New Fiat Grande Panda oozes retro charm
Fiat on Friday revealed the first few images of its stylish new Panda Grande crossover.
Based on Stellantis’ new multi-energy STLA Smart platform compatible with combustion, hybrid and pure-electric powertrains, the Panda Grande is a compact B-segment vehicle measuring 3.99 metres in length — well below the segment average. Despite this economic footprint, Fiat says the vehicle offers a surprisingly amount of space and seating for five.
In the metal the Panda Grande is essentially a modern-day recreation of the Italian carmaker’s iconic Panda 4x4 from the 1980s with an angular silhouette, robust wheel arches and all manner of soft-roader accoutrements such as front/rear skid plates, roof rails and lots of black plastic wheel arch cladding for protection against the elements.
Adding a flash of futurism are headlamps made up of individual opal cubes said to reflect the windows on the facades of Fiat's famed Lingotto factory in Turin. Moreover, alongside the unique light signature, the daytime running lights turn into indicators and illuminate some of the cubes which appear as horizontal pixels arranged in a chessboard pattern.
Other cool features include three dimensional bas-relief “Panda” branding on the doors and 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels with an 1980s inspired, stylised X design. Expect a bold exterior colour palette including the loud shade of lemon yellow seen here.
The Fiat Grande Panda is tipped to go on sale in Europe later this year.