Fiat launches new Grande Panda with EV version priced under €25,000

Fiat will sell the fully electric version of its new Grande Panda model for less than €25,000 (about R485,578), the head of the Stellantis brand said on Thursday.

The new Fiat Grande Panda, produced in Serbia, joins a group of Stellantis budget EV models, including the Citroen e-C3, aimed at making electric mobility more affordable.

"Affordability is never optional on a Fiat," Fiat CEO Olivier Francois said at a celebration for the 125th anniversary of the Fiat brand in its hometown of Turin, where the new Grande Panda was showcased.

The event was attended by Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and chair John Elkann as well as Italy's industry minister Adolfo Urso, who was a surprise guest after government criticism strained relations with the automaker.

Rome this year repeatedly criticised the group for its falling output in the country and for moving production of some models of historic Italian brands such as Fiat and Alfa Romeo abroad.

"We must not resign ourselves to the fact that (Italy) becomes a car museum," Urso said at the event on Thursday.

The new Grande Panda will also be available in hybrid and traditional petrol versions.

The model marks the first step in a plan to renew Fiat's lineup, helping the brand move its focus off the small car segment and add larger vehicles to its offerings.

Three other models are scheduled as part of the plan, one every year until 2027 — a pick-up, a fastback and a small SUV covering an increasingly popular market segment and will likely compete with Renault's successful Dacia Duster.

All the new Fiat models will be based on Stellantis' low-cost, multi-energy Smart Car platform for small vehicles  that underpins the recently launched Citroen e-C3.

They will be all offered in EV, hybrid and combustion engine versions.

The new Grande Panda, however, will not immediately replace the current Panda model, which could remain in production until 2029 in Italy's Pomigliano plant.