Tag Archives: Fiat

News

Grande Panda Fever: UK Orders Open After Record Interest

Remember the old Fiat Panda? The unapologetically boxy little brick that buzzed around Europe in the 1980s, often carrying more goats than passengers in some parts of Italy? Well, it’s back—sort of. Meet the Grande Panda, FIAT’s brand-new city car, a small car with big ambitions and even bigger expectations.

FIAT has officially opened UK orders, and if early numbers are anything to go by, Britain’s car buyers are already smitten. Thousands of people have signed up for “tell me more” emails before the car has even touched UK soil. Dealers are reporting floods of curious punters wandering into showrooms asking about it. And to fuel the hype even more, FIAT is rolling the car out on a nationwide “preview tour” from 4th September to 11th October, where the Grande Panda will be shown off like a pop star on a comeback tour.

And you know what? The hype might actually be justified.

Retro Roots, Modern Swagger

The Grande Panda was designed in FIAT’s Centro Stile in Turin, which means it’s dripping with Italian flair but hasn’t gone full Gucci handbag. Instead, it riffs on the 1980s original with crisp, blocky lines and a refreshingly uncluttered interior. It’s smart, it’s practical, and it doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard. Think less “look at me” and more “I’ll quietly look cooler than your crossover.”

Judges seem to agree. It’s already scooped up a trio of gongs: Best Small Car from Autocar, Supermini of the Year from Auto Express, and the rather charming Most Eagerly Awaited Electrified Car from Eco Car. Not bad for something that hasn’t even properly landed yet.

Power to the Panda

Buyers get two flavours: fully electric or hybrid. The EV comes with a 44kWh battery and 83kW motor (that’s 113 horsepower in old money), good for 199 miles of WLTP range—more than enough to handle the Tesco run, the school drop-off, and the occasional road trip to the seaside without breaking a sweat.

If you’re not ready to cut the petrol cord entirely, the hybrid uses a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder turbo with a 48V battery and a slick 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox, delivering 110 horsepower. It’s not going to snap your neck in a traffic light drag race, but it’ll sip fuel and smile while doing it.

Value With a Wink

Here’s the kicker: prices start at just £18,035 for the hybrid and £21,035 for the EV. Throw in FIAT’s newly reintroduced £1,500 E-Grant, and the electric Panda suddenly looks like one of the best-value EVs on sale. Trims range from the cheekily named Pop to the fully loaded La Prima, while the EV can even be had in the socially conscious (RED) edition.

The Grande Panda isn’t pretending to be a hot hatch or a premium SUV. It’s a car for the real world: compact enough for city streets, clever enough for family life, and stylish enough to pull off a bit of retro cool.

If FIAT’s early success is any indicator, the Grande Panda might just become the new darling of Britain’s roads—just like its 1980s ancestor once was. Except this time, you won’t have to push it up the hill when it rains.

Source: Fiat

News

Fiat Revs Up with New 500 Hybrid: A Bold Step Back to Move Forward

In a bold and unprecedented move within Europe’s car industry, Fiat is reversing the electric tide—at least momentarily. Starting this November, the iconic Italian automaker will begin production of the new Fiat 500 Hybrid, breathing new life into its Mirafiori plant in Turin. The strategy? Retrofit the popular 500e electric city car with a combustion engine, aiming to address flagging sales and manufacturing slowdowns.

A Familiar Face, A New Heart

The new 500 Hybrid will be offered in both hatchback and cabriolet forms, and from the outside, it’s nearly indistinguishable from the all-electric 500e—save for a subtly reworked front grille that provides additional airflow to the combustion engine under the bonnet. That engine is a familiar one: Fiat’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder Firefly mild-hybrid, already well-known from the outgoing petrol-powered 500 and the Fiat Panda.

Inside, the 500 Hybrid borrows heavily from the EV’s modernised cabin. It features Stellantis’s 10.25-inch touchscreen, a larger storage cubby on the dashboard, and an elevated gear lever—details that blend the retro charm of the old 500 with up-to-date tech and ergonomics.

From Electric Dreams to Hybrid Realities

This unconventional move—introducing a petrol hybrid based on an electric model—emerges as a pragmatic response to two key challenges facing Fiat.

Firstly, production at the Mirafiori plant had slowed significantly due to weak demand for the 500e and its performance cousin, the Abarth 500e. Fiat was forced to halt production multiple times throughout 2024. Secondly, the brand recently discontinued its long-running petrol 500 due to stricter EU cybersecurity regulations. Re-certifying the 17-year-old model would have required costly investment, prompting the need for a swift replacement.

Fiat CEO Olivier François explained the pivot: “The 500 Hybrid will boost production at Mirafiori to ensure the plant’s productivity. This move is proof that social relevance is at the core of the brand mission.”

More than 100,000 units of the new hybrid are expected to roll off the line annually, giving the Turin facility a much-needed lifeline.

Looking Ahead

Despite the short-term return to combustion engines, Fiat hasn’t abandoned its electric ambitions. The company recently committed €100 million (£85m) to upgrading the 500e’s platform to accommodate more affordable next-generation battery technology, with a major update likely in 2026.

In the meantime, the 500 Hybrid stands as a unique case study in adaptive strategy—where market realities and production logistics have prompted a rare detour from Europe’s EV-focused trajectory. Whether this retrofitted hybrid will win over eco-conscious consumers and loyal 500 fans alike remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain: Fiat isn’t afraid to zig when others zag.

Source: Fiat

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Fiat Revs Up with New 500 Hybrid: A Bold Step Back to Move Forward
News

Fiat Launches Spain’s First Fast Battery Swap Station in Madrid

In a pioneering move towards accelerating electric mobility, Fiat has unveiled Spain’s first fast battery swap station for electric vehicles in Madrid. Launched in collaboration with American battery technology firm Ample and Stellantis-owned car-sharing platform Free2move, the pilot project marks a major milestone in EV infrastructure development.

The initiative introduces a new level of convenience for electric vehicle users: battery swaps in just five minutes, eliminating the traditional waiting times for charging. This service will be available exclusively for Fiat 500e electric models, initially integrated into Free2move’s Madrid-based car-sharing fleet.

Revolutionizing Urban EV Use

Instead of plugging in to charge, Fiat 500e drivers can simply swap their depleted battery for a fully charged one at the station. The entire process is managed via a mobile phone application, offering an intuitive and efficient user experience.

“This technology ensures that users are always ready to drive—no waiting, no charging,” said Fiat in a statement. “The aim is to simplify urban electric mobility and remove one of the main barriers to EV adoption: charging time.”

Fleet Expansion Underway

Currently, 40 Fiat 500e vehicles in the Free2move fleet are participating in the pilot project. That number will increase to 100 vehicles in the coming months, making this one of the most ambitious battery swap initiatives in Europe to date.

Free2move, which operates car-sharing services in major cities across Europe and the U.S., is a brand under Stellantis, the global automotive group to which Fiat also belongs.

Madrid: A Strategic Launchpad

The decision to launch the project in Madrid aligns with the city’s aggressive climate strategy. The Spanish capital has pledged to cut CO₂ emissions by 65% ​​by 2030, making it an ideal testing ground for sustainable mobility solutions.

The project also supports Spain’s national target of having 5.5 million electric vehicles on the roads by 2030, a goal that requires innovative infrastructure and public-private partnerships.

A Model for the Future?

While battery swapping remains rare in Europe, Fiat’s move could signal a shift in how automakers think about EV usability—especially in densely populated urban areas. If successful, the Madrid pilot could become a model for other cities seeking to boost EV adoption without waiting for large-scale charging networks to catch up.

As Fiat, Ample, and Free2move lead the charge in Spain, the message is clear: the future of electric mobility may be faster, simpler, and more flexible than ever before.

Source: Stellantis