Back in January of this year, we excitedly brought you news that the Fiat Grande Panda was arriving in Britain in the springtime at a starting price of £18,975. You may have noticed, though, that the nights have begun drawing in and the leaves have begun to turn from a lush green to a faded yellow, and yet there’s no sign of the retro little charmer on UK roads.
We’re not entirely sure what happened there, but the upshot is that the Grande Panda, available as both a mild hybrid and a full EV, is finally about to land in Britain, with a nationwide dealer tour kicking off later this week before customer deliveries begin later in the autumn.
Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid La Prima – side
What’s more, it’s gotten cheaper in the intervening months. That’s thanks to the addition of a basic Pop trim level for the Grande Panda Hybrid, which cuts the entry price to £18,035. The mid-range Icon increases that by £1,000, while the top La Prima costs from £21,035. No matter which version of the Hybrid you opt for, you’re getting a 1.2-litre turbo triple hooked up to a 48v electric system. Peak power is 109bhp, making for an 11.2-second 0-62mph run and a 99mph top speed.
The fully electric version, meanwhile, kicks off at £21,035. That gets you the basic Red version, a tie-in with the charity of the same name (and yes, it comes in other colours), which, delightfully, gets white-painted steel wheels. The top La Prima trim starts at £24,035. That neatly undercuts rivals like the Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster, although these prices seem to factor in Fiat’s £1500 electric car ‘E-Grant’ (not to be confused with the official UK government scheme).
Fiat Grande Panda Electric La Prima – rear
The EV gets a 44kWh battery and a 111bhp motor. Both versions get a 199-mile quoted range and an 82mph top speed, although for some reason, the more kitted-out La Prima is half a second slower to 62mph than the basic Red – 11.5 seconds plays 11.
All versions come with a 10.25-inch touchscreen display with wireless phone mirroring, plus the usual raft of driver assists and USB sockets. Left-hand drive markets are also getting a pure petrol Grande Panda with a manual gearbox, but there are no public plans yet to bring it to the UK. Meanwhile, a 4×4 version is also likely to arrive at some point, previewed by a concept earlier this year.
Fiat Grande Panda – interior
We’ve already driven the Grande Panda Hybrid, and rather liked the way it pairs its coochie-coo retro looks with a surprisingly grown-up drive. That charm combined with a price that slots it below plenty of rivals should make it an easy win for Fiat, which says it’s had “unparalleled levels” of interest in the Grande Panda ahead of its launch. Hopefully, it’ll be worth the longer-than-planned wait.
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