After 12 Years, Fiat Panda Says Goodbye To Britain

Fiat Panda. (Doc. Stellantis)

JAKARTA The Italian auto brand Fiat has reportedly stopped selling the current generation of Panda models in England after 12 years of long trips. This marks the end of the city car's presence in the country, which has become one of the options for affordable vehicles at a price of around 15,000 or around Rp. 301.6 million.

Quoted from Autocar, Wednesday, August 21, Fiat will continue to provide Panda stocks at dealers until the launch of the latest model, Grande Panda, which has just been launched globally. However, the number of Panda units remaining in the UK is very limited, because since 2020, less than 5,000 units have been sold across the country.

Panda's halt to sales in the UK was also triggered by the implementation of a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) policy, which requires automakers to gradually increase sales of electric vehicles, from 22 percent in 2024 to 80 percent by 2030.

Grande Panda, which will replace Panda, is a small SUV built on the Stellantis Smart Car Platform architecture, which is also used by Citroen C3 and e-C3. The model is available in purely minor-hybrid and electric variants, and is expected to be one of the affordable electric vehicles in the UK, with a price tag of less than 22,000 or around IDR 442.4 million.

Grande Panda comes with an attractive exterior design, combining firm lines with a sturdy rim arch. The car also features Italy's distinctive identity with a contrasting exterior color and a modern compact body. The front carries a retro aura, combined with a glossy black pixel-style front grip, giving a strong modern impression.

Although the information regarding the complete specifications of the Grande Panda is still limited, it is estimated that this car will not be much different from Citroen C3 and e-C3. Citroen e-C3, for example, has an electric motor that produces up to 113 dk of power and is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 11 seconds. The model is powered by a lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) battery that allows a range of up to 320 km according to the WLTP cycle, as well as a charging capability of up to 80 percent with a DC fast charging of 100 kW in less than 30 minutes.