The new FIAT Panda will be a retro electric car for less than 15,000 euros, and we’ll meet it soon.

FIAT will attend the Paris Motor Show with two prototypes. One of them will be the Multiplay, a crossover that blends SUV and pickup features, aiming to revive the spirit of the Multipla series. The identity of the other prototype remains a mystery, but rumors suggest it could be an early version of the fourth generation Panda/Pandina, which will be 100% electric.

This model, with its production version set to arrive in 2028, will coexist for an undetermined period with the current gasoline-powered Panda, as FIAT needs a model with an internal combustion engine in this category. This will not be the case for the platform sibling of the electric Panda: the Citroën 2CV, which will also make its debut as a concept car at the Paris Motor Show.

Both will be part of Stellantis’ E-Car project, under which several very affordable electric urban vehicles will be developed (the target price is below 15,000 euros before subsidies, making them poised to become the cheapest electric cars in Europe). Rumors suggest that to achieve this, Stellantis might turn to a Chinese partner.

We are specifically referring to Leapmotor, a company in which Stellantis holds a 21% stake. It is possible that the Panda and 2CV models will share platforms, mechanical components, and software with the second generation of the T03. To avoid EU protectionist tariffs on electric cars manufactured in China, the T03’s second generation would be produced at the same facility as its European counterparts.

The new FIAT Panda will be a sibling to the Citroën 2CV

The factory chosen is the one in Pomigliano d'Arco, Italy, where the current FIAT Panda is produced. Unlike the latter, the new Panda will feature a retro-futuristic design inspired in part by the original 1980 Panda. As such, there will be a clear aesthetic connection to the Grande Panda, which also pays homage to the classic model; in fact, Olivier François, former FIAT CEO and current global president of the brand, once said, "When you see them together, you’ll see the mother bear and the baby bear."

"Fiat cars have become too expensive, and we need a successor to the Panda for less than 15,000 euros." It will be a "smaller, simpler, and much more affordable model inspired by the original 1980 Panda. I hope the design of the new Panda will resemble the original 1980 model a bit more. It won’t just be a smaller version of the Grande Panda; it will also share visual connections, the same roots, and that iconic silhouette."

FIAT will also be at the Paris event with the new Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback, its latest offerings for the C-segment. The brand’s booth will mimic the appearance of a square: “In Italy, the ‘Piazza’ is where life takes place, where people meet, ideas circulate, and conversations arise. FIAT will translate this spirit into a human and social vision of mobility, rooted in real life and designed to be familiar, inclusive, and joyful,” states FIAT in its latest statement.

Source | FIAT