Fiat Grande Panda review

Our opinion on the Fiat Grande Panda

Building a desirable, affordable car is tough in this day and age, but Fiat has played a blinder by delivering a new Grande Panda that’s not just cheap, but packed full of character, too. Better still, you can have one with a powertrain to suit: electric, hybrid and – soon – a pure petrol version with a manual gearbox. True, there are some issues – motorway refinement could be improved and some of the tech could be better – but there’s so much to love about the new Grande Panda that these are not major concerns, and it’s worthy of our 2025 Supermini of the Year award. Bravo, Fiat!

About the Fiat Grande Panda

Icon is a word so frequently used in the car industry that it could well be stripped of all meaning. Yet it’s entirely justified in the case of the enduring Fiat Panda. Given some of the classic models of the past, interest is always huge whenever a new generation arrives. And Fiat has gone big with the new Grande Panda, not just in terms of size – this is now firmly a B-segment offering – but also with its compelling styling, electric range and aggressive price. 

We’ve tested the Fiat Grande Panda in both fully electric and hybrid forms, and both models offer plenty of value for money. While the Renault 5 took a lot of attention away from the older Fiat 500e for those looking for a modern car with plenty of retro charm, the Grande Panda’s distinctive styling, sensible kit and affordable price should be enough to sway at least some buyers back towards the Italian brand. It’s also worth noting that hybrid power is an option that the R5 simply doesn’t have, and there’s also a more affordable pure-petrol Panda with a manual gearbox on the way.

Fiat Grande Panda prices and latest deals

Fitted with an electric powertrain, the Grande Panda costs from just under £21,000 for the entry-level Pop model and just under £24,000 for the fully loaded La Prima. This makes the Grande Panda one of the cheapest EVs on sale. If you prefer your cars with an engine, the hybrid is available for around £2,000 less, model for model.

You can also build the perfect Fiat Grand Panda via the Auto Express Buy a Car service, where you’ll save an average of around £2,400. We can also help sell your current car.

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For now, there are two Grande Pandas on offer: the electric model comes with a single battery-electric powertrain option that pairs a 111bhp e-motor mounted on the front axle with a 44kWh battery pack. While far from fast, this offers a good balance of performance and range considering the price point. 

The hybrid, meanwhile, is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor to produce a similar grand total of 108bhp. A pure-petrol model, with 99bhp and a manual gearbox, is set to join the range in 2027. 

The handling, meanwhile, is tidy and controlled. The playful edge that used to be associated with Italian superminis isn’t quite there, but then few, if any, of the Grande Panda’s rivals drive in this manner.

More important will be the fact that the Grande Panda rides remarkably well considering its short wheelbase. Even over the cruddy streets of central Turin that we experienced – and latterly the sodden roads of rural Worcestershire – the Panda never crashed into potholes or speed humps, feeling polished and even quite plush on occasion.

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

The electric Grande Panda takes 11.5 seconds to go from 0-62mph, and with a top speed of just 82mph, will run out of puff soon after. Unlike many EVs, it lacks that sense of zip and feeling of instant torque; the e-motor isn’t particularly responsive and can feel a little lethargic on faster roads. Hit the accelerator with a firm prod and the car will make progress, but at its own pace. 

For some reason, the Grande Panda Hybrid feels more fun. On-paper performance is similar (0-62mph takes 11.2 seconds), but it drives with more pep in its step, feeling more willing than its EV counterpart. Elsewhere, the Hybrid model remains quiet unless it’s pushed very hard. Gearshifts from the six-speed, dual-clutch automatic are smooth, and the ride – even on the largest wheels – is pretty compliant.

Town driving, visibility and parking

Take a trip to Italy and you’ll undoubtedly see scores of Pandas both old and new earning their keep as runarounds and undertaking just about every task imaginable. It’s the city streets where every generation of Panda has thrived, and the Grande Panda is no exception. 

Both the electric and hybrid variants are easy to drive in town, thanks to good all-round visibility and controls that are easy to modulate. Fiat says the Hybrid can creep along in traffic without waking the engine, but in our experience this is difficult to achieve; silent parking manoeuvres are about as much as the Grande Panda can manage.

This is where the EV really is in its element, though, feeling responsive, agile and easy to drive. If you spend most of your time in town and have easy access to charging, this is the car we’d recommend.

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Country road driving and handling

The Fiat Grande Panda isn’t as fun to drive as a Renault 5, but it’s not totally devoid of enjoyment. It manages to hold its own on twistier roads, and body lean is kept well in check despite the car’s rather tall stature. The steering feels well weighted and is pleasant to use, too.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

When cruising at motorway speeds, both versions of the Grande Panda provide just enough grunt to keep up with traffic. However, ambitious overtakes will need to be made with a degree of caution and some forward planning. Should the unforeseen happen, the brake pedal provides a reassuring level of feedback, as do the brakes themselves.

“The steering is largely well judged. Goldilocks would approve of the weighting (not too heavy, not too light) and the gearing’s equally appropriate, turning in responsively enough without any unwelcome dartiness.” - Phil McNamara, editor-at-large.

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While the electric variant should have an edge when it comes to running costs, we found the hybrid-powered Grande Panda to be impressively efficient. Officially, this car can surpass the 55mpg mark, and we managed almost 50mpg over a mixture of urban and rural roads – even in some pretty dire weather.

Electric range, battery life and charge time

A 199-mile range was one of the big headlines when Fiat’s Grande Panda EV was first announced, and it certainly delivers good efficiency at low speeds and in town, where it’ll mostly be driven. However, on faster roads, the bluff front end seems to blunt the aero, causing that figure to drop. 

On our most recent drive, in the wind and rain, we struggled to better 2.9 miles per kWh – equivalent to less than 130 miles of range. When we conducted a test driving EVs until they died, the Fiat returned an average efficiency of 3.1mi/kWh, though admittedly that did include quite a bit of motorway work. In comparison, the Renault 5 was much more efficient – returning 3.9 miles per kWh over the same route.

Charging the EV from a home wallbox rather than relying on public infrastructure will help to keep this particular cost at bay. You’ll be able to fully recharge the 44kWh battery in around seven hours. If you’d prefer to rapid-charge it, this will take around 30 minutes to top up from 20 to 80 per cent at a rate of 100kW.

Insurance groups

While the Fiat Grande Panda is a budget-oriented car first and foremost, neither the electric nor hybrid version offers mega savings on insurance premiums. The hybrids sit in groups 19 and 20 (the lowest being the Pop trim), while the EV is pricier in groups 23 and 24 (again, Pop is the cheapest).

Tax

It’ll probably come as no shock that the electric car offers the biggest tax savings for company car drivers. Zero emissions mean the Grande Panda EV sits in the four per cent Benefit-in-Kind bracket. The hybrid version sits in the 29 per cent tax bracket, which is sadly higher than the more parsimonious Toyota Yaris, which starts in the 24 per cent tax bracket.

Private buyers will have to pay the standard annual rate of vehicle excise duty (VED) similar to the hybrid version, because EVs no longer qualify for a discount.

Depreciation

Our expert data shows that after a period of 36,000 miles or three years, the Fiat Grande Panda EV should retain around 42 to 45 per cent of its original value. The hybrid fares similarly, maintaining 42 to 43 per cent. 

The Renault 5, meanwhile, holds on to 47 to 50 per cent over the same period, while the Fiat’s sibling, the Citroen C3, only manages 42 to 46 per cent.

To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our valuation tool...

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What is it about small Italian cars and the importance of design? Vauxhall doesn’t have any pressure to wow people with a Corsa, nor Toyota with its Yaris. But when a new Panda is on the horizon, the anticipation in Italy is tangible, with people praying that a national icon hasn’t been desecrated. Thankfully for Fiat, the Grande Panda carries a design that’s already been widely acclaimed.  

Interior and dashboard design

The excellence continues inside. This is not a cabin full of expensive soft-touch materials, but the materials that have been used are both distinctive and cleverly applied. The overall oval shape of the dash and many of its parts are inspired by the Lingotto test track that sits on the roof of Fiat’s historical factory in Turin. A fun easter egg is the tiny Grande Panda mounted on the dash next to the touchscreen. 

Once again, this fundamentally stylish architecture is dotted with lots of little details that make the Grande Panda feel more like an installation at Milan Design Week than an affordable supermini. Few, if any, manufacturers have used coloured acrylic as seen on the dash and, where needed, fabrics have been deployed to keep the overall ambience from feeling too cold or stark.

For the sake of comparison, a new Renault 5 is more premium and has more content inside. But the top-spec Grande Panda is priced at around the level where the R5 kicks off, fitting customer expectations almost perfectly.

Materials and build quality

There are a number of cheaper materials used in order to keep the Grande Panda’s cost under control, but Fiat’s engineers have done an admirable job of hiding these in plain sight. Previous Pandas have held a reputation for being rather durable, and we’re willing to bet that the latest model will live up to this, too.

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Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

Fiat is under no illusion that offering up a twin-screen infotainment system is going to change the world, but it’s a layout that is universally recognised as being effective for a car in this area of the market. The main 10.25-inch touchscreen is mounted in the right position, but the graphics are a little low rent. This is noticeable if you connect your phone using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, where the display looks particularly grainy. 

There’s some lag to the interfaces, and the menu structure could be a little easier to navigate, but Fiat has kept the air-conditioning controls separate with physical switches lower down on the centre console. The driver’s display isn’t hugely configurable, but it still offers all the info you need at a glance. 

“Playfulness peppers the delightful cabin, hidden behind that tough but cute exterior. There’s no mistaking it for a dour Volkswagen.” - Phil McNamara, editor-at-large.

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Even though it’s named ‘Grande’, the latest Panda is still a small car in the grand scheme of things. Some clever design means it’s pretty spacious inside, though, and having the 4.5-metre coil-type charge cable built into the car’s grille negates the need to take up precious boot space or wrestle with stowing it into a bag.

Dimensions and size

The Fiat Grande Panda measures 3,999m long, 2,107mm wide and 1,576mm tall. This means it’s longer and wider than the Renault 5. 

Seats & passenger space

The Panda’s quasi-SUV body does help with space in the back. It can’t perform miracles, but there’s more room than you might expect – we managed to seat a pair of six-foot-tall adults fairly comfortably, with enough head and legroom for a short journey. It certainly surpasses the compromised Renault 5 for space in the back.

Beyond this, though, the Grande Panda scores well. There’s plenty of space up front, and you’ll find a number of storage cubbies inside the dash, between the seats and in the door pockets.

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Boot space

The Grande Panda hybrid’s 412 litre boot is one of the biggest in the supermini class, and it’s almost 100 litres more than you’ll find in the Citroen C3. However, the electric variant’s battery has to go somewhere, so the boot in this car shrinks to 361 litres. This is still 35 litres more than a Renault 5 offers, though.

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The Fiat Grande Panda hasn’t received a crash safety rating from the experts at Euro NCAP yet, and neither have its sister cars – the Vauxhall Frontera, Citroen C3 and Citroen C3 Aircross – which are all based on the Smart Car platform from parent company Stellantis. Hopefully we’ll find out how the funky little Fiat and its siblings perform soon.

The Grande Panda’s selection of driver-assistance systems will certainly help when it’s put through Euro NCAP’s battery of tests. Every model is equipped with rear parking sensors, cruise control, lane-keeping assist, active safety braking, speed-sign recognition and driver attention monitoring. Top-spec La Prima cars also get front parking sensors and a rear-view camera. 

Fiat didn’t fare well in our most recent Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, unfortunately. Owners who responded to our survey weren’t impressed by their car’s powertrains, interiors, ride and handling or practicality, although they did praise the low running costs and distinctive styling. Based on their feedback, the Italian brand finished in 21st place out of 31 companies in the best manufacturer rankings.

That said, other Stellantis marques did much better, with Peugeot securing seventh place. Vauxhall was the best of the bunch, though, finishing in fourth place.

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• Best buy: Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid La Prima

The Fiat Grande Panda is a very affordable car both in hybrid and electric forms, so we recommend the range-topping La Prima model as the best balance of kit versus cost. The walk-up from the base car to top-spec is only £3,000, and that will be negligible when spread over a three-year lease or PCP deal. If you’d rather have an EV, the equipment list doesn’t differ hugely versus the hybrid – so just choose your trim and pick your powertrain.

Fiat Grande Panda alternatives

Fiat’s not the only manufacturer to offer a well-sized, stylish and affordable supermini in both electric and hybrid forms. In fact, two of the Grande Panda’s key rivals are the Citroen C3 and Citroen e-C3, both of which share several of the same underpinnings.

The exclusively electric Renault 5 is a little more expensive, starting just below the top-spec electric La Prima, but you’ll need to keep to the entry-level model. As a car, the Renault is better to drive, more refined, and feels more substantial.