Driving the Fiat Grande Panda Electric
This is not the first attempt to offer the Panda as an electric car, but the chances have never been better. A test drive shows that the E-Panda is a success.
(Image: Fiat)
- Joaquim Oliveira
The Panda is the oldest model series that Fiat still has in its range. The compact car has been around since 1980 and was given the slogan "The great car". Back then, the aim was to bring a car onto the market for basic requirements and correspondingly low prices. The new edition no longer has anything to do with the idea of a minimalist box in the original sense. It is a small car that uses a technical platform from the Stellantis Group. This brings with it a significant innovation, as the Grande Panda is now also available as an electric car. We have already been able to take it for a test drive.
Large trunk
The Grande Panda is no longer a small car. At 3.99 m long, it extends into the range of dimensions typical of small cars today. The wheelbase measures 2.54 m, which is the same dimension as many of its competitors. As a result, the amount of space is also similar: okay in the front, sufficient in the rear. If you don't want to transport four adults over a longer distance, you will probably be able to cope with the space available. Elsewhere, the Grande Panda outperforms many of its competitors. Its trunk holds 350 liters, and if you opt for a breakdown kit instead of the emergency wheel, you can add another 11 liters. To put that in perspective: The Mini three-door, which is around 14 cm shorter, offers 210 liters, an Opel Corsa-e 267 and a 12 cm longer Skoda Fabia, which is only available as a combustion engine, 380.
There is a huge difference to the first Panda in the interior, which is not only visually distinct from the Citroën ë-C3 on the same platform. In the ë-C3, the basic version does not even have its own display for the entertainment electronics, while the more expensive Grande Panda has two screens with 10 inches each as standard. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay can be integrated wirelessly, which should already meet many requirements in a small car. The 3000 euro more expensive "La Prima" line also offers an inductive charging cradle and its own navigation system. Operation is intuitive, which is far from being the case with every competitor's system.
Well equipped
The interior is pleasantly furnished and neatly finished. The angular air vents on the dashboard look a little odd, as they don't quite fit in with the rounded overall appearance. On the first short drive, the seats seemed comfortable enough to be able to stay in the Grande Panda for longer. No comparison with the camping chairs that Fiat fitted in the first Panda. In any case, even the standard equipment of the basic model comes with all sorts of things that nobody would have thought of in this segment 45 years ago: four power windows, remote control for the central locking, air conditioning and height-adjustable seats. So that's already more than is absolutely necessary for driving, making the new Panda a far cry from its predecessor.
Fiat Grande Panda Elektro (10 Bilder)
Fiat
)Cleverly tuned chassis
On the road, it is noticeable that Fiat has achieved a very good compromise between comfort and stability. The feedback from the steering is also pleasing. Fiat has also managed the transition from recuperation to the service brake remarkably well. It is astonishing that the engineers opted for a disc brake on the rear axle. Some electric cars are weak in this area, because the "classic" brakes are less stressed than in a combustion engine, and this can lead to brake discs developing rust. This is why the drum brake on the rear axle is experiencing a renaissance in electric cars.
LFP battery with 44 kWh
From 1990, the first Panda was also available with a battery-electric drive. However, very few took advantage of this offer. The current edition should have a much better chance of acceptance. The key data is already known from models such as the Citroën ë-C3 or the Opel Frontera. The lithium-iron-phosphate battery has an energy content of 44 kWh. There is no preconditioning of the battery cells, which will cause annoyance, especially in winter. This is because LFP cells are still difficult to charge at temperatures below zero degrees. Their energy density is also lower than that of batteries that rely on nickel, manganese and cobalt. However, they have a decisive advantage: they are cheaper to produce.
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Chargers with lower power for an extra charge
Fiat has taken a rather unconventional approach to alternating current charging. A three-phase 11 kW AC charger with a connection at the rear left comes as standard. For an additional payment of 200 euros, the customer receives a permanently installed spiral cable, which is housed behind a flap at the front. However, the deal has a catch: this extra means that the three-phase charger is replaced by a single-phase charger. This can charge with up to 7.4 kW, which can be fully utilized at public charging stations, for example. On the 11 kW wallbox, however, this method stops at 3.7 kW, as it distributes its power over three phases.
As nice as the idea of a permanently installed cable may seem to some users at first glance, those who set aside the 200 euros for an external AC cable can charge considerably faster on alternating current. The target group that Fiat wants to attract with this offer appears to be quite small. A peak of 100 kW is possible with direct current. The consumption in the WLTP is 16.8 kWh, the range is 320 km. A detailed test will have to show what these figures are worth in practice.
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Sufficiently fast
The electric motor delivers 83 kW and 122 Nm. For a car weighing 1.5 tons, this is not much by today's standards. 11 seconds and, above all, a top speed of 132 km/h do not suggest an exuberant temperament. In practice, however, the Fiat seems sufficiently brisk up to a speed that is permissible on German country roads. In the city, it even scurries off quite nimbly. This is acceptable, especially as it remains pleasantly quiet. Hardly anyone will miss the sounds of previous Panda engines.
(Image: Fiat)
Prices
The range structure is kept deliberately simple. There are two equipment lines - "Red" and "La Prima" - seven paint finishes, the aforementioned single-phase charger (200 euros) and, for the expensive version, a winter package (500 euros) with heating for the windshield, steering wheel and seats. The basic model is available from 24,990 euros, the more extensively equipped version from 27,990 euros. This is not a sensational offer, but not a bad one either in a growing segment. Europe's market leader, Volkswagen, will only be able to compete in this class in significant numbers from next year. Renault and Stellantis were quicker.
Internally, the price premium over the Grande Panda with hybrid drive remains considerable. The less well-equipped base model with hybrid is available from 18,990 euros. If you want roughly the same scope of equipment as in the "Red" electric model, you will pay 20,490 euros. This leaves an additional price of 4500 euros, for which you get a more pleasant drive in everyday use and lower maintenance costs in the e-car.
(mfz)