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Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
First Drive: Iconic Fiat Panda is back – and it's bigger, bolder and better
Now part of the Stellantis group, the Italian car giant is confident the rebirth of this car will get it back in the game across Europe, and we think they have cracked it. As the name suggests, this third generation model is vastly bigger than its two predecessors, and comes as a B-segment SUV rather than a quirky city run-around. Size-wise, the new offering is just a millimetre under four metres, is 1.75 metres wide, 1.57 metres high and has a wheelbase of 2.54 metres – well matched to square up to rivals like the Dacia Sandero, Toyota Yaris Cross and Skoda Kamiq. Thankfully, the tale of the tape is where the comparisons end as the Panda is a masterclass in retro design and pays homage to the original. Confession time – I have very fond memories of the 1980s original as my mum had a horrid beige-coloured one, and even the crippling deckchair-styled seats, spartan dash and woeful gearbox couldn't taint those halcyon days. The new model simply oozes style and sophistication, and you can't help but be smitten by the ultra-cool grille incorporating pixel LED lights that are a nod to Fiat's Lingotto plant in Turin, which has a race track on the roof. The 3D lettering across the bottom of the doors and tailgate looks cool too, as do the subtle laser-etched panels in the C-pillar windows that spell Fiat one way and highlight the old four-stripe logo the other way. Inside, it's a similar affair with a digital cockpit that is encased in an illuminated oval backdrop that mimics the 1.5km La Pista 500 circuit and even features a miniature MK1 Panda in the corner. Behind it sits a 10-inch instrument cluster plus a 10.25-inch infotainment screen incorporating wireless smartphone mirroring. Irish customers can choose from three trims – Pop, Icon and La Prima – and all are generously equipped The cabin itself is unexpectedly roomy and the Blu Tasmania colour scheme is energised by bright yellow accents peppered around the dash, infotainment area and seat stitching. The boot is decent too, with 412 litres of luggage, but the rear seats can get quite snug with a couple of six-footers up front. Irish customers can choose from three trims – Pop, Icon and La Prima – and all are generously equipped. The entry-level model comes with manual AC, a 10-inch digital cluster, automatic eDCT transmission and a smartphone station featuring NFC-based Autolaunch. This allows users to interact with their digital devices thanks to a dedicated home button that simplifies access to their favourite screen or app. Icon trim adds a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, full LED headlamps and rear lamps and three customisable upgrade packs – Tech, Style and Winter. The Tech pack includes automatic climate control, navigation, front parking sensors, a rear-view camera and wireless charging. Style gets you 16-inch alloy wheels, roof bars, privacy glasses and skid plates, while the Winter pack (available only with the Tech pack) includes heated seats, steering wheel and windscreen. Top of the range La Prima combines all packages, along with 17-inch rims, premium interior finishes and exclusive use of Bambox Bamboo Fiber Tex for the dashboard. All models come equipped with Fiat's ADAS safety suite, including cruise control, speed limiter, active safety brake, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning and open-door alerts. If like me you have a soft spot for the old model, you're certain to fall head over heels as soon as you lay eyes on it We tested the hybrid around the outskirts of Turin last week and left more than impressed. First, it drives nothing like the first generation – proving peppy, agile and remarkably composed. The T-Gen-3 hybrid set-up twinned with a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine delivering 110bhp is a perfect fit for the Panda, and the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission never missed a beat. Around town it was nippy and responsive and wafted along in EV mode (under 30km) in stop/start traffic. On more challenging roads and surfaces the suspension, although a tad firm, dealt with potholed B roads with gusto. It won't set your hair on fire, though – 0-100kph takes around 11 seconds – but once you get the Panda into treble figures it will cruise effortlessly, devouring mile after mile with ease. That said, the new Panda is all about fast fashion and standing out from the crowd allure, which it has in spades. If like me you have a soft spot for the old model, you're certain to fall head over heels as soon as you lay eyes on it. A rugged 4x4 may also be in the pipeline. The new Panda will arrive here next month, with prices announced closer to launch.
TimesLIVE
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Everything you need to know about the new Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid
Fiat's new Grande Punto has been launched as a hybrid. The funky new model that made its international Debut in June 2024 is available in multiple powertrains, including full electric derivatives launched earlier in the year. The company also revealed a new Grande Panda 4x4 concept model during the hybrid media drive, with exclusive details of dark red livery and an all-terrain drivetrain. The newly debuted hybrid drivetrain is a front-wheel drive with a new 83kW turbocharged three-cylinder 1.2 l engine paired with a 21kW electric motor and a 48V lithium-ion battery. An eDCT six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, regenerative braking and driving modes of e-launch, e-creeping and e-parking are available. The company doesn't share fuel consumption averages at this stage. Designed in Italy at the Centro Stile in Turin, the modern interpretation of the iconic Panda is a cool urban car that measures 3.99m in length. The car sits on the Stellantis 'Smart Car' platform, a flexible, multi-energy architecture designed to offer a wide range of cost-effective electric vehicles to compete with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers. It has enough room to carry five passengers and a 412 l boot. Smart storage solutions totalling 16 l to store loose items is integrated in the cabin. The exterior cues of a wedge-like profile are enhanced by retro PXL LED headlamps, cube-like taillights and blacked-out pillars. Details such as 3D-branded 'Panda' lettering on the doors and 'Fiat' on the rear, a lenticular C-pillar graphic, and glossy black bezel are further stylistic touches. Bright exterior colours finish the fun driving vibe, while a choice of trims — Pop, Icon and La Prima — offer customer personalisation. The Blu Tasmania colour scheme with bright yellow accents on the dashboard, infotainment area and as seat stitching energises the cabin. Amenities include air-conditioning, digital clusters, electric parking brake, smartphone station, navigation, front parking sensors, rearview camera and wireless charging, depending on the model. Three customisable upgrade packs including Tech, Style and Winter are also available. They introduce further items such as automatic climate control, 16-inch alloy wheels, roof bars, privacy glass, skid plates, heated seats, steering wheel and windshield. The range-topping La Prima trim combines all packages, along with 17-inch alloy wheels, premium interior finishes, including BAMBOX Bamboo Fiber Tex that contains 33% of the natural fibres for the dashboard. Recycled beverage cartons are repurposed as blue plastic with a shimmering aluminium finish as touch point finishers. Safety is taken care of by a comprehensive ADAS suite including cruise control, speed limiter, active safety brake, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning and open-door alerts. The La Prima trim boasts front sensors and a rearview camera. Connectivity is supported with wireless smartphone mirroring, multiple USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad. The initial Fiat Panda model debuted in 1980, and SA welcomed the second-generation car in 2003. Stellantis SA confirms it has no plans to introduce the new Grande Panda models to this market, but the hybrid pricing starts at €19,000 (R386,000) for European customers.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
La Prima announces plans to open new shop in Oakland
La Prima is set to open a new shop in Oakland. For founder Sam Patti, it marks a return to a familiar Pittsburgh neighborhood. In its early days in the 1990s, Patti ran a second coffee shop in Oakland, complementing the coffee chain's original Strip District location. But rather than call it La Prima, he opted to name the shop Cafe Zio, after his uncle, as 'zio' means uncle in Italian. Three decades later, La Prima is set to open a new shop in the area, complementing not just the original location but also coffee shops in downtown and the North Side and stands in Carnegie Mellon University's Wean Hall and Gates and Hillman Centers. The 3400 Fifth Ave. location is expected to open sometime in May. The space is next door to Sciulli's Pizza, something that presents another full circle moment for Patti. Years ago, the late owner of Sciulli's and uncle of the current owners had suggested that Patti open a La Prima there. Click here to read more from our partners at the Pittsburgh Business Times. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
The Independent
28-01-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
All-electric Fiat Grande Panda goes on sale for £20,975
Pandas may be notoriously difficult to breed, but Fiat has successfully delivered a second Panda model to its family: the Grande Panda. Making use of parent company Stellantis's Smart Car platform, also used for the new Vauxhall Frontera and Citroen 's e-C3 and e-C3 Aircross models, Fiat is undercutting those cars with a starting price of £20,975. Fiat has gone to town on the styling, not only mimicking the boxy look of the 1980s original, but also embossing the words Fiat and Panda around the car as much as possible, including the doors and seats. The Panda also steals a march on rivals by offering an integrated, retractable 4.5 meter-long charging cable that lives in the nose of the car – ideal if you have to regularly use a charging point that needs you to supply your own cable. Although this Panda is called Grande, it's still supermini-sized at under four meters in length. Like the original, the upright front end features distinctive front lights – this time arranged with LEDs in an X shape like panda eyes (Fiat says they're actually designed to mimic a 1980s video game), while the side features squared-off wheel arches with what looks like bold body mouldings that actually spell out the word panda. The Fiat logo is also embossed on the back and features in the panels on the rear doors, too – there's no doubting what this car is. Inside a whole host of recycled materials are used for plastics and textiles, while the sense of fun is carried over from the outside. There's even a novel bamboo-based material on some models to create the dashboard wrapping – you don't need to be David Attenborough to figure out that reference. There are plenty of bright colours and even more Fiat and Panda graphics inside. To bring the Panda up-to-date there's a 10.25-inch infotainment screen and a 10-inch digital driver display. There's initially just one choice of battery with the Panda, a 44kWh unit that offers a maximum claimed range of 199 miles – the same as Citroen's slightly more expensive e-C3. It's not a quick EV, with a 0-62mph time of 11 seconds and a top speed of 82mph. There's a slight catch with the integrated, retractable charging cable. It won't charge as quickly as models with a DC connection, which can charge at public fast chargers at speeds up to 100kW. That means the Fiat Panda charges from 20 to 80 per cent in 27 minutes. Although there's only one battery, you'll be able to choose from two trim levels: the entry-level RED version (RED is a long-standing Fiat partnership with charities to support the fight against health injustice) and the posher La Prima model. At £20.975, the RED version gets distinctive design elements including white steel wheels – another nod to the original 80s Panda – while the La Prima adds alloys and some of the nicer interior trim including the bamboo dashboard wrapping. Fiat is clearly on a roll with Panda breeding, because the Grande Panda is just the first of a whole new Panda family launching over the next few years. The new range could include an even larger SUV and possibly even camper or pick-up versions, too.
