To avoid any confusion, let's set the record straight right away. The Panda from the Eighties — the one many people used to affectionately call the "Pandino" — has nothing to do with it anymore. Of that first model, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and produced in more than 8 million units, nothing remains. More precisely: evolved, greatly changed over the years, it lives on today under the name Panda, itself available in a trim called Pandina. Full stop. The car making its debut these days — available for the first time in an electric version — is called Grande Panda, it replaces models such as the Fiat Punto (some may be reminded of the Grande Punto operation of 2005) and the Uno, and it no longer has anything in common with the original. But before we tell you all about it, we'll let you retrace the history of the first Fiat Panda in a video.

Panda, Pandina or Grande Panda?

Some confusion might indeed arise. So let's briefly take stock of the situation. Panda and Pandina, as we've seen, are essentially the same thing — a long-running success story that in January alone recorded over 13,300 new registrations, equal to a 10 per cent market share. A record that arrives simultaneously with the launch of the Grande Panda, which, unlike the Panda, even though it was designed at Fiat's Turin style centre, is not produced at the Pomigliano d'Arco plant but in Serbia, on a Stellantis group platform — the same one used by the Citroën C3 electric.

Dimensions, electric range, versions and prices

With that cleared up, the Grande Panda is a larger car (approaching 4 metres in length), falling into what is commonly referred to as the B-segment — home to the aforementioned Fiat Punto, Uno, and the 127 before them. In short, we're talking about an entirely new model, designed for "urban and family" use as a press release puts it, which draws some stylistic inspiration from the original model. At launch it is available both as a "mild" hybrid version with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, and for the first time as a fully electric version with a 44 kWh battery, a combined range of 320 kilometres and an electric motor producing 83 kW (the equivalent of 113 old-school horsepower). And it is the Grande Panda electric that we will focus on — the most virtuous in terms of efficiency and emissions — which goes on sale now at a launch price from €22,950 (provided you have a car to scrap and opt for financing); otherwise the list price starts at €24,900, still among the most affordable on the electric market.

That retractable charging cable nobody had thought of yet — and yet…

Those of you who have been following us for a while know we never comment on exterior styling. Or rather, we leave all such judgements to you, well aware that a car's "outfit" represents more its "form" than its "substance". We'll just say that, however original they may be (at least in terms of the names chosen for the body colours: giallo limone, bronzo luna, azzurro acqua, blu lago, rosso passione, nero cinema and bianco gelato), the nods to the Panda feel somewhat forced — with the name literally embossed into the bodywork — a strongly deliberate attempt to underline the kinship with the iconic Eighties model. Whether it works or not, we leave to you. One detail that is usually entirely secondary — useful only for its "vital" function on an electric car — takes on an entirely new "dignity" on the Grande Panda for the very first time: the charging cable.

Why? The Grande Panda is the first car on the market to offer an "integrated and retractable" charging cable, four and a half metres long. It sounds almost trivial, yet nobody had thought of it before: instead of the usual charging cable tangled up in the boot, the Turin team came up with something more practical. On the Grande Panda, the cable — at least the AC one for the domestic socket (up to 7 kW) — is conveniently pulled out from a flap on the front of the car, while a second DC fast-charging port is more conventionally located on the side. Charging times also vary: from a minimum of 27 minutes for a "full tank" (up to 100 kW of power) to over 4 hours (from 20 to 80 per cent) using the retractable cable. Alternatively, on request, an 11 kW rear charging port is available (in which case the front retractable cable is foregone), bringing the charging time from 20 to 80 per cent down to 2 hours and 50 minutes.

Grande Panda: how a city car transforms into a city SUV

"For the first time, 'Grande' does not indicate larger dimensions," reads another press release. Well… let's do the maths. The Grande Panda, homologated for 5 passengers, is 4 metres long (3.99 metres to be precise), 1.57 metres tall and 1.76 metres wide. The original Panda, the 1980 model to be clear, was 3.38 metres long, 1.46 metres wide and weighed at most 810 kilograms. Even though the Grande Panda is by no means intended to replace the Panda (or Pandina, as you will) — which remains in production with dimensions closer to the original — 4 metres of length, nearly 1.80 metres of width and a kerb weight that in the electric version approaches 1,500 kilograms call to mind the proportions of a compact SUV rather than those of a city car.

In short, the spread of automotive gigantism, electric and otherwise, seems to have no end. About half of all new cars sold are already too wide for the average parking space in our cities. The average width of new cars surpassed 1.80 metres back in 2023 — the average was 1.77 metres in 2018 — a growth trend that has continued undisturbed for decades, bringing with it a host of problems, including safety risks for pedestrians and cyclists and the loss of public space for people. The Grande Panda is not quite the worst offender.

But, as you can see, length is not the only problem. The progressive increase in height is also an issue: a 10-centimetre increase in the front of a vehicle — the bonnet, to be clear — carries a 30 per cent higher mortality risk in the event of collisions with pedestrians and cyclists. So, even though the Grande Panda remains among the most compact models on the market, certainly well suited to urban use, that sustainable lightness of the car that should be guiding the industry towards greater efficiency remains, for now, unheeded. Let's hope for a swift reversal of the trend.

Circular economy: cardboard, plastic, aluminium and bamboo fibres

One thing must be said. The Grande Panda may have grown on the outside, but for the first time it can comfortably seat 5 people, with the practicality of numerous storage spaces dotted throughout the cabin, a spacious boot (larger in the hybrid version than in the electric one due to the battery) and details — such as the dashboard inspired by the Lingotto test track in Turin, complete with a miniature car — that inspire genuine affection. The dashboard features a dual digital screen setup (the central touchscreen measures 10.25 inches), a wireless phone charger, and 4 USB-C ports. On request, services such as connected navigation are available, including parking and charging station search.

Beyond this, the Grande Panda certainly ushers in a new era in terms of "circularity" and attention to materials: "Each Grande Panda contains recycled material from 140 beverage cartons, each of which is composed of 80 per cent cardboard and 20 per cent non-recyclable plastic and aluminium, normally discarded during the recycling process," explains a press release. The plastic and aluminium are used to produce the blue plastic interior parts. In place of the large front pocket typical of the Panda, an additional enclosed storage compartment is available exclusively on the "La Prima" version, built into the dashboard and made with a fabric derived (in part) from bamboo fibres.

Grande Panda, the "real" electric range approaches 300 kilometres

Now let's turn to performance. We have already mentioned the 44 kWh battery and the 83 kW electric motor. In everyday use, the Grande Panda proves to be a very practical car. Setting aside the somewhat anachronistic ignition key — that, admittedly, does risk evoking a last-century Panda — the Grande Panda is a practical, simple electric car, one might say, with few driving options: an "easy drive" car, as Fiat describes it, with good efficiency and a real-world range of around 280 kilometres. Driving options are limited, with the only available variant being the C (Comfort) option, which noticeably reduces the deceleration felt when releasing the accelerator. Overall ride comfort is good, even on urban road imperfections.

All in all, the Grande Panda is a city-scale car, as evidenced by its top speed limited to 132 km/h. It is easy to drive (and to park), with an ADAS suite (advanced driver assistance systems) that includes, depending on the trim level, front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, and a lane-keeping system.