Fiat Grande Panda Electric Review & Prices

The original Fiat Panda was a style icon, thanks to its simple, square-edged design that looked sharp, but also meant that it was cheap to make. Fast forward four decades and it’s back in the form of the Fiat Grande Panda Electric, and the Fiat Granda Panda in petrol or hybrid form, too.

The 1980s is looked back on as a decode of questionable taste. Think leg warmers, over-the-top colours, footballers with perms. Think of the Grande Panda as a high-end fashion brand which has come full circle, bringing 80’s looks back in vogue.

It mixes both retro cues - the square edges, the gorgeous ‘Panda’ script down the sides of the doors that looks as if it was lifted from a Duran Duran poster - and bang-up-to-date tech. Just look at those blocky ‘pixel’-style LED headlights and brake lights that add so much character to this tall, almost-an-SUV hatchback, which shares its make-up with the Citroen e-C3.

The best-looking Grande Panda Electric is unquestionably the (Red) edition, which is not only made in collaboration with the famous global health charity, but also comes in bright red with some seriously cool white steel 16-inch wheels.

Fiat Grande Panda Electric: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 199miles
Efficiency: 4.4mi/kWh
Battery size: 44kWh
Max charge speed: 100kW
Charge time AC: 4hrs 20mins (20-80%, 7kW)
Charge time DC: 27mins (20-80%, 100kW)
Charge port location: Front (7kW), rear left side (DC)
Power outputs: 111hp

Fiat has made some effort to give the Grande Panda Electric’s cabin a distinct look too, with a round edge to the dashboard that’s meant as a call-back to the oval roof-top test track on the top of its Lingotto factory - which is now a posh shopping centre in downtown Turin. It’s funkier than the Hyundai Inster and Vauxhall Frontera, too.

There’s more square styling too - check out the centre of the steering wheel, and Fiat has been clever with its use of materials. Yes, the plastics are likely to feel pretty cheap, but they’re colourful, and instead of paying through the nose for Volkswagen Polo-style ‘soft touch’ plastics, Fiat offers some woven fabric where it needs a softer surface.

Real pandas, of course, eat bamboo and nothing but, so the posher trims of this Grande Panda Electric get a funky bamboo wood trim for the dash; not only sustainable, but also manages not to look like it’s trying to cosplay as a 1970s Jaguar.

There are two 10.0-inch screens, one for the driver and one for the infotainment, and Fiat has kept proper buttons for the air conditioning system so it’s easy to use on the move.

The Grande Panda Electric loses out on boot space, as its battery robs 50 litres of room, so luggage capacity drops from 412 litres in the Grande Panda hybrid to just 361 litres here.

However, it’s not all bad news. The battery doesn’t give it the best range - 199 miles claimed, and probably 150-170 miles in real-world driving - but it should be just about enough for most people most of the time.

One of the highlights is the built-in charging cable, which pops out from a flap behind the Fiat badge on the nose. This gives you up to 7kW charging before, like the plug on a vacuum cleaner, tucking itself away again.

No more wrestling with cables on dark and wet nights then, but there is another charging flap, at the left rear, which can handle up to 100kW of DC fast charging power.

We’ll update this review once we’ve been behind the wheel, but if you want to get a great price now then check out Carwow’s Fiat Grande Panda Electric deals, or our Grande Panda Electric lease deals. You can also browse used Fiats, and when it’s time to sell your current car, Carwow can help with that, too.

The Grande Panda Electric isn’t the cheapest compact EV around, although it is a couple of hundred pounds cheaper than the mechanically identical Citroen e-C3. It’s also cheaper than the brilliant little Hyundai Inster, which has the same range in its most basic form.

The Dacia Spring electric hatchback is far, far cheaper - we’re talking £7,000 cheaper - but then it’s a much less sophisticated design, with even less room inside. A Leapmotor T03 is as cheap as the Dacia, but again is much less sophisticated and has poor range.