Fiat has a plan to flood the Chinese. The new Panda could be the cheapest car of its kind – Garáž.cz

The influx of Chinese automakers into Europe is no longer just a potential threat, it is actually happening. They are also aware of this at Fiat and want to respond to the growing Asian competition. The first such swallow will be the new generation Panda, which will arrive as an electric car next year.

Fiat boss Olivier François let it be known that the automaker “can and must develop a solution that will put the Chinese in trouble.” This is precisely what the new Panda is supposed to become, which will be based on the four-year-old Centoventi concept.

The brand leader further revealed that the new product is inspired by the original Panda from the 1980s, specifically its slogan “less is more”. This means not only compact dimensions, but above all a focus on only the most necessary equipment and technology. The Panda is to maintain a low purchase price tag, although its production will continue to take place in Europe.

We still have to wait for details on the technique. However, the Italian media often mentions the kinship with the electric Citroën C3, and both cars are expected to share the eCMP architecture, or possibly the more advanced STLA Small platform. The arrival of the French pryce is expected in the next few days, we have to wait a few more months for Panda.

Citroën C3, but also Renault 5 or VW ID.2 have one thing in common – the promised starting price below the threshold of 25,000 euros, i.e. around 600,000 CZK. If Fiat could somehow manage to push the purchase price even a little lower, it could become the most affordable electric car in the given category and really drown out the Chinese competition.

While the Citroën C3 is expected to be supplemented with combustion engines after the introduction of the electric version, the new Panda is expected to remain exclusively electric. But it is speculated that the current third edition will remain in production with traditional engines until at least 2026. This is despite the fact that it was first introduced twelve long years ago.