Fiat introduces a new electric car, the Grande Panda, due in 2025. The electric and hybrid versions are available, while the appearance makes for a bigger and more modern Panda. Priced less than £22,000, it brings in a dose of retro style with loads of modern tech to become functional for families and city drivers.

Next year comes the fourth generation of the iconic Fiat Panda, known as the Grande Panda. At less than £22,000 when it reaches showrooms, this will be one of the most affordable EVs available. It’s larger than past Pandas but, incredibly, the new car uses the same design platform as the Citroen C3.

A new electric version of the Grande Panda comes with a 44 kWh battery and a hatchback-minded 111bhp motor to trail a 199-mile range on every charge. It will also be hybridized; probably, under the skin, this will be that 99bhp mild-hybrid system seen in the Citroen C3. This particular hybrid will undercut £20,000.

The Grande Panda design has been kept rather honest and boxy with a retro feel. The sides will sport the Panda name with a badge of pride in the same way that their 1980s originals did. The rugged, minimalist design is said to reflect new Fiat brand values of “strength and uniqueness.” Some of the notable touches are pixel-style headlights, reminiscent of the old Fiat Lingotto factory in Turin, a big, chunky front skid plate, roof rails, and black lower-body cladding.

Despite these rugged features, Fiat has not indicated any plans to release a four-wheel-drive version of the Grande Panda. At 3.99 meters in length, it is not much more so than its predecessor, when compared to its sector average, is still small.

The Grande Panda arrives with its roomy and colorful five-seat cabin, with a dashboard sporting a colored 10.25-inch infotainment screen and a 10-inch instrument display. The interior design of this car features a number of oval shapes, inspired by the famous rooftop test track of the 1920s Lingotto building. Fiat has looked at ways of shaving pounds and reducing the cost of several components to give the interior a greater sense of airiness and space.

According to Fiat, the Grande Panda is perfect for comfortable family living and contemporary urban mobility. Following the launch of the Grande Panda, Fiat wants to grow the Panda family with at least one new model each year through 2027, which will include an SUV in the class of the Dacia Duster and a fastback model about the size of the Ford Puma.

The Panda family will be an exception to this, as the rest of the company’s lineup consists of Fiat’s highly specialized, 1950s-inspired 500 series. The company has not announced any new 500 family members in addition to the forthcoming 600 crossover and sporty Abarth variants.

Fiat expects to start delivering Grande Panda models in the UK during early next year. The company has not confirmed exactly how much each version of the cars will cost, but the Grande Panda is likely to be among the cheapest cars on sale, at around £15,000 for the petrol and nearly £22,000 for the electric.

The latest version of the Panda, also referred to as the Pandina, is planned to be produced at least until 2027. Fiat plans an increase of production by 20% according to continuous demand for the popular car model that has already reached its 13th year of production. A refreshed Panda model, which brings additional advanced safety functionality, a renewal of its driver’s display, and a new steering wheel, will enter the markets this summer, described as the “most technological and safest Panda ever.”