Fiat Grande Panda Electric Walkaround: Is This Retro City EV Smarter Than It Looks?
I walked around and sat inside the new Fiat Grande Panda Electric: the design inspired by the 1980s Panda, the materials, the space for a 1.80 m driver, the charging cable hidden up front and what the dashboard showed. Plus the official battery, range and charging specs.
Anyone who grew up around a boxy old Fiat Panda will smile at first sight: the new Grande Panda Electric really does look like it, especially from certain angles. I caught one in a showroom and went over it slowly, from the headlights to the back seat, to see whether there's a genuinely well-thought-out city EV behind the retro styling. Short answer: it struck me as a very honest little car.
The Fiat Grande Panda Electric in a nutshell
The Grande Panda is Fiat's new global model, a B-segment hatchback exactly 3,999 mm long with a 2,540 mm wheelbase, according to the official "Fiat" technical sheet. The electric version uses an 83 kW (113 hp) motor driving the front wheels and a 44 kWh LFP battery, 43.8 kWh of it usable.
Fiat quotes 320 km (about 199 miles) of WLTP combined range, with an official consumption of 16.8 kWh/100 km. It does 0–50 km/h in 4.2 seconds and 0–100 km/h in about 11 seconds. Top speed is capped at 132 km/h (82 mph), which tells you exactly what it was built for: city driving, commuting and weekend trips rather than fast autobahn runs.
Exterior: a tribute to the original Panda
The headlights are made of a row of small LED elements, and the body carries Panda lettering like a signature. My favorite detail was the wheels: plain steel rims with nicely styled plastic covers, a simple and cheap solution that still looks sharp.
The trunk is, as I said in the video, normal and simple. The spec sheet lists 361 liters for the electric version and 1,315 liters with the rear seat folded. The hybrid gets a bit more, 412 liters, since it doesn't have to make room for the electric components.
The charging cable that lives up front
The smartest feature is hidden at the front: a retractable AC charging cable built right into the car. "Fiat" says it's the first integrated cable of its kind in a production car. It's 4.5 meters long and charges at up to 7 kW, taking roughly 4 hours and 20 minutes from 20 to 80%. No more digging a dirty cable out of the trunk.
At the rear sits the combined CCS and Type 2 port for DC fast charging at up to 100 kW. On such a charger, 20–80% takes about 27 minutes, according to the manufacturer. In some markets buyers can skip the integrated cable and pick a rear-port-only version with an 11 kW onboard charger instead.
Interior: plastic, but with personality
Plastic dominates the cabin, but it doesn't look cheap. It has a texture that recalls 1980s cars, and on some panels it's paired with a velour-like material under a clear top layer. The seats use synthetic leather with Panda lettering repeated across the upholstery.
The central screen shows a simple menu with phone, radio and a home screen. I didn't find built-in navigation, and you can connect your phone to get maps on the display. Gears are selected with buttons, and on the steering wheel I found the cruise control controls and the traffic sign recognition button. There's also a phone holder.
With the seat set for me at 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in), I had enough legroom up front and in the back. The steering is very light, exactly what you want when parking in town.
What the dashboard and price tags showed
With the battery at 91%, the trip computer estimated 274 km of remaining range. I didn't drive the car, so I can't say how well that figure holds up in real traffic.
The electric car on display carried a price tag of €26,233, which looked like a special offer, while the hybrid version started at around €20,000. I also noticed the electric car on display had manual climate control, while the hybrid next to it had automatic climate control. Prices and equipment vary by trim and market, so check them when you buy.
What it means for drivers
The Grande Panda Electric is for people who want a small, simple and stylish EV, not a gadget on wheels. With 320 km of WLTP range and 100 kW fast charging, it easily covers a week of city driving, and as I said in the video, I'd happily take it out of town too. The integrated cable is a real bonus if you often charge at home or at public AC stations. The 132 km/h cap and the no-frills cabin are the trade-offs for a price below many rivals.
