Sustainability is a priority for the Grande Panda

Alongside the new Grande Panda, Fiat launched a series of new sustainable materials for the car's interior, specifically its dashboard, center console and inside door panels. Each Fiat Grande Panda contains recycled materials such as plastic and aluminum from about 140 cardboard-based liquid containers. This material is used when manufacturing plastic components from inside the car - including the central console, dashboard or the interior panels from the front and back doors.

PolyAl is a recycled material made from polymers (polyethylene) and aluminum, resulted after the process of recycled drink packaging made from cardboard. These are made, generally, from 70% cardboard, 25% polymers, as well as 5% aluminum, an essential mixture for aseptic packaging, where ultrathin polymer and aluminum layers protect the contents, prolonging the expiration date without the need for preservatives or cooling.

Components found inside the new Fiat Grande Panda are made from this polyAl matreial, called Lapolen Ecotek, developed by a company called Lapo Compound. The company worked closely with Fiat in order to ensure that this material meets the safety and quality standards, as well as those related to cost. The choice to use this material in places that are easily visible and accessible on the inside of the car - such as the center console, the dashboard or the door panels - underline its esthetic potential.

Fiat preferred it for its sparkling shiny, resulted from the recycled aluminum content, but also due to the fact that Lapo Compound was able to make it in a very specific shade of blue.

The collaboration with Lapo Compound offers Fiat a competitive advantage according to future European regulations demanding more recycled contents on car interiors, which impose that 25% of the plastic used on the inside of a car to be made from repurposed materials.

The solution developed by Lapo Compound contributes to achieving this goal, while at the same time meeting the strict safety standards from the automotive industry.

Grande Panda also integrates materials based on bamboo fiber on its dashboard, but also on a second, smaller glovebox, positioned above the main one, which you've seen on most vehicles. This material seems very durable and has a very nice texture, being similar to a softer textile alternative. I really like this substitution, compared to the matte or shiny plastic that other carmakers use on the dashboards of their more affordable cars.

How does the Grande Panda drive and how economical is it

I had the 1.2 liter, 3 cylinder petrol version for testing, which sports 101 horsepower and is assisted by a mild hybrid propulsion system. This engine option, linked to a double clutch 6 speed automatic transmission, is familiar to me, as I've had it on the Jeep Avenger, as well as on the Alfa Romeo Junior. Sure, the power output varies on these models, some being less powerful or oriented towards better performance off the road, but the behavior is similar.

These engines are more than sufficient on these small, city-focused chassis, they're fairly quick and economical. The great advantage of this engine setup is that it can work in pure electric mode, something rare on a mild hybrid car, as I wrote in my test drives for the Jeep and Alfa.

The Grande Panda is no different, meaning that the 28 horsepower electric motor, integrated in the transmission, can get the car moving at lower speeds on its own, if the smaller, 0.8 kWh battery has enough juice, while this motor can independently use each of the 6 gears of the transmission. So, even when you're already moving, if you're just maintaining the speed or if you accelerate very gently, you will feel the car turn off the petrol engine, using the small electric one to keep it moving.

Since we're talking about a small and fairly limited 48 volt battery, the scenarios in which this car can work in pure electric mode are few, but still, compared to other manufacturers, it is possible to drive in pure silence and with 0 fuel consumption on smaller streets and in a traffic jam.

Otherwise, following a test drive of 126 kilometers and an average speed of 32 km/h, the fuel economy on my Grande Panda was 6.1 liters/100 kilometers, more than reasonable, considering that the climate system worked tirelessly, on the cold or hot setting, and that the car was idling for about 15 minutes, while I was filming or photographing it. At least half of the trip was made in heavy traffic conditions.

If I was gentler on the accelerator, the fuel economy could have been even lower than 6 liters, but I was looking to simulate a moderate use case scenario.

Grande Panda's mild hybrid version is pleasant to drive, since it's essentially a city car. It's very maneuverable and likes small spaces, being only 3.99 meters long, which makes it extraordinarily easy to park. It's got a square-ish shape, similar to the first Panda model and at moderate to higher speeds, it's more pleasant than I expected. It can be compared to the Jeep Avenger or the Alfa Junior and the soundproofing is similar, but unimpressive, meaning that after 70-90 km/h, you will have to turn up the music to cover the noise from the outside.

It's pretty stable on the freeway, the hybrid model being under 1.4 tons, with the completely electric one going to around 1.5 tons, due to the heavier batteries. I believe that this will be a suitable car even for longer occasional trips, but not necessarily for those who are constantly commuting 150+ kilometers per day between cities. For the city, it's ideal between the brothers Avenger and Junior.

Going over road imperfections and potholes is quite pleasant, considering its size and class, without being too comfortable, but somehow better than the BYD Seal U DM-i that I recently tested. It's not very dynamic on winding roads in the mild hybrid version, but it's not necessarily oriented towards that.

It can, however, be an interesting crossover if you need to go on modest forest roads, but personally, I'd pick the Avenger for these scenarios.

The steering is very soft in the city, a big advantage, and at higher speeds, it gets heavier without being stiff, just enough to give you better feedback from the road, again a pleasant surprise from a city-focused model.

What's worth mentioning is that on the mild hybrid model there are no driving modes available, except for "drive". There's no "sport" or "eco" mode, just put it in "drive" and get going. The only thing you can actually do is set the transmission on an "L" mode that enables the front wheels to spin at a lower speed, enabling better control on slippery surfaces, such as mud or snow.

Fiat Grande Panda is a pleasant surprise on features

I was talking about the materials on the inside that they feel good to the touch, compared to what I was expecting at least. Perhaps I expected too little from this car, which I thought would be like an Italian Dacia Spring or Sandero, but besides the good quality materials that I found on most of the interior, the features were also above average, too. Perhaps now would be a good time to talk about the trim version I had for testing, which was La Prima and had a price tag of 25.000 euros.

This is the top version of the Grande Panda and comes with nice optionals, such as heated steering on one level, heated seats on three levels, which are also made of a nice and comfy textile material, as well as a heated windshield. This is a feature that I didn't expect to find on a Fiat, let alone a Grande Panda. The car also comes packed with parking sensors on the front and back on this trim, as well as a reverse camera, which the Alfa Romeo Junior didn't have for about the same money, neither the front sensors. If I recall correctly, I don't think it had the heated seats, either, while the heated windshield was missing for sure.

It's up to you to decide whether or not it's worth paying extra for the Alfa driving experience (not too different) or if the Fiat is the wiser choice, but until then, let me tell you about what else you'll find on the Panda.

On the electric version, Fiat thought about something that most manufacturers did not take into account. The Italians integrated a 4.5 meters-long AC charging cable into the front grille. How cool is that? Now you don't have to carry the AC charging cable in the trunk at all, because it's always with you "in the car", literally. Its power delivery is limited to 7.4 kW, as it was expected for AC power, but at least you won't have to worry about forgetting it and it won't take up precious space in the fairly small boot (which is like 350 liters).

You can still plug the car to an AC charger using a separate cable if you so desire and the charging speed goes up to some 11 kW should you prefer that, but I think it's not worth it. At that point, you are better off using DC charging, where the car can receive up to 100 kW of power on short bursts and generally, 60 kW for a 20-80% charging time of 30 minutes.

The car also offers Apple CarPlay or Android Auto wireless connectivity on a small tablet, but enough for normal use, besides which you'll also discover a tiny model of the very first Panda from the 80s. The system itself is very simple, simpler I would say than even Dacia's own, but you get all the feature you might need, without flashy settings or menus that might confuse you or take your eyes off the road.

The dashboard itself is simple, yet functional, and it borrows the menu switching system from other Stellantis cars, using a button placed on the wiper stick.

You get two buttons on the lower side of the center console to quickly deactivate the speed warning system, as well as the lane assistant. There is also a small armrest, which is fairly deep, two USB-Cs for charging and very old school, you will turn the car on or off using the physical key, which you have to rotate in the steering column. In the future, this might actually act like an antitheft system in a world where almost all cars have start-stop systems.

Decent comfort in the Grande Panda

Interior comfort isn't the strong suit of this city-oriented car that's under 4 meters long and it can easily battle off against the Dacia Spring. Still, compared to the Chinese, excuse me Romanian rival, there's a bit more room to work with in the Grande Panda, especially in the back, but you won't be lounging during a longer trip. Even I felt slightly crammed when it came to legroom, since the front seats will sit a bit more towards the back than you are used to, because of the layout design. There was plenty of headroom for me and there are two more USB-Cs to charge your phone, while the backseat is pretty comfortable, being made of the same textile material as the front seats.

In the La Prima trim, the Grande Panda comes with a brandless sound system that's similar to the one on the Alfa Junior and it sounds good, without being too exquisite. On the Jeep Avenger you get a JBL one that clearly sounds better overall. I would like to see a branded sound system option on the Grande Panda or the Junior, as well, even if it's not much necessary.

Otherwise, there's not much to scoff at about the Grande Panda regarding the comfort or the materials. Considering how little it costs and what this model was meant for, as a city car, I'd say that it offers more than the bear minimum and even some nice bonus points (the heated windshield or the heated seats on 3 levels in the front).

Conclusion and prices Fiat Grande Panda

From all city cars that I've tested so far, the Grande Panda is one of the most interesting and easy to recommend, thanks to the right price in my opinion, in relation to the package and features you receive. You have a choice between a mild hybrid and a pure electric model, depending on your budget and needs, and thus it can be a versatile model for many drivers. It's plenty comfortable, even on a longer trip, very compact and easy to drive in the city, while also being economical.

At the same time, the integrated AC charging cable is an excellent addition so that you don't have to carry around that large and heavy cable that usually comes with an EV.

The starting price for the Grande Panda mild hybrid is a little over 16.000 euros in Romania, while for the electric version you'll pay over 18.000 euros if you take into account incentives. Without them, you'll have to spend a few thousand extra.

The top trim mild hybrid version costs 25.000 euros, a correct price I think for the package and featured you get. Is there room for improvement? Of course there is, I'd like to see in the future a better sound system and why not, a full hybrid system. But I can't ask for better quality materials, a heat pump or multi-zone climate control, without the price climbing higher.

As a city car, this could be the ideal choice for the drivers looking for the most balanced package at a lower price than the Alfa Romeo Junior or the Jeep Avenger, while the overall experience isn't necessarily worse on the budget Italian model.