Fiat Grande Panda Rings in a New Era
Published on 14th April 2026 at 14:06
The Olympic Federation of Ireland HQ was a wonderful setting to get my first
introduction to the new Fiat Grande Panda, with the additional delight of pressing
palms with Fiat Ireland Brand Ambassador, Kate O’Connor, winner of a Bronze
Medal at the recent European Indoor Championships.
Always great to see Irish sport being commercially supported, as the home of Team
Ireland, to whom Fiat is the Official Vehicle Partner, this very impressive complex
allowed for the gathered Irish Motoring Journalists to sample the delights of this
very important car for Fiat, now grown up to stand in Ireland B-segment and is
available in full electric and mild hybrid variants, with prices starting from €22,995.
Trim Levels
Three trims are on the Grande Panda Electric menu: Pop, Icon and La Prima, with
the Icon trim level having the option of adding a choice of two packs, the Tech Pack
and the Style Pack, while the La Prima can also avail of the Winter Pack. Both the
Icon and La Prima electric models, include the 7kW on board Front Spiral Cable for
convenient charging and have an electric range of up to 320km.
John Saunders, Managing Director of Fiat Ireland, speaking at the launch, said: "The
Grande Panda is a car that perfectly captures what Irish drivers are looking for right
now. A stylish, versatile and affordable option with a choice of powertrains, that
doesn't compromise on technology or sustainability. We're incredibly proud to be
bringing this car to Ireland, and there's no better setting than Team Ireland HQ to
launch a car that embodies the same spirit of ambition and innovation that defines
Irish sport. This is a genuinely exciting moment for Fiat in Ireland."
The 1.2 litre petrol Hybrid version of the Grande Panda comes in both the Icon and
La Prima trim with a starting price of €25,800. Its new-generation T-Gen3 engine, a
1.2 litre, 3-cylinder turbo hybrid, delivers up to 110 HP of combined power.
Team Ireland Partnership
As part of their four-year partnership with Team Ireland, the Grande Panda will be
the official vehicle, with its main goal to support Irish athletes' performances by
providing transport solutions to make training, competitions and day-to-day
commitments more manageable.
A dedicated fleet of Fiat vehicles will be made available to athletes and sporting
National Governing Bodies. This fleet includes three all-electric Fiat Grande Pandas,
which will form a sustainable ‘athlete pool’ of vehicles to facilitate eco-friendly travel
to training, competitions, and official engagements. Brand Ambassadors Kate
O’Connor and Thomas Barr will also be driving the all-new Grande Panda. Over the
past week, Irish swimmer and Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen has been driving
the Grande Panda as part of the athlete pool as he competes in the Irish Open.
First Impressions
I like happy cars, the Mini, Fiat’s own 500, Renault 5, and Hyundai’s Inster to name
a few. Now into the mix wafts the Grande Panda, with its own persona and design
cues, will please the eyes of all who pass its presence. I like the deliberate assault to
attract, the embossed Panda name on its lower door sides and Fiat on the tailgate.
LED lights front and rear are distinctive and enhance the Grande Panda’s identity.
Worthy of note is that the Grande Panda shares its underpinnings with the very cute
e-C3 Citroen and the impressive Opel Frontera.
On the inside you get a layout where the designers were given free reign and came up
with an information layout that is unique and visually tactile. Some one hundred and
forty recycled ‘Tetra-Pak’ containers make up the plastics within the Grande Panda,
with the 33% bamboo used in the Bambox on the passenger-side of the dashboard.
All the now normal features of Android Auto and Apple Carplay are available via the
10.5 - inch touchscreen, but thankfully there is push button access to major controls.
Out on the road the 1.2, 3-cyclinder mild hybrid coped with what was asked as I
drove through the north Dublin Suburbs, a stretch of dual-carriageway, a longer
journey not an option as my route was influenced greatly by the transport
demonstration on fuel pricing. That said, the new Grande Panda demonstrated
enough talent to warrant a longer test drive and via its design will appeal to many
shopping in this active segment.
Grande Panda Dimensions
The 2026, B-segment Crossover Fiat Grande Panda measures 3,999mm in length,
1,763mm in width (2,017mm with mirrors), and approximately 1,573mm–1,576mm
in height and has a 2,549mm wheelbase, with a boot capacity of 361 litres for the
electric model, extending to 412 litres for some versions.
The Grande Panda was recently launched to the Fiat Ireland dealer network in early
April and is now available to test drive at dealerships nationwide.
For more information see www.fiat.ie
Pictured Left to Right: Kate O’Connor (Olympian, Heptathlete and Fiat ambassador) &
John Saunders (Managing Director at Fiat Ireland).
