You can now order a Fiat Grande Panda for less than £20k

Fiat has opened orders for the new Grande Panda, ahead of a preview tour around UK dealerships later this month.

The retro-inspired supermini is available in all-electric or hybrid variants, with the pure EV version starting at £21,035. However, Fiat is also offering its own “E-Grant” of £1,500, cutting its starting price to less than £20,000.

Based on the same Smart Car platform as the recently launched Citroen E-C3, the Fiat Grande Panda offers up to 199 miles of range from a 44kWh battery. A 111bhp motor offers modest performance in keeping with the car’s budget city runaround image.

Electric versions will come in two trim levels – RED and La Prima. The RED specification starts at £21,035 before Fiat’s in-house E-Grant is applied. None of Fiat’s models currently qualify for the government-backed Electric Car Grant, so Fiat is offering an equivalent discount itself.

RED trim brings bold 16-inch white steel wheels, a 10.25-inch central touchscreen with Android and Apple mirroring, cruise control and reversing sensors.

The La Prima, priced from just under £24,000 before the E-Grant, adds 17-inch alloy wheels, heated seats, automatic air conditioning, built-in sat nav and front parking sensors.

Designed in Fiat’s hometown of Turin, the new Grande Panda takes inspiration from the beloved Panda of the 1980s and 90s but gives it a 21st century makeover with pixel-style LED lights and the Panda name embossed on the doors. Like the original Panda, the Grande Panda is a compact five-door hatchback but the modern version brings the ubiquitous SUV-inspired touches that echo the Sisley 4×4.

Fiat says it has seen “unprecedented” levels of interest in its smallest EV ahead of its arrival in showrooms on September 4. To mark its launch and generate even more interest, Fiat is staging a nationwide preview tour where customers can get a one-to-one tour of the car between September 4 and October 10.

Giuseppe Cava, managing director of Fiat UK, said: “The response to the car has been incredible so far and we are very proud that it has been recognised with so many awards.

“The several thousand registrations of interest on our website suggest that Grande Panda has already struck a chord with UK drivers, and we’re really looking forward to the preview tour starting. Our customers can come along, learn more about the car and see for themselves why our new Fiat is so special.”