Some of you may remember a Fiat Grande Panda review that I did for this site a few months ago.
At the time, the only version available was a hybrid, but fast-forward to now and the EV is with us. I had to have a little drive of it as well to see how it matches up.
Prices
If you’re not ready to make the jump to 100 per cent battery power or have the regular driving routine which wouldn’t currently suit, then you can have the seriously economical hybrid version for £20,249. However, if you want to go EV with the Grande Panda, all you need to find is an additional grand, which means at £21,495 (Oct 26) it rates as one of the cheapest battery-powered cars currently available in the UK.
And don’t be fooled into thinking that, because it’s cheap and best described as a compact SUV / hatchback, that it’ll be a tight squeeze for passengers. Wrong. It can cope with four average-sized adults and has boot space of 360 litres, which is also decent.
Electric Range
It’s also more than a city car, although it’ll be perfectly happy working as a school and shopping runabout. I travelled from Newcastle for a six-day break in the Peak District and it coped admirably with quick motorway work and hilly country lanes.
As with every electric car, a bit of forward planning is required, especially when it’s a car with a smallish 44kWh battery like the Fiat Grand Panda. Fiat reckon you can manage a range close to 200 miles, but that’s optimistic. Because my first stint was a hefty motorway run, I saw the predicted range drop to 121 miles, but I was being far from economical. A 45-minute stop near Chesterfield saw the battery topped up to a range of 185 miles and, from then onwards, it was slow, hilly, twisty roads and the range kept pace with my mileage. In other words, for a general guesstimate, I reckon a sensible predicted range will be around 150 miles.
Performance Figures
The electric motor churns out 111 bhp, which gives you a 0-60 mph time of 11.2 seconds and a top speed of 82 mph. Yes, it’s nothing startling but adequate for the sort of life this car is likely to lead. Fiat says you can charge the battery from 10-80 per cent in around half an hour. You can also plug it into a 100kW charger, although the best we managed was 41kW. A standard wallbox 7kW home charger will give you a full charge in around five hours, so plug it in when you get home and your Fiat Grande Panda will be ready to go in the morning. A handy touch is that, behind the front grille, there’s a cable tucked away. That means you don’t need to have to hunt for a cable in the boot or in the garage. Good idea. It’ll only take 7kW, but that’s the idea…you use it at home.
Exterior
We like the look of the Grande Panda. You can’t miss it, especially if you go for the bright yellow coloured car that I had. It’s a funky design but not too wacky. You get smiles from pedestrians rather than having them point and laugh. And everyone will know it’s a Panda thanks to the large lettering down the side.
Oh, and if you go for top trim, you get a bamboo-covered lid for the upper glovebox. Well, it is a Panda after all.
Driving Experience
Out on the road, there’s little difference between this EV Grande Panda and the 1.2 litre hybrid model. Performance and the way either version handles are roughly the same. Both have a fairly firm setup for the suspension, which can make the car shudder slightly when hitting rough surfaces at town speeds, but the payoff is that it handles nicely. Okay, there’s a fair amount of body lean if you push on through a corner, but it’s still decent fun to punt along.
The steering is well judged. Pretty important for a car which is going to be paddling around city streets.
Interior
The interior is a nice place to be. The funky exterior styling is carried over inside with smart touches scattered around the cabin. It’s functional but looks good and works well. Fiat has also resisted the temptation to load everything into the 10.25-inch central touchscreen. It controls the sat nav and the radio….and that’s it. Everything else is adjusted via knobs and buttons. If you need more options, just plug in your phone which will be mirrored on the screen.
Trim Levels
As for levels of kit, there are three on offer — Pop, Icon and range-topping La Prima. All of them give a nod to the environment with the seat coverings, door panels and fascia all made from recycled plastic. They look smart and certainly don’t feel cheap in any way.
Every Grande Panda comes with cruise control, air con, LED headlights, rear parking sensors, heated wing mirrors, and DAB radio. The white steel wheels look okay but are very colour dependent. I’d fork out an extra £1000 and go for Icon trim because you now get proper alloys, roof rails, rear privacy glass and some fabric inserts into the door panels which just add a touch more interior style.
A further £2000 brings heated front seats, heated steering wheel, auto climate, front parking sensors, reversing camera, sat nav, powered mirrors and smarter 17-inch alloys.
Did I like it?
Overall, the Fiat Grande Panda works really well as an all-electric car. It’s fun to look at and ride around in. It’s also decent to drive and surprisingly roomy. Comfy too. The overall range and charging rate aren’t the best, but it all depends on how you’re intending to use this car. It’ll be brilliant as a runabout or second car, but will also cope with the odd longer haul, although you’ll need to do some planning to cater for charging. It’s also sensibly priced
The Fiat Grande Panda EV marks a return to what Fiat has always done best. I liked it.
words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Fiat
