New Fiat Panda joins Stellantis' 'Affordable' BEV Lineup

Fiat advances in the battery-electric vehicle price-cutting race by announcing its new fully electric Panda model will retail in Europe for less than €25,000 ($27,000).

During an event to celebrate the brand’s 125^th anniversary since its foundation, Fiat CEO Olivier Francois announces the price tag as vehicle joins the automaker group’s coming range of “affordable” BEVs including the recently launched Citroën e-C3 which retails in France for €23,300 ($25,411), reports Reuters.

Both models are built on the Stellantis low-cost, multi-energy Smart Car platform for small vehicles and will be joined by three new models as part of the automaker’s vehicle strategy to expand the group’s small-car offering, including a compact pickup truck, a fastback and a small SUV, to take on rival vehicles offered by Renault’s budget brand, Dacia.

The Panda, built at Stellantis’ plant in Serbia, is one of several Italian-brand models not built in Italy, drawing criticism from Italy’s government that the automaker group is not supportive enough of the domestic automaking industry. But Francois tells the event: “Affordability is never optional on a Fiat,” adding that the Panda will also be available in a hybrid version for less than €19,000 ($20,721).