 and designed by Giugiaro, while making a nod to the B-SUV segment, without going overboard in terms of ground clearance. Yes, just like the new C3.
From the concept presented a few days ago, which you can see below, the design should take up the pixel front lights (similar to those on the Hyundai Ioniq) and the Fiat logo with the sloping stems, taken directly from the 1990s model.
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Concept Fiat Panda electric
Fiat Panda electric concept interior
As far as the interior of the electric Fiat Panda is concerned, the concept, called 'Mega Panda', gives a few hints. The most eccentric solutions have been eliminated and the focus has been on the minimalist philosophy, once again taken from the original Panda. The emblematic pocket in front of the front passenger should not be missing, nor the technological aspect, represented by the double monitor on the dashboard.
Electric only?
In terms of powertrain, there is no confirmation other than that of battery power. At least at first. The electric Fiat Panda will most likely be based on the Smart Car, a platform defined as multi-energy. This means that, like the CMP of the Fiat 600 and Jeep Avenger and the future STLA from Stellantis, it will be able to accommodate electrified or 100% electric powertrains.
Still taking the example of the new Citroën ë-C3, the new Panda could be marketed with a single 113 PS electric motor powered by a 44 kWh battery, for an estimated range of 199 miles and recharging up to 100 kW. A version with a less powerful battery, a range of 124 miles and a lower price could also be launched in the future.
Citroën ë-C3
As far as prices are concerned, it's still too early to say how much the new electric Fiat Panda will cost. The ë-C3 starts at €23,300 (UK pricing not available yet), with the less powerful version likely to come in at under €20,000. Its Italian counterpart could bring the price list down even further.
Different twins
The final question concerns the name. It was thought that, with the arrival of electric cars, Fiat would rename the current Panda as the 'Pandina', thus retaining the historic name of the electric car. This is not the case: Pandina is in fact the name of a special version of the city car, for which no name change is planned. So what does that mean?
We think we can rule out the name 'Mega-Panda' used for the concept. "Pandona' could be an option, as could Panda L or XL, as the 500 did with its spin-offs. In short, barring any future teasers, we'll have to wait until 11 July to find out the name of the electric Panda, which will go on sale at the end of the year and be produced at the Vucic plant in Serbia, while the mild hybrid, which has just been restyled, will remain at Pomigliano d'Arco until at least 2027.
Fiat Panda Pandina
Gallery: Fiat Panda 2024 render by Motor1.com
