Fiat Grande Panda review

From £18,9959

Mild-hybrid petrol version of quasi-rugged retro throwback promises 109bhp and 56mpg

The Fiat Grande Panda, the Italian sibling to the Citroën C3 and Vauxhall Frontera, was nearly voted Car of the Year for 2026. It came fifth, behind the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Skoda Elroq. But it seems that much of Europe had already made up its mind, because it was reportedly so popular in left-hand-drive markets that the UK had to wait over a year before right-hookers reached our shores.

They have now finally landed, though, so we've now had a chance to sample both the hybrid and electric versions on home soil.

New Fiat Grande Panda cars in stock

 Fiat Grande Panda 44kWh La Prima Auto 5dr (7kW Charger) opens in a new tab
£24,645
 Fiat Grande Panda 1.2 MHEV Icon E-DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr opens in a new tab
£19,995
 Fiat Grande Panda 1.2 MHEV Icon E-DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr opens in a new tab
£20,645
 Fiat Grande Panda 1.2 MHEV Icon E-DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr opens in a new tab
£20,645
 Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid 1.2 MHEV Icon E-DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr opens in a new tab
£20,645
 Fiat GRANDE PANDA 1.2 MHEV Icon E-DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr opens in a new tab
£20,645
 Fiat Grande Panda 1.2 MHEV La Prima E-DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr opens in a new tab
£22,645
 Fiat Grande Panda 1.2 MHEV La Prima E-DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr opens in a new tab
£22,645
 Fiat Grande Panda 44kWh Pop Auto 5dr (11kW Charger) opens in a new tab
£20,990
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DESIGN & STYLING

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‘Grande’ is quite apt, because the Panda is no longer a tiny city car: it’s now effectively supermini-sized in terms of length and midway between the hatchbacks and SUVs of the class in height.

Which is a bit of a shame, we feel, because there is real joy in wilfully small cars, which you can aim at gaps and trust that they will fit. With its raised ride height and 2017mm across the mirrors, the Panda doesn’t feel like a small car any more. Obviously it’s not a big car, just a normal-sized one.

It does have plenty of small-car playfulness, at least. It’s bursting with delightful details, including the ‘bambox’, a glovebox but made from bamboo; the C-pillar trim that reads ‘FIAT’ if you look at it from one side and the old four-bar Fiat logo if you look at it from the other; and the ‘PANDA’ embossed on the tailgate.

Simply put, if you don't smile when looking at the Grande Panda, you will have to consider that you might be some Roald Dahl-style grouch.

Hybrid versions all use the familiar Stellantis 1.2-litre turbo petrol triple that's coupled to a 48V battery. A 29bhp electric motor is integrated into the six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, along with an inverter and a central control unit.

INTERIOR

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The interior again mixes a high level of practicality with plenty of stylish design.

You will delight in spotting little details like the Lingotto test track-inspired infotainment surround, where a little Panda is driving around the 10.25in screen; the bright-yellow accents that help liven up the dashboard and seats; and other neat features.

The seats say "Panda made with love in Fiat". In Fiat? Really?
Illya Verpraet
Road Tester

The screen interface itself is very basic, but that’s a good thing, because there are buttons for the important stuff (including the climate and the ADAS), so you can just connect your preferred brand of smartphone mirroring and ignore the native interface. The information in the driver's display is minimal to a fault, though, with not even a rev counter.

Our top-spec La Prima test car featured a Bambox dashboard, made from a fabric featuring 33%-recycled bamboo – because pandas like bamboo, obviously. It’s actually quite stylish and pleasant to touch, so it works beyond the tenuous link.

Sustainability has been a focus for the interior material choices of the Grande Panda. Fiat claims 140 recycled drink cartons are used in the making of each model for the Lapolen Ecotek blue plastic material that can be found throughout the interior.

With no underfloor batteries, the hybrid is claimed by Fiat to offer slightly more rear leg room than the EV. For a sub-4m car, rear passengers should be happy enough.

The boot has a capacity of 412 litres – spacious for a car in this category and a welcome 51 litres bigger than in the EV. It's a relatively shallow but deep boot, though, so you will need to think about doing some stacking to make best use of it.

Unlike in some small Stellantis cars, the front seats provide a reasonable amount of thigh support, while there's a decent range of seat and wheel adjustment.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Fiat currently offers hybrid and electric versions of the Grande Panda, although a pure-petrol version with a six-speed manual could join the range at a later date.

With a relatively small battery and just 29bhp of electric power, the hybrid can’t do as much electric running as, say, the Toyota Yaris, but the motor is useful for inching forwards in traffic and giving it some extra pep in town.

This powertrain is underpowered when found in the Peugeot 5008 SUV but makes the relatively light Grande Panda a surprisinly swift performer, with a good amount of mid-range punch.

It also features a characterful three-cylinder backbeat when extended, encouraging you to make the most of the available urge.

For the most part the e-DCT is an unobtrusive partner, although it can get caught on the hop and a gear too high when exiting out of slower corners.

There’s also no way to turn off the regen when you lift off the accelerator, there’s no rev counter and there's no manual override for the gearbox. You just get a D and an L mode, and we could hardly tell the difference.

Yet this is meant to be a simple car to drive, and in many respects there's a lot to like about getting in and pointing it where you want to go.

 

RIDE & HANDLING

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It may have 108bhp, but a Panda 100HP this hybrid is not. Even so, the steering decently weighted and progressively paced, allowing you to make the most of the surprisingly grippy chassis.

While it feels a little short on suspension travel over big bumps, it absorbs the sharp stuff well – for the front occupants, at least.

The Grande Panda is not a dynamic sensation, lacking some of the Latin sparkle you'd hope for, but it's very much class competitive.

Moreover, it's able to carry speed well, allowing you to return suprisingly rapid point-to-point average speeds.

The various ADAS aren’t the best but are at least easy to disable using a simple press of some physical buttons. Huzzah!

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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The big thing to consider with the Grande Panda is the price. It costs from £18,995 for a 108bhp hybrid with an automatic transmission.

Compared with almost any B-segment rival, it’s pretty good value: the boggo Skoda Fabia is £2000 more yet has only 79bhp and a five-speed manual gearbox. The Dacia Sandero may be just £14,765, but it lacks the Grande Panda's charm.

In Italy, Fiat sells the Grande Panda alongside the old Panda, or 'Pandina'. It costs just €12,000 (£10,400), but that gets you 60bhp and no radio. Still, that sort of price might give it some appeal here.
Illya Verpraet
Road Tester

The hybrid is offered in three trim levels: Pop, Icon and La Prima. It's also offered in seven exterior colours – and because Fiat is trying to be bright and cheerful, none of them are grey.

The official fuel economy of our test car was 55.4mpg (that rises to 56.5mpg on the smaller wheels). We averaged around 50mpg over a day in the UK, which isn’t stellar for a hybrid supermini, but equally isn't that shabby for a car that was driven with a certain Italianate vigour.

VERDICT

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The Grande Panda Hybrid is a thoroughly decent and solid city car wrapped up in an exceptionally stylish package. And if you're won over by the charming design, you won't find much in the way it drives or rides to put you off.

There are some slight annoyances and it's not the last word in performance or dynamic pep, but it's hard not to forgive such minor grumbles. Anyone tempted by the Grande Panda but not ready to go electric will find much to like with this hybrid version, not least the drivetrain's punch.

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Sure, it doesn't offer the last word in polished and poised ride and handling, but then there's not much at this price that does. Yet there is fun to be had from behind the wheel, as it maintains that fine Italian (and French) tradition of designing small cars that can be comfortably driven at higher speeds. And because you're never travelling that fast, you can enjoy yourself without fear of being hit with an ASBO.

Better still, it's well priced, reasonably efficient and cost-effective to run and offers a good level of practicality in a small package. Overall, the Grande Panda Hybrid provides enjoyable, affordable and upbeat motoring. Moreover, it's a car that makes you smile - and that's a quality we're in desperate need of these days. 

As for star quality, the Icon and La Prima are solid four stars, but given its £18,995, white-washed steelies and a kit list that covers most needs, the Pop earns it the extra half star you see at the top of this page.

Illya Verpraet

Illya Verpraet Road Tester Autocar
Title: Road Tester

As a road tester, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews and comparison tests, while also managing the magazine’s Drives section. Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s in-depth instrumented road tests.

He loves cars that are fun and usable on the road – whether piston-powered or electric – or just cars that are very fit for purpose. When not in test cars, he drives an R53-generation Mini Cooper S or a 1990 BMW 325i Touring.

James Disdale

James Disdale
Title: Special correspondent

James is a special correspondent for Autocar, which means he turns his hand to pretty much anything, including delivering first drive verdicts, gathering together group tests, formulating features and keeping Autocar.co.uk topped-up with the latest news and reviews. He also co-hosts the odd podcast and occasional video with Autocar’s esteemed Editor-at-large, Matt Prior.

For more than a decade and a half James has been writing about cars, in which time he has driven pretty much everything from humble hatchbacks to the highest of high performance machines. Having started his automotive career on, ahem, another weekly automotive magazine, he rose through the ranks and spent many years running that title’s road test desk. This was followed by a stint doing the same job for monthly title, evo, before starting a freelance career in 2019. The less said about his wilderness, post-university years selling mobile phones and insurance, the better.

James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Associate editor

James is Autocar’s associate editor, and has more than 20 years of experience of working in automotive and motorsport journalism. He has been in his current role since September 2024, and helps lead Autocar's features and new sections, while regularly interviewing some of the biggest names in the industry. Oh, and he once helped make Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets.