FIAT is aiming to become a global brand, and the Grande Panda marks the first move in that ambition. Promised for markets beyond Europe - the Middle East, Africa and South America -, the model signals a turning point.
“This is FIAT’s moment,” declared Olivier François, the brand’s chief executive, at the model’s global presentation, underlining the importance of the new car.
We have now had the opportunity to speak with Olivier François, who helped us understand why the Grande Panda is one of the pillars of FIAT’s future. He could not have been clearer: “The Grande Panda is the brand’s first truly global model (since the Palio in the 1990s) for many years.”
When we mentioned the Palio’s relatively limited success in Europe, where it was then perceived as a third-world car, François had no hesitation:
“That no longer exists, that concept of the third world, and that is the beauty of living in the 21st century. With the right Stellantis platform, and inspiring design such as ours, we can target very high production volumes and, as a result, make money from a B-segment car, which is quite difficult.”
- Olivier François, FIAT chief executive
“The Grande Panda will be sold in the Middle East, Africa and South America, where it will replace the Argo and will not necessarily be called Panda,” he concluded. The aim is to achieve annual production of around 300,000 units, split between “at least three factories”, one in each of the regions mentioned above.
One thing is certain: the Grande Panda is only the beginning of FIAT’s global expansion, and further developments will arrive over the next 18 months - which you can read about below. During this exchange, we also discovered what happened to the Punto successor that had once been planned.
Not quite a twin
We also had to address the “elephant in the room” - or should that be Panda? - namely the comparisons with the Citroën C3. The two share the same platform, but François had a succinct answer ready: “A platform is a platform. Sharing one does not make the cars the same.”
“In design terms, I do not think it could be any more FIAT than it is, with clear links to the original car.”
- Olivier François, FIAT chief executive
Indeed, the new Grande Panda adopts a retro-futuristic look, drawing inspiration from the original Panda of the 1980s and reinterpreting it in a tougher, more SUV-like format. The cabin follows the same approach, featuring numerous details that pay tribute to the brand’s heritage, including an interior inspired by the historic Lingotto factory - the very one with a test track on its roof.
“It breathes history through every pore, with a larger size [than the Panda] and an SUV interpretation,” the executive explained. Discover our initial verdict:
The Punto had to die for the Grande Panda to live
From the 1990s onwards, FIAT’s B-segment presence was provided by the Punto, or the Grande Punto in this century. Production ended in 2018, with no replacement for a segment FIAT had once dominated.
Interestingly, before the Grande Panda, a Grande Punto might have been born, as Olivier François confirmed: “There was a development project within the company for a new Punto for the B segment, but it did not excite me. So we cancelled that project,” he revealed.
The ambition was different: “I wanted a car with more iconic design, not a generic one. I wanted it to achieve unique status immediately. But not as singular as the Fiat Multipla, which shocked the market and was unsuccessful.”
“My idea was a kind of genetic cross between the Range Rover Evoque and the original Panda of the 1980s.”
- Olivier François, FIAT chief executive
The outcome is there for all to see: despite a silhouette similar to that of its “French cousin”, the Grande Panda is distinctive, characterful and packed with unique details.
Although it was abandoned, the possible return of the Punto remains under discussion. “I do not think so [that it will return], but it will depend heavily on the maturity of the electric car market,” he said.
Electric? Yes, that is one of the ideas being considered for the potential return of this historic name to the brand. Recently, the design team presented François with a concept called “Aero Punto” - an electric hatchback which, according to the CEO, “is spectacular”.
But he offers no guarantees: “I do not know whether we will ever produce it, because we create many projects that do not go ahead, but I can guarantee that it is spectacular.”
“The FIAT Grande Panda is my baby”
The executive also said that “the FIAT Grande Panda is my baby, it is almost a personal matter… and at 63, near the end of my career, I see it being born, launch it on the market and then feel free”.
He also appears so confident of its success, including in Europe, that he is not especially concerned by rivals such as the nostalgic Renault 5 E-Tech: “It will be an interesting race… but the Renault 5 is quite expensive, so only our top-spec versions will be direct competitors for their entry-level model.”
What is next for FIAT?
Over the next year and a half, FIAT’s global line-up will expand with the launch of three new models based on the concept cars shown last year: a C-segment SUV and fastback - which will take the place of the Tipo - plus a pick-up, the Strada’s successor.
“They are cars with some Grande Panda genes, but they will not be called Panda and will belong to different segments, serving different customers in different regions,” he said.
As for the current Pandina - the Panda sold in the city-car segment -, production will continue at the Pomigliano plant in Italy. However, FIAT has already confirmed that it will receive a new generation at the end of the decade:
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