Fiat has a 2019 electric concept car inspired by the Panda microcar centoventi submitted. The following year, the Italians confirmed that the study anticipates a production car. According to reports, this could be the new Panda, which should be launched in 2023. In addition, other models based on Centoventi will come.
The traditional brand from Turin plans to offensive the product with “affordable power supply” in the next five years. AutoExpress. In particular, Fiat intends to focus on the compact car 500 and a range of practical vehicles for its further growth. While the 500 should also shine with its design, the focus of the next Centoventi models will be on practicality. New entry-level cars should be robust and cost-effective, the latter achieved through deep cuts in production costs.
AutoExpress writes that there will be a new “Panda Supermini” and “Panda SUV”, but other models are also planned. The naming is still open, but Fiat tends to use the names of existing models such as Panda. “What’s really important, and I’m putting a lot of emphasis here, is that you can tell at first glance – even without a badge or brand – that it’s a Fiat,” Fiat boss Olivier Francois said of the car’s door.
The Panda Supermini will be a strong city car, according to the report. Then there will be at least one, but possibly two, smaller models that are expected to use the same Stellantis architecture that Fiat’s new sister brand Peugeot uses in the 208 and 308 models. Fiat Chrysler merged with the PSA Group (Citroën, DS, Opel, Peugeot) in 2021 and form the new Stellantis group. In the future, the various brands of the new fourth-largest car manufacturer will increasingly share platforms on which series can be built such as combustion engines, hybrids and electric vehicles.
“Ride SUV” should be big AutoExpress being a foot-high extension of the original Centoventi concept. With this car, Fiat would have a more practical companion for the next-generation 500X mini-SUV and replace the smaller 500L MPV in its portfolio. In addition, there may be a second small SUV that will be offered with a combustion engine and an electric motor.
Francois sees high sales and small cars as the brand’s main business in the coming years. “My idea is to cover or focus on vehicles with a height between 3.7 and 4.3 meters,” he said in an interview with AutoExpress. “Part A, Part B, short B-SUV, long B-SUV. That’s where I want to be.” Between 2025 and 2030, the product range should gradually become electrified. From 2030 Fiat then wants to be a pure electric car brand. The new 500 is already only available with a battery drive, but the previous generation with a mild hybrid drive is also available at the same time.
