People ask for cheaper: Fiat Panda will be delayed on the conveyor until 2026
By 2027 in Europe, the Fiat brand plans to completely switch to electric vehicles, but they are not yet able to replace cheap models with internal combustion engines, so it was decided to postpone the launch of the current third-generation Panda until the end.
The third generation of the inexpensive Italian A-class hatchback has been produced since 2011 and is one of the most affordable cars in Europe: prices in Italy currently start at 12,157 euros. The low price, combined with a nice design, explains the high demand for the Panda, despite the rather cramped interior and low safety rating (zero stars in the Euro NCAP 2018 test). The last restyling of the “third” Panda survived in 2020, the subcompact is offered with gasoline and gas engines ranging from 69 to 85 hp in combination with a manual gearbox. An all-wheel drive version with an automatic rear axle connected through a clutch is still in service.
Fiat Panda after restyling 2020
Last year, the Panda became the second most popular A-Class model in Europe with 131,723 units sold, down 11% from 2020, according to CarSalesBase. The first place in the segment belongs to the Fiat 500: 175,950 units sold. (+25%), but this figure includes 44,334 examples of the electric Fiat 500e, which is a completely independent model in terms of design. Third place went to Toyota Aygo (82,820 units sold), fourth place went to Volkswagen up! (69,400 units), the fifth – for Kia Picanto (59,949 units).
Fiat Panda after restyling 2020
Fiat has never officially announced an end date for the “third” Panda, but in 2020, insiders whispered that the model would only last on the Pomigliano, Italy assembly line until 2024, after which Fiat would only have class A electric models. Now Reuters citing its own source in the union, reports that the budget hatchback will be produced until 2026. The fact is that the need for cheap cars in Europe is still quite high, and electric cars still cannot offer such an attractive price. A potential successor in the style of the Centoventi concept (introduced in 2019) will be larger and noticeably more expensive, and Stellantis today considers it impractical to develop a cheap production model with an internal combustion engine, therefore.
Fiat Panda after restyling 2020
Fiat boss Olivier François said last summer that Fiat's European range will be all-electric by 2030, but a recent February financial report from Stellantis indicated that the full greening of Fiat Europe has been delayed until 2027. It is unlikely that an electric car will appear in the Fiat lineup at that time comparable in price to the “hydrocarbon” Panda, except for a quadricycle in the spirit of Citroen Ami and Opel Rocks-e, but this cannot be called a complete replacement for a full-fledged even for the cheapest car – too small range on a single charge, and the comfort level is too low.
Fiat Panda after restyling 2020
The harsh truth of the modern automotive business is that, due to the high environmental and safety requirements, new cheap models cannot be expected in the near future, so the decision to extend the life of the current Panda looks quite reasonable and humane in relation to the consumer.