Although reports suggest that the existing Fiat Panda will soldier on until 2026, plans for its successor are in motion. The next-gen Panda is expected to be revealed in 2024, as a “less is more” crossover that aims to take on the likes of the cheap and cheerful Dacia Sandero.
Fiat first showed off what it had planned for the future of the model with the Centoventi concept car that was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019. That car was said to share its underpinnings with the recently released 600e, and is one of three crossovers the brand is planning by 2027.
“We have room to make another B-segment [car – alongside the electric Fiat 600] more in the ‘essential’ [category],” Olivier Francois, Fiat’s head, told Autocar. “Clearly, our offering could accommodate another product.”
Read: Fiat To Unveil A New Supermini And Three New Crossovers By 2027
That suggests that, while the Fiat 600e will have style and content to make it appeal to well-heeled buyers, the next-gen Panda will be aimed at budget-conscious customers in the market for something “simple” and “clever,” which Francois describes as being “a little bit like the Panda used to be.”
In addition to appealing to European buyers, the upcoming vehicle will also have to be marketable in other parts of the world, especially Latin America, Fiat’s largest market by volume.
“We need something that is 100% following the European tastes but really can be global,” said Francois. “And this is why I said there may be space for something else, other than the 600 [in the B-segment], which is very, very European.”
Like the Fiat 600 and the Jeep Avenger, which share the same platform, the upcoming Panda followup will be capable of having both internal combustion and electric powertrains, which could help it compete at a variety of price points.
We will find out for sure what Fiat has planned for the next-generation Panda when it is unveiled, which could be on July 11, 2024 – the Italian automaker’s 125th anniversary.
