New Fiat Grizzly unveiled in SUV and Coupe form, a big brother for the Panda
The Fiat Grizzly will share the same underpinnings as the Panda but offer more space
At the Stellantis Investor Day 2026, Fiat decided to make a splash by marking a surprise reveal of an all-new model, the Fiat Grizzly.
Make that two new models because alongside the Grizzly SUV, there’s also the coupe-SUV variant - which we had already spotted testing. The two cars are designed to expand the design and technology of the latest Panda into the larger C-segment.
Speaking at the event in Michigan, US, Olivier Francois, CEO of Fiat said: “The new Fiat Grizzly, and you see two silhouettes, because it's designed for three regions of the world, it completes the Panda and Grande Panda family. Same DNA, still built on Smart Car, but it's a bigger animal.”
Despite the concept being referred to as ‘GigaPanda’ we already knew the larger models would gain a different name as François told us way back in 2024: “They are not Pandas, but ‘Panda inspired’. They’re not going to be called Panda, but they will be inspired by its DNA and feeling: boxy and charming. It’s generally not easy to make boxy charming, but in smaller sizes the Panda of the 1980s captured this, and this is what we’re basing it on.”
Design and price
We also knew the Grizzly models would utilise Stellantis’ Smart Car platform, though this is our first glimpse of them both uncovered ahead of an expected official launch at the Paris Motor Show in October.
The coupe-SUV variant of the Grizzly, as previewed by the Fiat Fastback concept, combines a swooping coupe-inspired roofline with the chunky, upright charm of the Grande Panda. Like the latest Panda models, the Grizzly sports a pixelated headlight signature, though the lights themselves are wider than the Panda’s and extend into the upper grille section. Bulky, squared-off wheel arches are influenced by the Grande Panda too and there’s a visibly more rakish rear roofline on the coupe - as we’ve seen on prototype models testing.
At the Investor Day, Olivier François built up the importance of the new Grizzly models allowing Fiat to compete in larger segments; “it [Grizzly] will elevate everything, the market share, the revenue, the margins and the brand.”
François previously told Auto Express the Grizzly would be “affordable, spacious and desirable”. Fiat will use these to mount an assault on best-selling family cars such as the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and Dacia Bigster. With a focus on affordability in the Grizzly’s reveal, we expect pricing to sit around £25,000 when it goes on sale - possibly before the end of the year.
The Grizzly’s underpinnings have proved impressive in its smaller Grande Panda already. Not only is the Grande Panda the reigning Auto Express Supermini of the Year, but it is also now available from less than £19,000 through the Auto Express Buy A Car service.
Interior and practicality
As you’d hope for with family SUVs, the cars’ interiors will focus on spaciousness and versatility, with rugged finishes designed to be practical and hard-wearing. Fiat will attempt, however, to set its offerings apart from the likes of the value-focused Dacia Duster (another key rival) by emphasising its heritage and having a greater sense of fun, not just usability.
Fiat will continue to reference its famous Lingotto factory in the interior’s design elements and detailing. As such, the oval-shaped elements that are found in the Grande Panda will probably be carried across, with a similarly varied use of different soft and hard-touch materials. Both cars will also probably feature the same technology package, including a 10-inch driver’s information display and a 10.25-inch touchscreen. Fans of separate climate controls will also be glad to see Fiat retaining fixed buttons.
As with the Grande Panda, Fiat’s colour and trim department will focus on using as many recycled materials as possible, including bamboo-fibre mixes and a combination of bright, high-contrast stitching. Small item storage has also been a focus, so there will be plenty of interior oddment space, and the Panda’s clever integrated charging cable, which is coiled away and accessible via the front bumper, should also be retained.
The key for both Grizzly models, though, will be offering enough space for families – something that the new supermini-sized Grande Panda is a little short on. In order to ensure there’s enough space in the second row, Fiat will extend the wheelbase, opening up more rear legroom.
Hybrid and electric power options
The Grizzly models won’t only share their design language with the Grande Panda, they will also use the Stellantis Group’s Smart Car platform that underpins the smaller model, plus larger C-segment cars like the C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Frontera.
We’ve already seen the Smart Car architecture can accommodate a wide selection of pure-petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains, and it’s flexible enough to allow Fiat to lengthen the wheelbase and widen the track to produce these C-segment models.
All petrol-powered models will use a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, which hybrid versions will pair with a six-speed automatic gearbox that has an integrated e-motor - as we’ve seen in all the Smart Car-based models.
Meanwhile, the electric models will be offered with a choice of a 44kWh or 54kWh battery, as in the e-C3 Aircross and Frontera Electric. These should provide close to 180 miles and 250 miles of range, respectively.
A 100kW maximum charging speed will allow for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in about half an hour, and driving the front wheels is likely to be a 111bhp front-mounted electric motor. However, Fiat may choose to fit a beefed-up e-motor to give these bigger cars a bit more oomph than the little Grande Panda.
Fiat’s slow rate of new product launches and updates to existing models over the last few years has been a worrying sign for such an iconic brand – one that’s so important not just to the Italian car industry, but also to the country’s manufacturing base in general. However, this is about to change, as Fiat exploits the Smart Car platform and access to synergies across Stellantis. The Grande Panda was a bold first step, but the SUVs have the potential to re-establish Fiat as a true volume player across most European countries.
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