At €17,900, the Fiat Grande Panda is all about the basics

FIAT continues to expand its offering for more accessible mobility with the arrival of a new version of the Grande Panda Hybrid.

Already available in POP, Icon and La Prima finishes, the Italian city car gains a variant simply called “Grande Panda”. The goal: to offer a modern, economical, and no-frills mobility solution for €17,900, fully equipped.

This entry-level version targets those who want to make the leap to hybrid without breaking the bank or getting lost in unnecessary gadgets. The model offers a rational but sufficient array of features for daily use: manual air conditioning, rear parking sensors, 16-inch steel wheels, a front USB-C port, a smartphone docking station, a foldable rear bench, and ISOFIX mounts both front and rear.

The hybrid in its most basic form

Under the hood, the Grande Panda adopts a mild hybrid (MHEV) engine based on a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline block, paired with a small electric motor powered by a 48-volt battery. This setup helps reduce fuel consumption in the city and optimizes restarting and slow-speed driving phases while maintaining the simplicity of a gasoline engine. The combined power is around 100 hp, transmitted to the front wheels via a dual-clutch automated gearbox.

Thanks to this light hybridization, the Grande Panda promises lower CO₂ emissions and reasonable fuel consumption, without the constraints of external charging. A good compromise for those seeking a simple and modern vehicle without disrupting their driving habits.

But can we really call it hybrid with such a minimal system? The electric motor does not allow for zero-emission driving, and assistance is limited to certain driving phases. So, it’s not a technological revolution. However, if this system is enough to avoid the ecological penalty while keeping the base price below €18,000, then the proposition becomes quite defensible. A very light hybrid, certainly, but timely.

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